Being small is a lot of work. From the very first days after birth, babies actively explore the world, absorb a lot of new information every day, get impressions and get incredibly tired from this. The task of adults is to help children relax and fully rest.
There are many ways to make life easier for excitable, active children, as well as their parents, but today I would like to dwell in more detail on one of them - soothing baths. Almost all children love to swim. So why not turn an ordinary hygiene procedure into a pleasant ritual with a healing effect?
What are they needed for?
Soothing baths help babies relax faster, relieve muscle tension, normalize sleep, and have a beneficial influence per condition nervous systems s and have general strengthening properties. Some compositions have an antiseptic effect.
How do they work?
Children's skin is known to be very sensitive. Therefore, contact with special compounds, used to prepare soothing baths, will resemble an “exchange of information.” The baby’s skin will “give up” all pathogenic factors, including accumulated toxins, and “take” beneficial substances that will quickly spread throughout the body.
To learn how to prepare a decoction and what herbs to use for bathing newborns, watch the video:
Who are they intended for?
Soothing baths Can be taken by both infants and toddlers up to one year old. These procedures will be especially useful for children aged 2-3 years, when children become excitable during the first age crisis. Soothing baths for good sleep and general relaxation are also useful for children of primary school age.
Varieties
Soothing baths are most often made with the addition of herbal “healers” - lavender, chamomile, pine needles, lemon balm, St. John's wort. Important condition- more than four types of plants cannot be mixed in one session.
A pine bath will help your baby relax and get ready for bed.
Often, in order to keep parents from crazy experiments in mixing herbal remedies, doctors recommend universal recipes:
- Relaxing bath. Take ready-made sedative collection No. 2, motherwort and knotweed. All ingredients are sold at any pharmacy and are inexpensive. For 10 liters finished water for bathing, take 3 tablespoons of the prepared herbal mixture, pour boiling water (about 400-500 grams). You need to infuse the product for about 40 minutes. Strain and add to the bath. The baby should take it within a quarter of an hour. Repeat the procedure every other day. The general course is a month.
- "Sleepy" bath. The proportions for 10 liters of finished water are as follows: 50-60 grams of calendula flowers, mint and oregano. Pour 2 liters of boiling water over all herbs and leave for half an hour. Strain before adding to bath. Take for 15 minutes three times a week. The general course is two weeks.
- Restorative bath. This is a pine bath, which perfectly helps children not only restore strength after illness, but also normalizes sleep and calms them down. For 10 liters of water you will need 50 grams of pine needles, which must be filled with 2 liters of boiling water. After 45 minutes of infusion, the product is added to the bath. Take 10 minutes half an hour before going to bed. It is recommended no more than three times a week. General course – 2 weeks.
Baths based pharmaceutical chamomile and the strings cleanse the baby’s skin well, this will benefit babies suffering from diathesis. Baths with motherwort and lavender have a sedative effect and are ideal for hyperactive children.
You need to be careful with valerian– no more than 10 drops of ready-made valerian infusion can be added to the water in which the child bathes. This will help avoid allergic reactions to valerian. Baths with St. John's wort effectively calm and “put to sleep” children with sleep disorders.
Baths with sea salt, only they must be used exclusively natural salt, without perfume dyes and flavors. Chemical additives can be very dangerous for a baby's delicate skin.
Baths with essential oils have a positive effect on respiratory system child. But avoid essential oils of exotic origin (orange, tangerine, ylang-ylang, sandalwood) - they are allergenic. It is better to opt for essential oils medicinal plants that grow in your natural area.
For baby baths, you can only use oils from plants that grow in your area.
Contraindications
Children should not take soothing baths:
- Suffering from allergies to herbs and plants.
- With severe disorders of the nervous system (if this is officially established by a neurologist).
- WITH elevated temperature bodies in illness.
- Before deciding to begin procedures, consult your pediatrician. If he finds no contraindications, then you can go to the pharmacy.
- When the decoction medicinal herbs ready, it must be tested for susceptibility by a child. On small area Apply a few drops of the decoction to the baby's skin. If there is no redness, itching, rash, or swelling within half an hour, you can take a bath.
- Remember that optimal temperature The water in the baby bath should be within + 37 degrees Celsius. Hotter water contains healing substances and essential oils will begin to disintegrate quickly, in a colder environment they will not be able to reveal all their capabilities.
- Relaxing and soothing herbal baths are not suitable for everyday bathing. To splash around every day, you can use children's bath foams with a soothing effect “Affectionate Mom” or “Eared Nanny”. The first option contains lavender, the second contains chamomile.
- Adult products for taking relaxing baths (they are also sold in pharmacies) are not suitable for children! They may contain both natural and non-natural components, which will negatively affect the condition of the child’s skin and can cause complications in the respiratory system.
- You will not immediately notice the positive effect of taking soothing baby baths. It’s not for nothing that they are prescribed a course appointment. The fact is that some plant substances have a cumulative effect, so it is important to withstand full course procedures.
Soothing baths are affordable, pleasant and useful way to relieve stress. The fact that a bath is soothing has been known since ancient times. Today, ancient recipes for soothing baths have been systematized and adopted by manufacturers of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, so you can easily buy relaxing foam or bath salts with extracts of herbs and essential oils in ready-made form.
However, you can also contact folk recipes, which our ancestors used using natural plant materials. Tinctures from plants and herbs not only have a calming effect, but also have a beneficial effect on the skin, and also help with certain ailments.
How to Take Soothing Herbal Baths
Of course, even just taking a warm bath will help you calm down, but there are rules for taking a soothing bath, which if followed will enhance the therapeutic effect. Here are some tips for taking soothing baths:
- Choose the required time to take a bath - about 20 minutes, so that no one disturbs you or distracts you with household chores;
- Try to allow at least 2 hours from eating to taking a bath;
- Before taking a bath, shower with an exfoliating peel or body scrub;
- Check the temperature of the water in the bath - it should be about 37 degrees;
- Create a comfortable environment for yourself - turn on relaxing music or a selection of your favorite compositions, light candles or an aroma lamp, dim the main light... Everything is ready!
Soothing sleep bath with lavender extract
Of all the soothing bath herbs, lavender is probably the best known. The aroma of this plant has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, promoting strong and healthy sleep, helping . A soothing bath with lavender is prepared in the following way: for 80 grams of dried flowers - a liter of boiling water. Pour over the flowers, leave for 20 minutes, pour the finished tincture into hot bath. You can also use lavender bath salts for a pronounced cosmetic effect.
Aromatherapy will enhance the calming effect: use an aroma lamp with a few drops of lavender oil to create an atmosphere of complete relaxation in the bathroom. You can read about other benefits of lavender and how to use it on our website.
Bath with valerian root extract
One more thing completely wonderful plant for preparing soothing baths at home - valerian, which often grows on summer cottages or in the nearby undergrowth. Healing properties Valerians do not need any comments, so for the purposes of this article we will limit ourselves to simply presenting a simple recipe for a bath with valerian root.
So, first of all, the raw materials themselves - you will need about 500 grams of valerian root. The raw materials need to be filled with 3.5 liters of water and cooked for 1.5 hours. Let the resulting infusion of valerian root steep for 12 hours, after which you can enjoy a warm, soothing bath, preferably at night.
Bath with pine extract
In Rus', pine has long been used and is especially useful for health purposes. In particular, pine tincture is good for all types of nervous disorders, for which she was especially valued by knowledgeable healers. Today you can buy a ready-made pine concentrate in a store or pharmacy, or you can prepare an infusion of pine needles for a bath yourself.
To prepare the tincture for one procedure, take 500 grams of pine needles and 3.5 liters of water. Pour the needles into water and boil over low heat for 1.5 hours, then leave for another 12 hours.
A characteristic sign of correct preparation of the extract is brown. Before use, filter the tincture. In addition to needles, young cones and twigs of young trees can also be used to prepare the extract.
Bath with oatmeal, milk and lemon balm
Milk baths are also beneficial for beauty and health. I have also used milk-based baths Egyptian queen Cleopatra, famous for her irresistible beauty. For a calming effect, add lemon balm infusion, and for velvety skin - oatmeal or flour.
Here is the recipe: pour boiling water over a tablespoon of lemon balm and leave for 20 minutes. Then pour the tincture into a glass of hot milk and add 80 grams oatmeal. Use the resulting mixture for a warm bath.
Soothing bath oils
Speaking of relaxing baths, of course, we cannot ignore the soothing essential oils, which have been known as bath treatments for a long time. These days it has become widespread, including for organizing spa treatments.
The healing properties of aromatic oils certainly vary, so it’s worth spending some time to find “your” scent. For taking a bath with aromatic oils due to their high concentration active substances make sure that you are not allergic to them - to do this, drop a little oil on the back of your hand and wait a while. Particular caution should be used when using citrus oils.
The safest thing to do is dilute a few drops of oil in an emulsifier, such as heavy cream, whey, or at least full-fat milk. The aromas of neroli, ylang-ylang, magnolia, and lavender will help you relax.
Are relaxing, soothing bath essential oils good for you or not? For whom might this method of influencing the body be good, and who should abstain from it?
About the benefits of essential oils
Essential oils for baths are effective remedy effects on the central nervous system. It is only important to choose relaxing oils. And such procedures contribute to gentle and gentle relaxation of the body. A slight sedative effect occurs, promoting the spread of inhibition processes in the brain.
Many people say that water helps get rid of negative energy. Even being a skeptic, while completely denying such almost mystical capabilities of water, it is impossible to deny that after visiting the bath a person calms down a little, distracted from pressing problems.
If water is able to “wash away” negative energy, then essential oils can enrich the body with energy potential, which normalizes the course of most metabolic processes in the central nervous system.
Suppression of excitation processes in the brain contributes to the development of a mild muscle relaxant effect (relaxation of skeletal muscles). Excess muscle tone is eliminated, blood supply to the extremities is normalized, and waste metabolic products leave the body.
Everyone knows that stress has an extremely negative effect on the functioning of not only the nervous system, but also the body as a whole. There is even such an expression - “all diseases come from nerves,” eloquently hinting at the harmful effects of chronic stress. True, this catchphrase acquired a small addition, but in our context this is not so important.
To effectively counteract the ever-increasing effects of stress, you can, of course, take medications, the side effects of which can cause so much trouble that the initial state will seem like a fairy tale, or you can use soothing baths with the addition of essential oils, which in many cases will be effective.
Essential oils have a positive effect on the condition skin. As you know, oil is lighter than water, and therefore does not mix in it, forming a thin film on the surface. When a person gets out of the bath, the entire surface of the body is carefully wrapped in an invisible film that has a moisturizing and rejuvenating effect.
Soothing Oils
Lavender oil
This is one of the most strong means to combat stress. Lavender contains several different essential oils that have beneficial effects on the central nervous system.
All of the above fully applies to lavender oil, but in addition it should be noted that we are talking about an excellent means of combating colds and other pathologies of the respiratory system.
Inhaling it helps to increase the efficiency of the ciliated epithelium respiratory tract, which accelerates the processes of mucus removal, cleanses the surface of the bronchial mucosa and accelerates regeneration processes.
Melissa oil
According to many aromatherapy experts, this oil is the most powerful antidepressant. Taking such baths will be an excellent alternative use medicines Of course, we are talking only about the initial stages of the disease. If you have severe depression with suicidal tendencies, you should not rely entirely on aromatic baths.
In addition, baths with the addition of lemon balm essential oils are an excellent treatment for bronchial asthma, effectively adding traditional measures to the body.
More relaxing essential oils for the bath
Neroli oil
An excellent sedative that is also an appetite stimulant. Even inhaling the vapors of this substance can significantly increase appetite and make you feel hungry.
Baths with neroli oil are an excellent remedy to combat negative impact chronic fatigue. The use of such measures on the body can not only get rid of accumulated negative energy, but also improve mental abilities.
Rose oil
The vapors of this substance are truly divine. Inhaling them will restore harmony and eliminate any negative consequences stress effects, reconfigure the nervous system, restore mental and physical abilities.
Rose oil is one of the strongest natural antidepressants, the potency of which is comparable to the effect of mild pharmaceutical drugs, but unlike the latter, it is completely devoid of negative effects. side effects.
Contraindications
The list of contraindications for taking baths with essential oils will not be long. It is recommended to refrain from these procedures if the integrity of the skin is damaged, for example, with abrasions or scratches, as well as if there is an individual intolerance to the components of aromatic oils.
The best time to take soothing baths is just before going to bed, about 15 to 30 minutes before your night's rest. The water should not be too hot or too cold. Any extremes will not allow the nervous system to relax. The optimal temperature is from 35 to 37 degrees. Duration - about 30 minutes (in less time the nervous system simply will not have time to reconfigure).
It is important to understand that essential oils with a calming effect have a specific effect on the body, and therefore baths with essential oils are not simple hygienic procedures designed to wash away impurities. We are talking about a therapeutic and prophylactic technique and therefore it can be practiced no more than 2 times a week.
Some children, regardless of age, may suffer from insomnia and become fussy. Moreover, if the child’s daily routine is disrupted, then parents may spend several hours putting the baby to bed. But, unfortunately, it is strictly forbidden to give sedative medications to infants, and in some cases to older children. That is why it is better to give preference special baths using natural herbs that have a positive effect on the child’s well-being and normalize sleep.
Soothing and relaxing baths for children: recipes
First of all, it must be said that some plants can provoke allergic reaction Therefore, bath components should be selected with utmost care. It is recommended to carry out the procedure no more than three times a week, as herbs can significantly dry out the surface of the skin. The optimal duration of bathing is fifteen minutes. Plants such as celandine, thuja and tansy should be completely excluded.
Soothing baths for newborns, for children up to one year old
Most new mothers become very worried when their babies start crying all night long and cannot sleep. But if the baby is absolutely healthy, then the problem lies in excessive activity. The following herbal baths for infants will help calm children under one year of age:
- To prepare the first remedy, you need to purchase herbal infusions of thyme, motherwort, valerian and oregano. Then you need to mix a teaspoon of each of the ingredients and pour them into two liters hot water. After this, the liquid should sit for an hour and only then can it be added to the baby’s bath.
- A bath based on bedstraw is considered no less effective. It is necessary to pour boiling water over four tablespoons of the dry plant and leave to infuse for two hours. Then you can add half a liter of broth to the bath, and bathe the baby in it for ten minutes.
- For the next decoction you will need to mix a tablespoon of dry mixtures of motherwort, fennel, chamomile, nettle and sage. After this, the herbs are poured with two liters of water and infused for forty minutes. Then you should strain the liquid through a strainer or cheesecloth to separate the remaining leaves. It is recommended to add seven hundred milliliters of product to the bath.
- Children over six months old are allowed to bathe in warm water with the addition saline solution, which will not only calm the baby, but also help strengthen bone tissue. You just need to add about a hundred grams of sea salt (without flavorings) to the bath and fill it with warm liquid.
After bathing, it is recommended to immediately put the baby to bed and cover with a warm blanket. It is strictly forbidden to use plants purchased on the market or collected for procedures. with my own hands. It is necessary to give preference to pharmacy fees.
Soothing baths for children before bed
Many children have problems falling asleep. To ensure your child sleeps soundly and to prevent insomnia, you need to take special baths and bathe your baby an hour before bedtime:
- To prepare the first remedy, you need to pour boiling water (3 liters) into a mixture of a teaspoon of valerian leaves, a tablespoon of chamomile and the same amount of thyme.
- Another decoction will help you fall asleep faster. You need to mix seventy grams of knotweed and motherwort, and then add one and a half liters cold water and bring the mixture to a boil. After this, the liquid must be filtered and added two glasses to the bath.
- Pine needles are great for calming. To prepare the product, pour about one hundred grams of spruce or pine needles into a liter of boiling water and leave for an hour. You should add no more than two glasses of this liquid to the bath. It is recommended to bathe your child for only five minutes, and then quickly dress him in warm clothes.
Soothing baths for children who stutter
If parents notice that their baby has begun to stutter, then they should take active action as quickly as possible. If the speech impediment is associated with fear or stress, then special herbal baths will help. To prepare them, you just need to pour two liters of boiling water over the following herbs:
- valerian (100 g);
- motherwort (250 g);
- bird knotweed (100 g);
- oregano clover (20 g), oregano (30 g), string (30 g).
But you should definitely consult a doctor, since soothing baths alone may not be enough for stuttering. The child must attend classes with a speech therapist and be in a calm environment.
Every day a person faces stress and troubles. This causes insomnia, general fatigue and exhaustion of the body. In order to put your nervous system in order and get rid of anxiety, you can take a soothing bath. And in order to get the maximum effect, you need to know a few tricks related not only to its preparation, but also to its reception.
Taking a soothing bath correctly.
Based on the name itself, it is logical to assume that a similar procedure is done before bedtime. Those who like to soak in the bath should know that the time for taking a soothing bath is limited to 30 minutes, and the optimal temperature is 35-37. You can raise the temperature to 40, but only absolutely healthy people can afford this. Like any other water procedure, a soothing bath should be taken no earlier than 2 hours after eating.
As for the frequency of taking a soothing bath, there are also restrictions. It is recommended to take such baths no more than 2 times a week. Be sure to cleanse your skin first. This is due to the fact that it is through the pores that additives and essential oils enter the body, which have a beneficial effect on humans.
Types of baths Supplements
Relaxing baths can have not only a calming effect, but also a cosmetic or therapeutic effect. It depends on the additives a person uses while taking a bath.
If you just need to relieve stress and prepare the body for sleep, then the following supplements are suitable: sea salt, bubble bath, pine branches and cones, essential oils (lavender, valerian oil).
Achieve therapeutic effect Herbal infusions will help. Also medicinal properties some essential oils have. So, for example, sandalwood oil has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, and rose oil fights depression. Melissa and patchouli oil have healing properties. Of the herbs that have medicinal properties: sage, string, eucalyptus.
Essential oils can be added to achieve cosmetic purposes.
Herbal baths.
Rules for preparing baths with the addition of herbal infusions are the same. A pre-prepared and filtered infusion is added to the prepared bath. Depending on the goal pursued, the duration of the procedure and the frequency of its repetition vary. If baths are taken with therapeutic purpose, then the course should be 10 procedures. You can collect the herb yourself, if possible, or purchase it at a pharmacy. To achieve maximum effect Experts recommend using several herbs at the same time. Let's look at some recipes for preparing herbal infusions.
- Thyme + Sweet clover.
Pour 200 grams of herbs (100 grams each) with 2 liters of boiling water and leave for 2 hours. At the end of the time, filter the broth and add it to the bath prepared in advance. For therapeutic purposes, you need to take 10 baths.
- Rosemary + Wormwood + Linden.
Take 150 grams of each herb, pour the mixture with 2 liters of cold water and leave for 10 minutes. Then, boil the infusion for 5 minutes and leave for another 10 minutes. All that remains is to filter and add to the bath.
- Linden + Chamomile.
Pour 1 handful of linden and chamomile flowers into 1 liter of boiling water, boil for 15 minutes and leave the broth for 1 hour. At the end of time, filter and add to the bath.
- Lavender + Melissa + Peppermint + Rosemary + Sage + Creeping Thyme.
Mix 100 grams of each herb, pour the mixture with 3 liters of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes. After this, filter and pour into the bathroom.
- Sunflower (seeds) + Calamus (root) + Valerian officinalis (root).
Take 50, 100 and 150 grams of these herbs and boil for 10 minutes in 2 liters of water. Then leave for 10 minutes and filter. The decoction is ready for use.
- Smoker + Mallow + Melissa + Thyme.
Take 50, 50, 100 and 250 grams of these herbs and cook for 10 minutes in 2 liters of water. Leave for 10 minutes and filter. The infusion is ready for use.
Pine baths.
Such baths not only restore the nervous system, but also have general healing properties.
They have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, skin, respiratory and cardiovascular system. Recommended for obesity and colds.
Recipes for preparing decoctions for pine baths.
- Bath of pine cones.
For cooking pine bath You need to pour 50 grams of cones with 3 liters of hot water for 40 minutes. Filter the broth and add to the bath. Recommended temperature for pine baths – 35 .
- Bath of pine cones and branches.
You can also use a collection consisting of branches and cones. One kilogram of this collection should be poured with 8 liters of water and boiled for 30 minutes. Leave for 12 hours, tightly closing the lid and the infusion is ready.
- Bath made of green pine branches.
The branches need to be poured with boiling water and left in a water bath for 35 minutes. Then, you need to filter the broth. To take a bath, 2 liters of pine decoction is enough.
Valerian baths.
A valerian bath has a beneficial effect on the entire body. To prepare it, you need to pour 100 grams of crushed valerian root into 1 liter of boiling water. Leave in a boiling bath for 15 minutes and leave for 1 hour. The infusion is ready for use. You can use valerian tincture instead of the root at the rate of 1 bottle per 5 liters of water.
Baths with essential oils.
A few recipes for relaxing and soothing baths:
- 5 drops of mint oil, 2 drops of orange and chamomile oil;
- 2 drops of lavender, 1 drop each of lemon and jasmine;
- 2 drops of sage and 3 drops of bergamot;
- 1 drop each of orange and rose, 3 drops of sandalwood.
Salt baths.
Don't neglect a sea salt bath. It has not only a calming effect, but also a healing one. This is due to the fact that sea and ocean salt contains large number microelements necessary for humans.
Some salt mixtures help cope with osteochondrosis, arthrosis and diseases of the nervous system. Also salt baths help recover from injuries.
For better effect, you can use a mixture of salt and herbs.
Baths for children.
Children can sometimes be capricious or irritable. This is due to the fact that they are much more emotional than adults. Soothing baths will help them prepare for sleep and relieve insomnia.
As additives you can use bedstraw, sage, pine needles, valerian, mint and motherwort.
If we talk about essential oils, the following recipes are recommended for children:
- 3 drops each of lemon and tangerine;
- 2 drops of cinnamon, 3 drops each of rose and lavender;
- 3 drops of lemon, 2 drops of orange and chamomile.
If you don’t have the strength to take a bath, you can limit yourself to a foot bath. It will relieve tension and fatigue. As additives, you can use a decoction of oregano, mint leaves, calendula flowers or string.
Taking care of your health involves not only physical activity, but also a set of measures aimed at relaxing and restoring the body. A soothing bath, which you can easily do at home, is one such measure. It not only has a beneficial effect on the general condition, but can also have a cosmetic or therapeutic effect.