Scientifically Relaxing! Cedar Essential Oil Bath Salt
Science says cedar helps you relax.
Let’s make DIY essential oil bath salt!
Cedarwood is one of my favorite choices for a relaxing DIY essential oil bath salt.
In 2003, researchers in two studies found that cedrol—a natural component in Cedarwood essential oil—can relax the nervous system, even if it’s only inhaled (and not applied topically to the skin). Since then, other studies have shown that cedrol soothes the nervous system even if the research subjects can’t fully smell the oil!
This suggests that even if you can’t smell Cedarwood oil in a blend, it can still help you relax.
Cedarwood oil for anxiety
Thanks to cedrol, Cedarwood essential oil can help you relax before bed. And you can also use it to calm issues like anxiety. Author Salvatore Battaglia recommends Cedarwood for anxious feelings and says it’s empowering:
"Virginian Cedarwood can assist an individual to take a negative or threatening situation and
transform it into an experience from which strength and wisdom can be derived.”
In this DIY essential oil bath salt, I’m blending Cedarwood essential oil with three drops of Cape Chamomile.
Like other Chamomiles, Cape Chamomile is profoundly soothing for the entire system, and it has a sweet, rich floral aroma. Its scent is so strong that you might not smell the Cedarwood in this recipe . . . but we know that cedrol is still relaxing our nerves!
Cedar & Chamomile Essential Oil Bath Salt
Relax before bed!
Ingredients
4 oz (112 g) Pink Himalayan Salt
1 tbsp Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis)
3 drops Cape Chamomile Oil (Eriocephalus punctulatus)
2 drops Cedarwood Oil (Juniperus virginiana)
Equipment
One 4 oz container
A stainless steel spoon
Directions
Make this bath salt in a container that holds at least 4 oz (112 g).
Combine the pink salt, jojoba, and essential oils,
Stir with a stainless steel spoon.
Add the salt to the bath after the tub is full of water. Then relax!
(This recipe is enough for one bath.)
If you don't have Cape Chamomile, German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) makes an excellent substitution!
Be safe!
A warm bath is a potent way to use essential oils.
Hot water can make your skin feel tender. It also sends the fumes of the oils into the air more quickly than cool water. That’s one reason I only like to use 5 drops of oil in a bath. It doesn’t seem like much essential oil for 4 oz of bath salt—but it’s plenty for a single bath.
The jojoba in this bath salt protects your skin by dispersing the essential oils so they’re not just floating on the surface of the water. (Water and oil don’t mix!)
Learn more about using oils safely in a bath.
Get creative!
Support yourself and others with natural anxiety relief. In our spotlight course, Natural Anxiety Relief with Essential Oils, you’ll gain familiarity with three chemical components found in essential oils that help calm the nervous system, ease anxiety, and even relieve pain! You’ll also learn how to make safe and effective natural remedies to address anxiety symptoms.
REFERENCES
Battaglia, S. (1995) The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. Virginia, QLD: Perfect Potion
Dayawansa, S., Katsumi, U., Takakuro, H., Hori, E., Tabuchi, E., Nagashima, Y., Oosu, H., Yada, Y., Suzuki, T., Ono, T., Nishijo, H. (2003) Autonomic responses during inhalation of natural fragrance of Cedrol in humans. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basal & Clinical Oct 31; 108(1-2):79-86
Kagawa D, Jokura H, Ochiai R, Tokimitsu I, Tsubone H (2003) The sedative effects and mechanism of action of cedrol inhalation with behavioural pharmacological evaluation. Planta Medica 69: 637-641
