Splish Splash - DIY Foot Baths 8 Essential Additions That Boost DIY Foot Soaks
You can easily take your homemade footbaths from standard soaks to soothing steeps with things like Epsom salt, essential oils, vinegar and a pumice stone scrub. Here's all you need to make your DIY at-home foot soaks spa worthy and soothing.
Foot soaks are beneficial for you and your health no matter the ingredients, but a couple of items have the power to boost an average footbath and turn it into an ultimate spa experience that brings you peace, tranquility, healing benefits and more. Read on for eight essential additions that produce a supreme Do-It-Yourself foot soak.
1. Epsom Salts
The magnesium found in Epsom salt does wonders for your body. When the magnesium is absorbed into your skin, your brain produces elevated amounts of serotonin, a feel-good chemical that relaxes your entire body, increases your sense of calm, reduces stress and irritability, improves your sleeping habits, soothes achy muscles, and boosts your energy and stamina.
2. Essential Oils
Essential oils have many healing powers and can affect your mood in a variety of ways. For example, a few drops of peppermint oil added to your foot soak can awaken your senses and boost energy, eucalyptus oil can relieve coughing and chest congestion, sandalwood oil can protect wounds and help ease foot and toenail fungus, ylang ylang oil can decrease stress and calm the nervous system, myrrh and frankincense can increase blood circulation, and lavender oil can bring a sense of calm and ready you for a good night’s sleep.
3. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits aren’t only invigorating, the acid found in their peels and juice can help soften the skin on the feet and reduce the appearance of ailments like corns and calluses. Try adding orange, tangerine, lime and bergamot juice and peel to your footbaths for natural exfoliation and an energizing mood boost.
4. Herbs
Herbs have been used for centuries to heal many ailments, including fungal and bacterial infections. Herbal soaks containing a few tsp of rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram, mint and other leaves can help alleviate bodily aches and pains as well as assist in healing common foot diseases.
5. Pumice Stone
The volcanic rock used to make pumice stones is a great way to scrub away unsightly corns, calluses and heel fissures. Use the abrasive material to gently exfoliate any problem areas, which will leave you with soft, baby smooth feet. Alternatively, you can add baking soda to your footbath. It’s a natural exfoliating agent that softens foot skin.
6. Bubble Bath
A small squirt of bubble bath gives your feet an extra soft feeling and who doesn’t love super bubbly baths?! Rubber duckies optional.
7. Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is one of nature’s wonder drugs. Adding a few tsp of organic, apple cider vinegar to your foot soaks can help heal infections caused by bacteria and fungus, and it also helps soften the skin.
8. Perfect Finishing Touches
One of the secrets of a truly amazing foot soak is following it up with a couple of tried and true finishing touches. After thoroughly drying your relaxed, soaked feet, slather them with oil or a good quality lotion (bonus points if it’s an aromatherapy lotion) and cover them with thick, comfy socks. This is your recipe for success, as it revs up any foot soak and gives it ultimate soothing, healing power. Trust us when we say, your feet will be thanking you!
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