Tired of hearing about toxins being present literally EVERYWHERE?
We totally understand your concern! Especially because kids have weaker immune systems than we do.
Let’s fix that, shall we?
We’ve compiled all the information you need to keep your baby’s magnesium and overall health in check.
Let’s begin the bathing wars!
Detox Baths for Kids: General Guidelines
Before we give you the detox bath recipes for babies, here are a few general instructions!
Step 1: Let the Tub Fill
Let the tub fill, you could use the same amount of water you use for regular baths.
Don’t add any bath products to the water during this step, we’ll explain why later. In the meantime, just trust us!
Step 2: Add Ingredients
Add the ingredients of your favorite gentle detox bath recipe, which we promise, we’ll get to in a bit!
Step 3: Take the Bath
Let them sit in the bath for around 15 to 20 minutes.
Make it so your babies don’t realize that you’re trying to remove something from their body (cough, toxins, cough).
You can also let your little one play with bath toys to keep them occupied during the bath.
Step 4: Hydration
Post-detox bath, make sure to have your kids drink a lot of water. Believe it or not, baths such as these could make them a tad bit dehydrated.
And besides, water is important for children anyway!
Drinking water post-detox bath should help their bodies wash even more of the toxins out, too!
Detox Bath Recipes: How to Give Your Baby a Detox Bath
Now you know how to start and end a gentle detox bath, let’s get to the baby detox bath recipes!
Epsom Salt Detox Bath Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients for Your Epsom Salt Bath
Have enough of the following:
- 1/2 cup of lavender Epsom salt
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
If you only have regular Epsom salts, just add a few drops of lavender oil.
Step 2: Fill the Bath
Fill the bath with warm water, at a temperature at which your child can bathe comfortably.
Step 3: Mix in Your Ingredients
Add Epsom salts and baking soda into the bath.
Mix this with your hand, until the ingredients have completely dissolved.
Step 4: Bathing
Have your child bathe for 15-20 minutes.
Remember the general guidelines?
Nothing too crazy; make it seem like a regular bath so as to not shock your child.
Step 5: Rinse Off
You could choose to run your shower filter and have the bathwater go through the drain.
Rinsing your kids off with clean water will prevent irritation.
After all, even if you’re having them go through a body detox, salts are still salts.
And excess toxins are just spawns of the devil.
Step 6: Hydrate
After the bath, your child will be more relaxed!
Give them water so they’re even if they doze off.
This should also help your kids release the toxins which were missed during the detox baby bath.
Bentonite Clay Detox Bath
Step 1: Preparation
Smoothen the process of making your child’s detox bath, and prepare in advance.
Have the following products prepared:
- 1/2 cup Epsom salt (1 cup if your child weighs more than 60 lbs)
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons bentonite clay
Step 2: Mix Them In
Pour the Epsom salts and baking soda into the gentle detox bath water.
Use your hands to dissolve the said substances into the warm water.
Step 3: Prepare Bentonite Clay
In a separate cup, mix the bentonite clay with a substantial amount of water.
When you’re done, pour your bentonite clay solution in the bath water from earlier.
Step 4: Salt Baths
Once the solution is prepared for your child, let them rest in the water and bathe them for an estimated time of 15-20 minutes.
Step 5: Rinse Off
Don’t worry about all your efforts and magnesium being washed away if you rinse all the Epsom salt and baking soda.
But trust us when we say it’s important to rinse off your daughter or son after an Epsom salt bath!
Even more when you have things like bentonite clay hanging around in the solution.
Step 6: Hydrate
Nothing’s better than making sure your child is hydrated!
Be the good parent that you are and provide them with their water bottles after their Epsom salt bath.
Remember that you’re also giving them a gentle detox bath in the first place in order to strengthen their immune systems.
In short, water is a MUST in this house!
Chamomile Tea Detox Bath Instructions
The next detox bath recipe is perfect if you want your child to have less toxins and give them calming properties for the day!
Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients
To make way for a calming detox bath, prepare the following products in advance:
- 1/2 cup Epsom salt (1 cup if your child weighs more than 60 lbs)
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 chamomile tea bags or 2 cups of chamomile tea
Step 2: Fill in Bath Tub
Fill the bath tub of your child with warm bath water.
The warmer, the better! But not too warm that it’s hot!
Step 3: Mix in Ingredients
Once you’re satisfied with the temperature of the water, pour in the Epsom salt, baking soda, and chamomile tea.
Use your hands to completely dissolve and homogenize the said products.
Step 4: Detox Bath
Let your child soak in the solution for a well estimated time of 15 to 20 minutes.
This should let your child absorb all the good properties, and remove toxins.
Step 5: Rinse Off
Once the bath is done, don’t forget to rinse!
This will prevent their bodies from being irritated by leftover chemicals from the gentle detox bath water.
Step 6: Hydrate
It’s important to you give your child more water than usual during detox bath days.
Detox Bath Tips and Tricks
To ensure your kids can get the best of their detox baths, you may follow these tips we’ve prepared for you!
Tip 1: Consultation
Like anything that involves things and treatments of your kids, don’t forget to consult with your attending pediatrician!
While the gentle detox bath recipes we’ve given have all been tested, the conditions of your baby could be a bit different.
This affects the way toxins could get out of their bodies.
You and your healthcare provider are the most responsible and knowledgeable about the best ways to strengthen the immune system of your baby.
No pressure, but be a good parent, and don’t make any rash decisions!
Tip 2: Start Slow
If you think your child may be a little bit sensitive or easily irritated by Epsom salts and magnesium, it would be in your best interest to start slow.
Lower the concentrations of magnesium and baking soda. You don’t have to start with a full dose of magnesium.
If your healthcare provider insists, you may slowly increase the concentration of the Epsom salt in your kids’ detox baths.
Until then, again, you can’t be too safe!
Tip 3: Time To Give Your Baby Their Detox Bath
Due to how relaxing detox baths are, you could do this with your kids before their bedtime!
Apart from how you’re improving their immune systems, you’re also letting your baby sleep more peacefully.
However, if your daughter or son is at the age of attending school, don’t give them a detox bath on a school night!
While we want your kids to rest properly, we don’t want them to be any more relaxed than they should be during school hours.
Tip 4: Hydration
As we’ve been saying for all the detox bath recipes above, make sure that your child is hydrated afterward!
Detox baths can be a bit dehydrating for your baby, toddler, and grown child alike.
Make sure to give them enough water before and after the detox bath!
Tip 5: Itchy?
If you’ve tried reducing the amount of Epsom salt and baking soda in the detox bath of your kids and they’re still feeling itchy, it might be a good time to switch to using dead sea salts instead!
Make sure you’ve taken the time to rinse them off of their detox bath before trying to do so.
No use in switching if you don’t know how to follow the systems of a detox bath for kids.
Tip 6: No Extra Soaps or Bath Products
We’ve told you this before, but here’s a friendly reminder NOT to use any soaps and bath products during a detox bath!
Apart from the chemicals specifically for the detox baths potentially washing off, we do not want the baby to absorb the extra chemicals in the soaps by mistake.
Ingredients of Common Detox Bath Recipes
Epsom Salt
Think we don’t need a chemistry class here?
Don’t be that person!
Well, fun chemistry fact! Epsom salt is also called magnesium sulfate.
At least, it’s the hydrated and crystallized version of it. We hope that sounds familiar.
Epsom salt helps draw out metals and toxins from the body. That’s specifically why it’s used for medicines, too!
Overall, Epsom salt can improve the immune system of anyone, including kids.
It also improves:
- Sleep quality
- Helps with eczema and skin conditions
- Lowers stress levels
Additionally, Epsom salt contains a lot of magnesium, which is crucial for stimulating the nervous system and brain cells.
Hear that sound? Yes, time to give your kids Epsom salt detox baths!
Baking Soda
For those without water systems that filter their water, this is for you!
Baking soda neutralizes the chlorine amount present in water. What’s more, it can also balance the pH of water.
Now for our next chemistry class!
Even if the pH of water is 7, interferences may disrupt the pH levels of water.
So don’t be sure of the ideas you have about your water for detox baths or regular ones, for that matter.
Baking soda makes a great product to help prevent skin and diaper rashes on babies, too!
Bentonite Clay
Bentonite clay is a great detoxifying agent.
Allow us to explain with more chemistry facts!
Think opposites attract!
The chemicals present in bentonite clay attract those which are present in vaccines.
While we’re exposed to these positively charged chemicals in our everyday lives, we can’t miss that they’re used to improve immunity in the bodies of a toddler!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is an optional ingredient you may add to the detox baths of your kids!
You know how babies don’t eat anything apart from processed foods? There’s nothing wrong with that, really!
But chemically speaking, these foods could leave excess uric acids in the body.
Adding about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to your child’s detox baths could activate their kidneys and release these harmful toxins.
More than that, apple cider vinegar also has vitamins B and C, which are great for your baby’s immunity!
Just let them absorb all that through osmosis.
Dead Sea Salt
Most babies find an Epsom salt bath to be relaxing, but for others, Epsom salt may be too much.
This is why you have to watch for adverse effects after an Epsom salt bath. However, babies really DO NEED that magnesium sulfate in their body.
In case your baby gets irritated with Epsom salt, you can switch it out Epsom salt for dead sea salts instead!
Theoretically, this will give your baby the same benefits without the irritating effects.
Remember that it’s best to use dead sea salts which don’t contain extra ingredients such as fragrances, too!
Essential Oils You Can Add to Detox Baths
Essential oils? We see you’re being THAT mom, huh?
No worries, we’ve prepared a list of essential oils you could use with Epson salt!
Lavender Essential Oils
A few drops of lavender essential oil is a great product to add to the Epson salt detox bath of your child when you want them to relax.
It also aids them with their sleep, so this is perfect for those little detox baths you give your children every few nights before bed.
Lemon Essential Oils
Looking for vitamins to give your child? We’ve got your back!
Add a few drops of lemon essential oil into your detox bath recipe if you want to boost their immunity.
Just have your baby absorb these vitamins to fix their immune system!
Eucalyptus Essential Oils
Your children showing symptoms of colds or flu?
Well, flu season is pretty common with children so we understand your concern. Help them boost their immunity with us!
Simply incorporate a few drops of eucalyptus essential oils to help your toddler breathe a little bit better.
Digestion Essential Oils
Apart from flu season, we also know that children can have growing pains and problems with digestion.
In any case, if your children’s body isn’t cooperating with them, you could add a few drops of digestion essential oils into their detox bath.
Coconut Oil
On the other hand, if moisturization is your concern, you may stray from the traditional essential oils and opt for coconut oil.
More than being a great moisturizer, it also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, so you don’t have to worry about jeopardizing the immune system of your kid’s body.
Simply mix this in with the Epsom salts and the apple cider vinegar recipe, and you should be good to go!
When to Give a Kid a Detox Bath
Detox baths are very beneficial to all ages of people and for all types of things!
That said, it’s best to give your kid a detox bath whenever your pediatrician recommends it.
But we’ve prepared the general periods of time for when you should be giving them their extra dose of magnesium.
After Vaccines and Medication
As beneficial as vaccines may be, they contain chemicals that could be heavy and difficult to flush out.
Depending on your child, your pediatrician may recommend you to give them a detox bath 2 to 3 days after they come back home from their vaccine.
If, in any case, a certain medication was giving your baby adverse effects, detox baths with a cup of Epsom salts could be beneficial in flushing these out!
Sick Kids?
If your kids are showing symptoms of flu or colds, detox baths are a great way to help kick these colds out of their bodies!
Then again, even if your child isn’t sick, giving them a regular detox bath for kids could strengthen their body’s immune system.
This way, neither of you even have to worry about the colds coming in!
With a regular dose of magnesium at home, we simply don’t know any toxins here.
Skin Conditions
If your baby is suffering from skin conditions, such as eczema, Epsom salt baths is a great way to prevent this from getting worse and infected.
Half the time, skin conditions are a product of way too many toxins in the body.
Things like a simple detox bath for kids could flush all of these said toxins away, provide them with the minerals they need, and reduce itching and inflammation.
However, DON’T FORGET to rinse off after your son and daughter detox baths! Otherwise, you may be contributing to their itching, too. We don’t do that thing here.
NOTE: If you’re dealing with diaper rashes, consider giving your baby an oatmeal bath as a homemade remedy.
Conclusion
A detox bath is a great thing to do in order to keep your baby’s body in check!
While a detox bath for kids has been proven to provide needed magnesium and take out toxins from their systems, don’t forget that it’s always best to consult with your healthcare providers before taking any action.
With the right information, your baby’s health will never have to be on the line.
So whether you’re using montmorillonite clay or just magnesium, never forget that being an informed mom is what’s going to boost your baby’s immunity, nervous system, and protection from toxins!
FINAL TIP: When you give them a regular bath, make sure the bath products you use are safe. We recommend using Ivory soap for gentle baths!
Changelog:
August 8, 2022 – minor content and formatting updates
December 13, 2021 – added 1 new article link
July 23, 2021 – updated article links
