Dr Campbell-McBride recommends having a detox bath every evening. Her suggestions include 1/2 cup baking soda, or 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar, or 1/2 cup Epsom salts, or 1/2 cup sea salt, or 1/2 cup of powdered seaweed (specifically that from aalgo.com), rotated. (The rotation has various benefits, not the least of which is avoiding irritation from, for example, the salts.)
At least one member has found increased success having the daily bath in the morning, before 10am.
Have as many baths in a day as you feel the need for. Sit in the bath for at least thirty minutes.
I do not know what temperature NCM recommends. Some websites state that hot water is what opens the pores and allows the toxins to be drawn out. I find hot water critical with a ginger bath (below), but any temperature effective with the others. (Be sure bath temperature is safe; follow standard safety procedures when preparing a bath for another person, such as a child, senior or ill person in your care.)
For me, I can tell when a detox bath is especially effective when the following changes occur in my body 10-20 minutes into the bath: my gums sweat, my heart rate increases, I feel uncomfortable, my feet throb. I get out when I can’t stand it anymore or when the peak of these changes passes. My son displays no discomfort (perhaps because his baths are cooler), and simply plays happily in them for 30-60 minutes.
For constipation, an Epsom salt bath is especially helpful. For relieving detox or die-off symptoms, several have found great results mixing the baking soda and epsom salts in one bath.
Another favourite of mine is a ginger bath, as recommended to me by a naturopath years ago. It can knock a cold or flu virus out of one’s system. Please note: It is generally suggested that, in order to effectively draw the toxins out, the bath water should be hot. This bath gets uncomfortable. Its effects are similar to that of a sauna. I would only recommend it for an adult. Young people, old people and people with significant illness should be supervised throughout, as well as assisted out of the tub.
Into a bath, add a couple of tablespoons of powdered ginger or some fresh grated. Sit in the bath for at least twenty minutes. Close to the twenty minute mark, you may find yourself feeling intensely uncomfortable, sweating, heart racing. Breathe through this until the twenty minutes is up. With great care in case of dizziness, get out of the bath. Dry off, then wrap yourself in a blanket and go to sleep.
For an enhanced experience, follow the ginger bath with a cold shower before laying down. For an alternative to this enhancement, please see the comment from Justine, immediately following.
I was literally just talking with a sick friend and recommending “hydrotherapy” as I sat down (multitasking as usual) to read this!
Our old naturopath used to recommend it with these additions: keep a glass of water and a cool washcloth (for the head) available to ward off the dizziness (and it’s good to have someone else around, if you can, for that reason too). Also, at the end of the hot bath, wrap the kid (or self) in a cold wet towel, cover that with a blanket or larger dry towel and sit quietly until the cold towel warms to body temp. Then bundle up for bed! The hot bath forces the immune system to work harder against the “bug”, creating interferon,
and the cold towel ends up breaking a fever, restoring equilibrium. It works, and my kids used to ask for it–it actually felt good to them. It is also known as “contrast treatment” (as in, the contrast of the hot and cold).
I love your clear and informative writing!
wondering how worthwhile the aalgo is. It seems to be the bees knees for eczema according to their website..but it is expensive. Any thoughts
Hi! Thanks so much for this post! Last night I took my first detox bath (a vinegar one) and felt awful afterward. I have noticed this before, that when I take baths I get SUPER thirsty, dizzy, anxious, and that’s with nothing but hot water. Also I notice when I get out of the tub my legs and ankles feel super stiff, as though there is all of the sudden a huge rush of blood flowing to them that makes it hard to walk. Is this normal? Or could that happen just because of bad circulation? I want to keep taking detox baths but worry about these things a little. (I also got a head ache after the bath last night, just had to go to bed because I was so exhausted. But I slept pretty well!)
Hi Kelsey,
With any concerns about safety or wellness, it’s important to consult with your doctor.
I can comment only generally on detox baths.
1. You said you experienced these problems in regular baths. Is your bath water hotter than is comfortable?
2. It sounds like you are possibly getting somewhat dehydrated. I would sip an electrolyte drink before, during and after the bath.
3. It is normal for people to experience detox in the way of fatigue, sweats, muscle aches, etc. Personally, I have found that for my body, it works to wait for the discomfort (in my case, increased heart rate, sweating gums, agitation) to develop, then to sit through that until it passes, then to get out, hydrate and rest.
4. It is normal to feel exhausted and possibly ache-y (head, limbs) after a detox bath and to sleep well and deeply.
All my best,
Baden