Why Your Kid Needs a Detox Bath

I can hear you now, through my computer screen: “Detox bath? Isn’t that what they do at the Betty Ford clinic? What the heck would a kid need to detox from?”

Unfortunately…a lot.

Toxins are chemicals or poisons that have harmful effects on the body. They are in food and water, from chemicals in our soaps, lotions, or food, in medicines, and even in the air.

Your body gets rid of toxins by filtering all your blood through your liver. The liver collects toxins and transforms them into compounds that exit your body…in the bathroom. (That’s a polite way to phrase it–right, Mom?) Many other organs are involved as well, including your skin, lungs and kidneys.

These are your body’s natural methods of detox when you are in good health. Your body’s systems are effective and efficient until they are overloaded with toxins–then TILT!

Signs of toxin overload

Your body stores excess toxins in the liver, fat cells, brain cells, and nerve cells. This overload manifests in many ways:

  • headache
  • muscle and joint pain
  • irritability
  • flu-like symptoms
  • allergic reactions, including hives, stuffy or runny nose
  • sneezing and coughing

Moms, do any of these sound familiar? When I learned this, those toddler tantrums and growing pains meant something completely different to me. Maybe Little Miss Grumpypants needs to detox!

The detox bath

Warm and soothing, detox baths help draw toxins out through the skin and ease the burden on the liver. They work great for kids and grownups alike!

A few points to note:

  • The detox bath is designed to open the skin’s pores, so don’t use harsh, chemical soaps. A natural, unscented castile soap like Dr. Bronner’s is perfect.
  • If your water isn’t filtered, then it probably contains chlorine, trace amounts of medicines, and who knows what else. You don’t want to absorb that gunk while your pores are open, so neutralize it by adding 1 teaspoon of Vitamin C powder or ¼ cup natural baking soda to the bathwater.
  • When I talk about essential oils below, I mean top quality, therapeutic-grade oils. I don’t recommend purchasing any other kind. Click here to see which oils I recommend, and please join my essential oil Facebook group to learn more about using essential oils.
  • All of these recipes are for a full bathtub. If you’re only filling the tub halfway, adjust the amounts accordingly.

Immune Booster

Kids: 4 drops OnGuard essential oil blend and ½ cup epsom salt

Adults: up to 10 drops OnGuard essential oil blend and 2 cups epsom salt

Colds or Congestion

Kids: 4 drops Eucalyptus essential oil OR Breathe essential oil blend (not both) and ½ cup epsom salt

Adults: up to 10 drops Eucalyptus OR Breathe and 2 cups epsom salt

Constipation

Kids: 4 drops DigestZen essential oil blend and ½ cup epsom salt