I set out in February planning my daily Slice of Life ideas for March thinking that some odd and offbeat product reviews would be fun – kind of like the kind you read on Amazon, but more comparative in nature and far more honest and down-home authentic. None of this questionable stuff from a “certified buyer” who has been labeled as such in an attempt to disguise the “paid reviewers.” As I was cleaning out the guest bathroom upstairs, I noticed that one of our family guests had left behind a bag of epsom salts, and that’s where the idea was seasoned.
That’s it, I thought. I’ll review bath salts.
I already had a half-full starter bag of Dr. Teal’s Calm Your Mind Soaking Solution, full of Ashwagandha and essential oils to comfort and destress my mind and help me relax my body, easing any aches and pains I might have. All I had to do was buy a few other varieties and begin taking baths….and taking notes. One of my goals this year is slowing my pace and relaxing – savoring moments – and so this seemed to be a logical action step toward that end.
Trouble is, I don’t like baths. I’ve never liked them. I run and hide faster than my dog when I hear bath water running, unless I have a muscle ache and need to soak- like the time I visited San Antonio last February and walked all day straight into soreness. I’d stopped at the mercantile on the way back to my VRBO and picked up a bag of straight epsom salts with no pampering aromatherapy additives.
Nevertheless, I placed the order for some additional bath salt varieties and began my quest to discover my favorite bath salt through sensory experiences. I decided to limit my product line to Dr. Teal’s for fair comparison.
Dr. Teal’s Calm Your Mind is a combination of pure epsom salt, Ahwagandha Indian Cherry, and orange and ylang ylang essential oils. I followed the directions – I ran a bath and poured two cups of salts under the running water. Soaking for 20 minutes was out of the question, though. I struggle to sit still for that long – which is part of what I’m working on as part of my self-improvement goal (I still have a little bit of the H in my Attention Deficit Disorder). I might have made it ten minutes at the most – I was bored out of my mind and got out while the water still had steam rising.
My next bath salt experiment was the Black Elderberry with Vitamin D and lemon and sage essential oils along with a superfruit complex. Again, I added two cups of salts and lasted ten minutes in the tub. I’m still working on pausing and enjoying a slower pace, but I honestly don’t know what to do in that tub that could possibly stretch out for 20 minutes.
Between these two varieties, my clear winner was Calm Your Mind. It relaxed me as much as anything possibly can, and it left both me and the bathroom smelling wonderful! It wasn’t too floral-y, but had more of the orange berry fruit scent and was refreshing and mind-clearing. I think the meditation logo on the cover of the bag influenced my favoring that variety. Black Elderberry smelled scrumptious, too, but I couldn’t overcome the desire to pop two pieces of bread into the toaster, slather them with butter and elderberry jelly, and dive straight into a late evening snack once I breathed in the delicious fragrance of elderberry.
I’ll add a few more salt varieties to the mix for more fragrant splashes of cleaned-up living this week. I’m interested in hearing about the varieties of bath additives that you enjoy as I work toward enjoying the health benefits of baths more often!
Common Threads 
You made me curious. I like baths. I am a fan of bubble baths, yet I have never tried a bath with salts.
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I see this brand comes in bubble bath too, and I’ve been tempted to try them. You make me want to grab a bottle and bubble up!
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Kim, I did not expect to read about Epsom salt this morning. They’ve sure changed since the medicinal ones we used as kids. I buy Dr. Teal’s but stick to Eucalyptus most of the time. I’ll branch out now. I like both baths and showers. I have a huge soaker tub. It’s wide and almost long enough for me to lie flat in it. Sometimes I listen to audiobooks during a bath, but most baths are in the morning as a way to avoid washing my hair!
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Glenda, I know that hairwashing avoidance and don’t like to wash mine any more often than is absolutely necessary – – I even try the dry shampoo trick every now and then. That tub sounds like heaven! I need to try the audiobook trick…..I’ve got one going for my March Challenge to read around the US through Book Girls, so that might be a good calming tool.
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Kim, I never take baths so I’m no help with the advice, but I thought maybe you could read a book while soaking. I need to borrow some of your energy!
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Barb, I’m going to try the audiobook trick and see if I can sit still with that. I’m trying to undo years of multitasking habits, which make it so difficult to rewire myself to focus on just……nothing…..but relaxing. Thanks for the ideas and for reading today!
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What a fun experiment to share with all of us, a great idea for a slice! I’m with you on baths…I just cannot pause long enough, I cannot keep the water the right temperature, complain, complain, complain. Your dislike of baths made your testing all the more challenging and somehow more trustworthy, as a result – and I will be reaching for Calm Your Mind, should I ever find myself in a tub.
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Maureen, thank you for reading today! I’m learning through these reviews to relax in the tub. It has taken a deliberate mindset. I’m continuing the reviews tomorrow to get to an overall favorite on Tuesday, and Calm Your Mind will definitely be in the running as a favorite – – and perhaps it will win overall. The countdown is on!
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Trust you to come up with the most interesting writing ideas, Kim! This has a delightful balance of whimsy and practicality… I really want to try Calm Your Mind, mostly for the refreshing citrus-blossom fragrance. And, I have to laugh because today I was contemplating writing a post on menthol. No kidding. I may do it yet…thank you as always for the bright words and creative, healing energy you put into the world!
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Yes, yes, Fran, do the post on menthol! Thank you for the kind words today. I’ve enjoyed the reviews of these products and learned a lot on the journey. My interest is piqued for the menthol post, and I can’t wait to read it! There is actually a menthol bath salt that will be in Tuesday’s final epsom salt post when I share my favorite variety of all – – it’s called the Vapor Bath. It works, but not in a relaxing way. Thanks always for encouraging me!
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I absolutely love baths but have never tried epsom salts! You have opened a new door for me- thank you for your post and your reviews. I’m in!
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