Homemade bath recipes: The natural alternative to bubbles

Cleopatra used to bathe herself in milk, Circe practiced thalassotherapy – looking into treatments including scrubs that used seawater, seaweed and other ocean derivatives and Lucrezia Borgia took care of her beauty with scented ablutions. Something tells me that beauty has an undeniable ally in the ritual of bathing.

Since we all want to look and feel fabulous and have charming skin, here are five homemade recipes to turn your bath time into a grown-up spa fit for a queen. Each of them serves a beautifying purpose and is environmentally friendly, 100% natural and is super kind to your skin.

Before testing them, here are some basic rules: 

1. Remember: a hurried bath is useless. Take your time and relax!

2. Choose the right moment: before dinner or bedtime, to ease muscle tension and prepare the body and mind to sleep. Or bathe in the morning, to invigorate and energise your body.

3. Prepare your skin to receive all the benefits: before jumping into the bath, massage your body with a soft glove to get your circulation going.

4. Be careful about the temperature, if you make your bath too hot (above 37°C ) it relaxes your muscles, which could cause you to fall asleep.   

5. Enjoy it! 

Milk and Honey Bath recipe

Cleopatra’s beauty is legendary and even today, the last Egyptian queen is the epitome of grace and fascination. The secret? A daily bath in milk. Modern medicine uses the tradition of the milk bath to moisturise and cleanse the skin and restore its lipid balance in case of skin diseases.

The lactic acid in milk is very exfoliating and honey is softening, moisturising and all-around beautifying. You will not be Cleopatra, but you can aspire to become at least a queen bee of your home.

How to:

Put 2 handfuls of salt into the tub.

Dissolve one cup of honey – preferably a low density such as acacia or wildflower – in 1/4 pint of hot full fat milk.

Pour the milk into the water, along with the 1/2 teaspoon of wheat germ oil.

Immerse yourself in the bathroom and enjoy 15-20 minutes of relaxation. 

Red wine or Champagne Bath

The wine bath is an aspect of wine therapy, a practice born in France in the early 90s that is based on the properties of the grapes, rich in antioxidant capacity due to high presence of polyphenols, calcium, iron, phosphorus, vitamins and organic acids. Wow! It’s ideal for alleviating stretch marks, wrinkles and skin blemishes.

Many of its properties in aesthetics: removes the wrinkles, flattens the abdomen, firms the buttocks, rejuvenates and tones the muscles of the breast.

For a more frizzy and extravagant version, try directly with champagne.

How to:

Simply pour a glass of red wine or champagne into your running bath.

Soak for 20 minutes. 

Oatmeal Bath

No, we’re not talking about taking a bath while having your breakfast porridge! But to take your next bath using the stuff. Colloidal oatmeal bath is recommended for people with different levels of sensitive skin for their soothing effect and improving the protective skin barrier. This is perfect for exfoliating, elasticising and soothing.

How to:

Fill a knee-high nylon or thin sock without holes with one cup of oat flakes.

Tie tightly at the top. Then place it in your warm bath with you and squeeze it softly every so often to release the oatmeal water.

Scrub your entire body lightly with the sock.

Do not rinse yourself and towel dry. 

Rice Starch Bath

Rice starch has always been used to take care of irritated and inflamed skin and fine powder has absorbent properties. It is therefore very useful in case of redness, itching and chafing.

This refines and firms like a massage with muscular biceps, with the advantage of not having to cook for two!

How to:

Dissolve two cups of rice starch in the water bath, stir vigorously and soak for 20 minutes. 

Essential Oil Bath

With an essential oils bath it becomes a true moment of wellbeing. Aromatherapy uses the specific properties of each essential oil with affirmative action on state of mind and mood. Make sure you use the most suitable essential oils to suit your needs.

Sage: uplifting, calming and astringent – great for oily skin or back acne.

Rosemary: relaxing and perfect for alertness, also clarifying.

Lemon Grass: purifying and clarifying.

Lavender: extremely relaxing and sedative.

Sandal: relaxing and an afrodisiac.

How to:

Add five to seven drops of your favourite oil to one handful of salt and dissolve it in the water in the bath. 

Laura Di Vittori