Essential Oils for Foot Soak — Ahhh, Healthy Bliss!

By Caryn Gehlmann

Water is amazing! It’s no wonder we love being in the water and that water is so healthful for us, both inside and out. Soaking in water has been widely used for the treatment of pain and disease by ancient cultures including India, Egypt, and China. So we were excited to do further research on how you can combine the benefits of hydrotherapy with the therapeutic properties of essential oils. We wanted something you can easily do at home. Voila! Combining essential oils for a foot soak is the perfect DIY aromatherapy solution.

Modern research agrees. A NCBI article reports that “hydrotherapy will become a major tool for stress relieving consequently, improving body function and preventing illness.” Combining hydrotherapy with the beneficial properties of essential oils is a synergic solution that promotes wellness. So we’d like to share three of our staff’s favorite essential oils for foot soak recipes. But first, let’s consider why a foot bath is so beneficial.

Benefits of adding essential oils to your foot soak

By itself, a very warm foot bath containing Epsom salts is relaxing. It also can relieve stress, reduce or prevent athlete’s foot, fights against toenail fungus, soothes pain from sprains, bruises, and gout to name just a few conditions it helps.

Then you can select essential oils according to their therapeutic properties such as being antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antispasmodic. However…as I always say…make sure you choose oils that smell good to YOU!

How to get the most from an essential oil foot soak

You can either soak your feet in comfortably warm water, or you can try Contrast Foot Bath Therapy by alternating between tubs of very warm water and cool/cold water. This is reminiscent of the benefits that come from a Finnish sauna/snow rolling session, as it increases then decreases blood flow in a pumping action that is said to reduce swelling and pain perception. Here’s how to DIY it…

• Fill one basin big enough to fit both feet with very warm water.

• Fill another similar basin with room temperature/cool water

• First, soak your feet in the warm water for 5 minutes.

• Place feet in cool water for 3 minutes.

• Repeat this process 2 or 3 times, always ending with the warm water.

Denise’s Pain-Cooling Essential Oil Foot Soak

• ½ cup Epsom Salts

• 5-15 drops Peppermint  (Add oil drops according to YOUR personal preference.)

Fill a basin with cool water. Mix the Peppermint into the Epsom Salts and then swirl it in the water. Soak for 15-20 minutes while you watch your favorite TV show or read the latest on our blog post. It’s refreshing and cooling! Your “barking dogs” will thank you.

Lakita’s Purifying Foot Soak

• ½ cup Epsom salts

• 3-4 drops of Purify and 1 drop of Rose Dilute 

• ¼ cup heavy cream or whole milk

Light a candle and turn on some soothing tunes. Fill your basin with comfortably warm water. Add the Epsom salts. Swirl the essential oil into the milk/cream, then into the basin. Soak for 15-20 minutes, while you review your day and let go of the stress.

Caryn’s Relaxing Foot Soak

• ½  cup Epsom salts

• 5 Drops of Lavender

• 5 Drops of Spearmint

• 5 Drops of Peppermint

• 1 Marble

Add drops according to YOUR personal preference.

Grab your favorite book. Have two basins ready — one with very warm water and the marble,  one with cool/cold water from the tap (no ice, please!). Mix the oils into the epsom salts and then swirl into the warm water basin. Soak for 5 minutes, rolling the marble under your feet for a reflexology treatment. Switch to cold water basin for 3 minutes. Repeat 3 times, finishing always in the warm water basin. So soothing!

A weekly foot bath is a great addition to your self-care routine. It forces you to slow down and relax. And who couldn’t use more of that! Which one of these essential oils for your foot soak recipes will you try next? We’d love to hear your favorites! Come on over to Facebook and please share. If you’d like some further information on blending  oils, check out The Art & Science of Blending Essential Oils. It’s yours, free for downloading immediately.

Thank you for the use of your photo Zé Zorzan on Unsplash.