Hydrogen Peroxide Detox Bath Recipe

—Jill Fandrich, PharmD, CRPh

Also referred to as an oxygen detox bath, there are many healing properties and benefits of hydrogen peroxide for a detox bath. For starters, it helps your body detoxify and remove toxins and impurities from your body. It also has antibacterial and antiviral properties, making it a great bath if you’ve been subjected to a large group of people or traveled by public transportation and feel the need for a deep cleanse.

The recommended soaking time is thirty minutes, so enjoy, and don’t forget to calm the mind while soaking and soothing your body.

Ingredients 

• 3 pints of hydrogen peroxide (3%).

• 2 ounces of ground ginger, a natural anti-inflammatory that increases blood circulation and helps promote the elimination of toxins through sweating.

For another option to add additional effects, create a Epsom salt detox bath and include hydrogen peroxide as well:

Ingredients

• 2 cups Epson salts (magnesium sulphate) 

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/3 cup hydrogen peroxide
• 2 ounces of ground ginger
• optional - 10 drops of lavender oil or other essential oil of your choice (if not using ginger)

Instructions

1. Run bath water as warm or hot as you can handle. The warmer the water, the more you will sweat and detox!

2. Light candles, dim the lights and play some relaxing music if you’d like. Harp music goes well with a detox bath.

3. If using a hot temperature, place a hand towel nearby to wipe away sweat from your face if needed, as the sweat and toxins begin to seep out of your pores about halfway through the soak.

4. Add the ingredients to the water and mix. Fill the tub enough so nearly all of your body can be immersed. When added to the detox bath recipe, ginger will increase the amount you sweat, which is how the body releases toxins and heavy metals.

5. Step in, relax, and enjoy the soothing mixture, hydrating yourself with pure water as you soak. Drink as much water as you can while detoxing. For an additional effect, add liquid bentonite detox (as a dietary supplement) to your water for the maximum ability to remove unwanted substances.

6. Continue soaking for up to thirty minutes. Advanced “detoxers” may even enjoy up to forty-minute soaks. If you are new to detox baths, begin with a ten to fifteen-minute soak. Sometimes, if there are many toxins to release, they can overwhelm your system and lead to a flu-like response as your body clears out the “waste.” If this occurs, know that it is not the flu but rather the effect of toxins released in your circulation, and they need to run their course and be cleared from the body. Continue to drink lots of fluids. Once this occurs, you are free to enjoy the full effect of a thirty to forty-minute soak after that. While this is rare, if it does happen at all, it is generally only with the first soak. This is known as a Herxheimer reaction and does not occur in everyone. If you have a concern, “start low and go slow,” as the pharmacy saying goes.

7. Another option is to scale down the ingredients to a pan size and do a foot soak instead. This is also a very effective way to remove toxins from the body through your feet. Then, next time, advance to a full bath.

8. After the soak is complete, take a lukewarm to cool shower to slow the toxin-release and sweating process and cool off. Be ready for a relaxed and lethargic feel after this process. This soak is recommended before bedtime so you can drift off into a relaxed and deep sleep.

Repeat this process weekly or at least monthly to relax and energize your body and clear out any toxins and inflammation. It will also leave your skin feeling smooth and healthy.

Just as hydrogen peroxide cleanses wounds, a detox bath can cleanse your body and soul. Immerse yourself in the warm embrace of the simple hydrogen peroxide remedy and emerge refreshed, renewed, and ready to face the world once again.

—Dr. Jill

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