DIY: Moisturizing Bath Soak for Dry Winter Skin
I love living in Colorado; it is beautiful, outdoorsy, and is full of great food and great people. It also has lots of sunshine in the winter which makes this summer-loving mermaid SO happy. However, with the sunshine comes drastic temperature fluctuations- we went from 55 degrees to six inches of snow and -2 in less than 24 hours last week- and my poor skin is crying out for help. If you follow my Instagram you know that I am a huge fan of baths, so this self care Sunday I created my perfect moisturizing bath soak for dry winter skin. Full of ingredients to help heal dryness and inflammation, the bath soak is great for an instant skin pick me up!
As with any of my bath soak recipes, the ingredients below are completely customizable to your needs. Don’t like lemon in your bath? Skip it! Feel like using shea butter instead of coconut oil? That works too! Don’t be afraid to customize to make your bath feel best for you. This may be touted as a moisturizing bath soak- but it is also a fun form of self care. Make your bath the best experience for your body (and mind!)
Moisturizing Bath Soak Ingredients
Lavender Flower
One of my favorite additions to any bath, lavender is both soothing and an anti-inflammatory. It is also an anti-septic- perfect for cracked winter skin, and will help in the healing process for burns (like wind burn from snow sports!) I tend to prefer lavender flower, but lavender essential oil works as well!
Calendula Flower
I call calendula ‘nature’s gift to skin’ I use calendula constantly to promote healing for cuts, scrapes, burns, and intense skin dryness. Both an anti-inflammatory and an anti-bacterial, calendula can promote healing through stimulating cell growth- super important for rejuvenating tired, dry winter skin.
Oatmeal Flour
Oatmeal four is a bit more labor intensive, so I only pop it in the tub when I have a batch made, but it is incredibly helpful for dry skin. Oatmeal has a mild pH that can help regulate your skin’s acidity levels- especially when skin is dry to the point of inflammation. I don’t just use regular oat flour as the particles are a bit too small. I like to take organic, gluten free rolled oats and pop them in a food processor to break them down for a few pulses to create particles larger than flour but with more surface area than a regular rolled oat.
Lemon*
I took an organic lemon (no pesticides on the rind!) and sliced it thinly. Lemon juice and the oils contained in its skin are high in antioxidants that will help promote healing, Vitamin C to boost collagen production, and citric acid to help remove those dry, dead skin cells. *If your skin is dry to the point of cracking and you have sensitive skin, you may want to skip the citrus! I can sting a bit on open wounds.
Coconut Oil
Especially in the winter months, I tend to stay away from lotions for moisture and stick to oils instead. You can add a few tablespoons of your favorite oil to your bath to make it feel both luxurious and moisturizing. As the rest of the ingredients heal your skin, the coconut oil will help to trap in and add more moisture as the dead skin cells slough off! Not a fan of coconut? Try sweet almond oil or shea butter- but just FYI shea butter can be a pain to clean out of a tub!
Have so much fun in your bath! I’d love to see your recreations of this moisturizing bath soak- so make sure to tag me on Instagram! Also, I would love to know what your favorite ways for combating dry winter skin is- I am always looking for new ways to stay nice and hydrated!
Once you start collecting bulk herbs for your herbal home apothecary (doesn’t that sound fancy!?) these are some of the herbs that you’ll always have on hand when accidents do occur! Plus, you can pull from your herb stash to make things like my DIY Elderberry Syrup, DIY Cough Drops, and Sleepy Time Tea! To make it easy I made an Amazon list that you can shop from!
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