Nearly everyone rightly associates an aromatic or aromatherapy bath with relaxation and enjoyment. However, essential oils are very powerful and concentrated and should be used with proper care. But, with the right choice of good quality essential oils used in the right way, an aromatic or aromatherapy bath can be healing and transformative as well. Follow these aromatherapy bath safety tips.

Essential Oils that Promote Healing

During the bathing process, essential oils are absorbed through the skin. The warm water also causes the essential oils to volatilize (vaporize), and the vapor is inhaled involving another sense and enhancing the healing and sensation.

Some common essential oils for the bath include:

• Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), German chamomile (Matricaria recuitia), and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) for relaxation and sleep;
• Vetiver (Vetiver zizanoides), patchouli (pogostemon cablin), and frankincense (Boswellia carteri) for grounding and centering;
• Neroli or orange blossom (Citrus aurantium), Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata), and rose (rosa damascena) for emotional comfort;
• Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata) and jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum) as an aphrodisiac.

Essential oils are highly concentrated plant material, which means they are strong and can be irritating to the skin when used undiluted or in high concentrations, especially for those with sensitive skin or a tendency to develop allergies. So, it’s important to properly dilute the essential oils. Typically, you should use no more than 8 drops of the entire blend of essential oils per bath. It’s best to try the blend out with fewer drops the first time, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Essential oils are lipophilic, meaning they like lipids (fats) and, therefore, dissolve well in oil. But, it also means they don’t dissolve readily in water. So, the proper way to add essential oils to the bath is to first mix them with some form of an emulsifier or dispersant such as salts, vegetable oils, vegetable glycerin, gels, or whole – not fat-free or skim – milk. If you just drop them in the water without emulsifying them, the drops will float around on the surface of the water and come in contact with your skin: they’ll feel just like they are full strength. To increase the dispersion of the essential oils, add them (in the dispersant) to the bathwater as it is running from the faucet.

FOR SALTS: Use the amount of salt you normally like to put in the bath. The amount varies widely from person to person. A rough estimate would be one hand full or between 1/2 and 1 cup of salt. Mix 6-8 drops of essential oils in the salt before adding both to the bath. If mixing up a larger batch, just keep the proportions the same.

FOR OILS: Use between 1/2  and 1 teaspoon of good quality (organic is best) vegetable oil. Just like with the salts, mix 6-8 drops of the essential oil blend with the vegetable oil before adding both to the bath. The more oil is used, the more likely the bath and skin will feel a bit oily. But, the oil will quickly absorb into the skin. Because the oil touches and gets absorbed by the skin, make sure to use an oil that has nice healing properties as well. You can make up larger batches of the oil just as with salts, but vegetable oils have shorter shelf lives and many have shorter shelf lives than the essential oils you’ll be adding to them.

FOR GELS: Use a tablespoon of gel (organic aloe vera or vegetable glycerin). Just like with the salts and oils, mix 6-8 drops of essential oils with the gel before adding both to the bathwater. Gels have a longer shelf life than vegetable oils.

A hot bath stimulates the skin and opens the pores. For this reason, it’s best to take a warm bath as opposed to a very hot bath when using essential oils, again, especially if you have sensitive skin.

CAUTION: ESSENTIAL OILS THAT MAY CAUSE IRRITATION IN THE BATH: Some essential oils are more irritating to the skin than others. Some essential oils that have a tendency to irritate the skin can be used but in smaller amounts. It’s best to check the properties and cautions associated with the essential oils you plan to use. Here’s a list of some potential irritants:

• Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
• Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
• Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
• Cinnamon (Cinnamomun zeylanicum)
• Clove (Eugenia caryophyllus)
• Lemon (Citrus limon)
• Marjoram (Origanum marjorana)
• Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
• Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
• Pines (Pinus spp)
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
• Spearmint (Menta spicata)
• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

These essential oils have wonderful healing properties and are appropriate to use in many types of applications. Just take care when using them in the bath.

Enjoy!