A foot bath or soaking your feet in lukewarm or warm water calms the body and relieves stress. It has been practiced worldwide for centuries, and modern people want to gain foot bath benefits because of a busy and stressful lifestyle. In this post, you'll get a deeper understanding of the different advantages of a foot soak or a foot bath, so you can make a good decision when it comes to prioritizing health and wellness treatments.

Table of Contents
What Are the Known Foot Bath Benefits 
Step-by-step Guide to Make Homemade Foot soak  with Epsom Salt: 
What Are the Benefits of Essential Oil Foot Baths?
What Are the Essential Oils Used for Foot Bath?
Apple Cider Vinegar Foot Soak Benefits

What Are the Known Foot Bath Benefits 

The foot detox benefits stem from detoxification, consisting of 95% of illnesses that people are mostly suffering from. It addresses pelvic blockage, midsection clogging, and also helps reduce throat infections, bladder problems, kidney issues, and ear irritations. Patients suffering from hypertension and cardiovascular problems can also benefit from a detox foot bath.

The healing benefits of a foot bath detox also include direct benefits to your feet. The best heated foot spas use a foot bath to help soften and exfoliate your skin to prevent thick calluses. A foot soak also prevents bacterial build-up under toenails, cuts, and blisters, and reduce swelling, that's why pedicure is performed after a foot bath.  

A foot bath is a good detox treatment for the following medical conditions:

  • Migraine: Combining foot soak with foot massage helps to reduce stress and tensed muscles which also has an indirect effect on the head area, soothing migraine, and headaches.
  • Neuralgia: Damaged or irritated nerves are brought about by aging, stress, infection, and disease. Heated foot baths can help reduce the signs and symptoms of neuralgia.
  • Heartburn: A foot soak can address digestive health problems like heartburn.
  • Flu: A foot bath can also treat respiratory problems like flu as well as asthma and pneumonia.
  • Ovarian and Menstrual Cramps: A foot bath can reduce the signs and symptoms of menstrual cramps and gynecological problems.

You can start your foot bath treatment by immersing your feet in warm water to protect your hard working feet. Even if you don't add anything like Epsom salt, apple cider vinegar, or essential oils, plain warm water can make a big difference in the overall health of your feet.

Benefits of Soaking Feet in Epsom Salt

benefits of soaking feet in epsom salt

Epsom salt foot soak involves using Epsom salt or a compound that helps flush heavy metals and toxins away from the skin cells.

Because Epsom salt is a combination of sulfate and magnesium, your feet absorb them, releasing pain-reducing ions to relax your nerves and muscles and promote proper functioning to regulate electrolyte levels. The sulfate content targets harmful substances and eliminates them from your body.

Soaking feet in Epsom salt also quell foot odor, thus helping soothe dry skin and heal ingrown nails and fungus.

Epsom salt for feet products are available in pharmacies and drug stores. The other benefits of  an Epsom salt foot soak include the following:

  • Reducing muscle cramps
  • Increasing blood circulation
  • Reducing inflammation
  • Treating fungal infections
  • Removing splinters
  • Exfoliation
  • Foot pain relief

How Much Epsom Salt for Foot Bath?

Dissolving one cup of Epsom salt in warm water in a tub is the recommended amount for a foot bath. You can also add tea tree oil foot soak with Epsom salt for better results. Soak your feet for at least 10 to 15 minutes in warm water with Epsom salt. Using epsom salt for feet reduces inflammation and helps detox from harmful substances.

Epsom salt is a pain reliever and healing agent used by households for many years. It's usually added to foot soaks and hot baths to reduce stress and as a detoxifying agent. You can dissolve one cup of salt in warm water to help reduce gout, treat infection, and eliminate feet odor.

Step-by-step Guide to Make Homemade Foot soak  with Epsom Salt: 

  1. Fill the basin or bathtub with warm water, deep enough to soak your entire feet.
  2. Next, add 1/2 to 1 cup of Epsom salt to warm water.
  3. Leave your feet soaked in warm water with Epsom salt in 30 to 60 minutes at least twice a week.
  4. You can add a few drops of essential oil, like eucalyptus, lavender, or peppermint to your foot soak for an aromatherapy boost.
  5. Make sure to moisturize your feet after soaking them because foot baths may cause dry skin. Moisturizing your feet will prevent irritation and cracked skin.

Can You Use Epsom Salt with Essential Oil?

Essential oil foot bath involves adding a few drops of essential oils to your soak. There are many homemade foot soaks recipes available that can be used individually or as a combination to heal and treat your feet, as well as improve overall health and wellness.

What Are the Benefits of Essential Oil Foot Baths?

Essential oils are great for aromatherapy, that is why they are used in spa and massage therapy centers. Essential oil foot soaks provide aromatherapeutic benefits. Soaking your feet in a warm of water with essential oil brings tons of health and wellness benefits, such as:

  • Smoothens and moisturizes skin of the feet
  • Eases your tired muscles
  • Reduces stiff joints
  • Eliminates foot odor
  • Reduces stress

Essential oils can be combined with Epsom salt and warm water for maximum detoxification and stress-relieving benefits. Choose your favorite essential oils and include them in your next foot bath session. You can do homemade essential oil foot soak or ask for this treatment in your favorite spa.

What Are the Essential Oils Used for Foot Bath?

The essential oils you can use for your next essential oil foot soak detox include the following:

1. Cedarwood Oil: It is an antifungal and antiseptic agent that is a good choice in treating Athlete’s Foot. Say goodbye to foul or smelly feet odor with cedarwood oil foot soak.

2. Cypress Oil: This essential oil is a natural deodorant with antiseptic properties. You can just add a few drops of cypress oil to your foot soak if you have an unpleasant foot odor or blisters.

3. Juniper Berry Oil: The juniper berry oil can reduce muscle aches and the pain and discomfort due to arthritis.

4. Lavender Oil: Lavender Oil is one of the most favorite essential oils for relaxation because it has natural pain-relieving properties. That's why it is perfect for easing sore muscles and painful joints. Feel great comfort and relaxation with lavender oil foot bath.

5. Rosemary Oil: This essential oil helps in soothing tired muscles. Rosemary oil also has antiseptic properties which are good for treating foot infections.

6. Wintergreen Oil: This essential oil is considered nature’s aspirin. Wintergreen oil helps reduce swelling and pain. It has a cooling sensation which is extremely pleasurable if you have tired feet.

Step-by-step Guide to Make Homemade Foot Soak  with Essential Oil:

1. Fill the basin or bathtub with warm water, deep enough to soak your entire feet.

2. Next, add a few drops of your preferred essential oil in warm water. You may add a teaspoon of vegetable oil or whole milk to incorporate your favorite essential oil into the water better. You can also add essential oils to an Epsom salt foot soak too.

3. Leave your feet soaked in warm water with essential oils in 15 to 30 minutes at least twice a week.

4. Dry your feet well after the essential oil foot bath to eliminate the oily residue completely.

5. Make sure to moisturize your feet after soaking them because foot baths may cause dry skin. Moisturizing your feet with a  self-massage using lotion locks in moisture, softens calluses, prevents irritation, and treats cracked skin.

Apple Cider Vinegar Foot Soak Benefits

apple cider vinegar foot soak benefits

An apple cider vinegar foot soak brings tons of health benefits such as preventing a lot of diseases, treating respiratory problems, helping you lose weight, and a healthy digestive system.

Aside from using apple cider vinegar as a household disinfectant, it is a natural remedy for medical conditions because it helps eliminate disease-causing microorganisms from the body. Soaking feet in vinegar can improve health and wellness.

Here are the benefits of soaking feet in apple cider vinegar:

  • Eliminates feet odor
  • Treats fungal infections
  • Soothes sore feet
  • Treats skin conditions, like eczema
  • Soothes sore and aching feet muscles
  • Relieves pain from mild sunburn
  • Heals dry skin
  • Removes warts
  • Treats cracked heels

Apple cider vinegar for toenail fungus is widely available in grocery stores and supermarkets, as well as pharmacies and drug stores. If you don't have apple cider vinegar, you can try a white vinegar bath which also provides similar benefits. A foot soak DIY is easy to do.

Step-by-step Guide to Making a Vinegar Foot Soak

1. Add one glass of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar in lukewarm water. Don't use hot water because it can be damaging to the skin causing burn along with the acidic nature of vinegar.

2. Add a few drops of essential oil, like lavender to improve the foot bath aroma.

3. Soak your feet for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Foot bath has plenty of health and wellness benefits. Aside from the direct positive effects on your feet, your whole body can also benefit from foot baths. A foot soak can improve your cardiovascular health, digestive system functioning, nervous system, musculoskeletal disorders, and even stress and depression that may cause psychological health problems.