Bath Salts for Bathing (Purpose, Benefits, and the Best Bath Salts)

Are bath salts for bathing a trendy self-care hype, or do they serve a useful purpose? In this article, we’ll discuss what bath salts are for, their benefits, and the best bath salts you can use.

What are bath salts?

Bath salts are a crystalline substance that dissolves in warm water. You can put bath salt blends with Epsom and sea salts, and other natural ingredients into your bath to create a therapeutic experience. You can also use them in the shower to exfoliate with and in a foot soak.

The Purpose of Bath Salts

According to Dr. Debra Rose Wilson, bath salts offer various health benefits. 

The combination of ingredients, including sulfate and magnesium, and warm water helps reduce inflammation, loosen stiff joints, and detoxify the skin. These effects make bath salts good for improving:

• Muscle and joint pain 
• Arthritis
• Circulation issues
• Anxiety and stress
• Skin conditions
• Dry and itchy skin

Soaking in bath salts is a good wellness and skincare practice whether you’re addressing specific concerns or not. Taking baths is an excellent self-care practice that can help you sleep, look, and feel better.

How to Use Bath Salts

The best part of using bath salts for bathing is how easy it is. You can use bath salts to detoxify and remove toxins from the body, for pain and stress relief, and to treat dry or itchy skin by following these simple steps:

1. Mix about ¼ cup of bath salts into warm running bath water
2. Wait for your bath salts to dissolve (usually a few minutes)
3. Get into your bath and relax for about 20 minutes
4. Rinse off in the shower

While you can use bath salts any time of day, a salt bath before bed is thought to help improve sleep.

The Best Bath Salts for Bathing: Calming Beer Bath Salts

There are many bath salt options, but our favorite is Oakwell Cosmetics Calming Beer Bath Salts. 

They’re made with this soothing blend of simple ingredients for a rejuvenating bath:

• Epsom salt - a naturally occurring magnesium and sulfate mineral compound that soothes muscles, joints, and skin irritation
• Sea salt - helps improve pain, blood circulation, and skin sensitivities
• Hops flowers - a natural beer ingredient with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and hydrating properties for clean, toned skin
• Malted barley - beer’s main ingredient packed with antioxidants, which improves skin elasticity
• Colloidal oatmeal - powdered oatmeal that cleanses, exfoliates, and hydrates the skin
• Essential oils - offers a fresh scent and has protective antioxidants and antimicrobial properties for radiant skin

What makes Oakwell Cosmetics Beer Bath Salts different?

• They’re cruelty and paraben-free
• They don’t contain any unnecessary, harmful ingredients
• They have a subtly fresh, calming scent

Other Ways to Use Bath Salts

While bath salts for bathing is most common, you can also use bath salts in the shower or as a foot soak.

Bath Salts for Showers

You can use bath salts in the shower as a scrub or in the bottom of your shower. 

Use the bath salts as a scrub by rubbing them on your body with your hands or mixing them in a bowl with water to use like soap with your hands or a loofah. A bath salt scrub will exfoliate your skin and give you benefits similar to a traditional salt bath.

You can also sprinkle the salts in the bottom of your shower and enjoy the benefits of the essential oils.

Bath Salts as a Foot Soak

Bath salts are excellent for foot soaks if you have athlete's foot, toe fungus, inflammation or pain, or foot odor. They can also help exfoliate and remove dry skin from your feet.

For a bath salt foot soak, sprinkle salts into a small tub or bucket of water. Soak your feet for 10-20 minutes. Finish by rinsing and drying your feet to cleanse and remove dead skin.

Bath Salts for Bathing: FAQs

Let’s explore answers to common questions about using bath salts.

Is bathing in bath salts good for you?

Bathing in bath salts is good for you because it offers many therapeutic benefits, including pain and stress relief, radiant skin, and better circulation.

How often should you bathe in bath salts?

You can take a salt bath up to three times per week. Many dermatologists don’t recommend daily baths because this can dry out your skin. If you enjoy taking baths, an every-other-day routine is good. 

Do you need to rinse after using bath salts?

It’s important to rinse off after taking a salt bath to ensure your skin doesn’t dry out. After soaking in your bath, take a shower to wash and rinse your skin. A natural body wash or soap is a good way to cleanse the body after your bath.

Bath Salts for Bathing: Conclusion

Salt baths have many wellness benefits and are the perfect self-care activity. Whether you experience stress, body aches or pain, or skin irritation, bathing in bath salts is an excellent way to keep your body and skin looking and feeling great.

Oakwell Cosmetics Calming Beer Bath Salts is a therapeutic blend of herbs, minerals, and essential oils for the ultimate salt bath. Pair it with the Herbal Beer Bath Tea to take your experience up a level.