Refresh and unwind with a thirst quenching iced herbal tea. Chamomile and hibiscus tea blend amazingly well together for a calming warm weather drink. Throw in some fresh fruit and a few ice cubes and blend and whisk yourself away to a tropical haven with every sip.
What are the benefits of chamomile tea?
Chamomile is an herbal any day favorite for good reason. These fragrant yellow and white blossoms calm anxiety and ease digestion. According to Science Daily, researchers have found that sipping on chamomile (5 cups a day for 2 weeks) is associated with improved immune health and relaxed nerves.
What are the benefits of hibiscus tea?
This tropical flower has a tangy flavor, making it great in ice tea recipes. It is not necessarily a calming herb, but it blends well with chamomile and it is an always good for you high-antioxidant tea. According to a 2010 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, drinking 3 cups a day can significantly lower high blood pressure. Hibiscus is packed with antioxidants, making it useful for protecting your cells from damage (aka anti-aging!).
To make this soothing, antioxidant-rich blend, you will need:
- 1 tablespoon dried chamomile blossoms
- 1 tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers
- 2 quarts freshly boiled water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 strawberries
- 1/2 cup sliced mango or papaya
Brew the chamomile and hibiscus in the water for ten minutes, covered. Let cool to room temperature. Blend all ingredients in the blender. Pour into a huge cup, grab a book or magazine, and go out and enjoy the weather while sipping your soothing, fruity iced infusion.
The most luxurious and legendary of all the soothing bath recipes is the milk and honey bath. For centuries we have been stepping into these decadent baths for softer skin and sweeter thoughts. According to legend, Cleopatra bathed in milk and honey regularly. The milk bath has received a boost of interest at spas and within the serenity of our own bath tubs since Charlize Theron's magnificent milk bath scene in the 2012 film, Snow White and the Huntsman. So, how can you recreate this legendary bath?
1. Run hot water
Start with hot, not warm water. Then, let it cool to a comfortable temperature. Why so hot?! The hotter the water, the better for swirling in your ingredients.
2. Melt your honey
First, a word on honey. All of it is great. I love it not only as a bath additive, but also as a sugar substitute. Not all honey is equal. I recommend a nice jar of raw, minimally processed honey — after all Cleopatra probably wasn't soaking in the syrupy processed stuff that we 
typically use today.
For the perfect milk and honey bath, melt first. Spoon 1/2 cup into a big tea mug. Top off with boiling water and stir until melted. Raw honey is firm, so you definitely don't want to skip this step. This will allow your honey to really infuse into your bath so you can enjoy all the nourishing, moisturizing benefits.
3. Measure the milk
The more milk the better, but to keep your soak affordable and practical, 1-2 cups is enough. Use rich and creamy while milk for more softening, exfoliating, and nourishing skin benefits. You can also use milk powder, in which case a cup is plenty.
4. Swirl
Swirl the melted honey and milk into the water while it is running. Mix well using your hand, especially if using milk powder.
5. Set the scene
This is no ordinary bubble bath. Set up an idyllic atmosphere. Light your aromatherapy candles, put on your favorite calming music tracks, and set up your fresh fruit juice or herbal tea to sip after your bath. You can do this while the water cools to a tolerable temperature. Slip in, relax, meditate, and enjoy every moment.
Relax and renergize at the same time with this peppermint bath recipe. This is my soothing soak of choice when I want to calm down after a stressful day, but not go right to bed. It is perfect for when you need that combination of winding down and revitalizing in the evening.
Peppermint is the central ingredient of this bath. It is a sin qua non for relieving mental fatigue. The cooling, soothing essence of this herb also is a dream for nervous tension and headaches.
What is the secret to an effervescent soak? Peppermint + baking soda + epsom salts. Not only is this a refreshing mix, but this is also ideal for a detox bath. Use it when you are doing a 2 or 3 day juice fast to help your body get rid of more toxins.
To make this bath, you will need:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup epsom salts
- your choice of peppermint; 4 tea bags, 3 tablespoons of the dried herb in a muslin herb bag, or 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil
After soaking for 20 minutes, rehydrate! Is it overkill to sip a cup of mint tea? I don't think so. I actually start with a cup of peppermint before this bath and then drink a huge glass of mango or peach juice afterwards. If you really want to go all out, whip up a fresh cucumber, honey, mint, and lime juice smoothie for after your bath. This is amazing (and good for you) revitalizing therapy! When your feet are dragging but you still want to get a lot out of your evening, try this.
Dried valerian root is one of the most popular herbs for anxiety and for good reason. A cup of tea or even a few drops of valerian extract can help to calm anxiety right away. Despite being heavily marketed as a sleep aid. I used to drink the tea in the late afternoon to help curb stress while I was working as a waitress. The effect is not intense, but combined with a few deep breaths, a simple cup would always help me to feel sublime.
According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, valerian root has a long history as a mild sedative and an anti anxiety herb. It was prescribed in the 2nd century in Rome for insomnia and used in the 16th century for nervousness, headaches and heart palpitations. This calming herb is even recorded as being used for stress relief in England during WWII air raids. Imagine sipping an herbal infusion in the pitch black during an air raid!
There is plenty of reason to support the use of valerian root as a sleep aid, but there have also been inconclusive studies. Also, be aware that some people have been known to become more hyperactive after taking this herb.
Try drinking a cup or two to help cope with stress and anxiety. Keep in mind that when you prepare your tea, cover while steeping so you don't lose the benefits of the volatile oils. While you may fall in love with valerian (no relationship to valium, don't worry!), it is not something that you want to necessarily drink on a daily basis in the long term. (Something like oatstraw for example works by nourishing the nervous system and it is more suitable in the long term.) Not that there are any known side effects aside from those who do become hyperactive or temporary giddiness with large valerian root dosages, but this calming herb is not solving the root of your stress and anxiety — it is merely a source of relief.
I came across a great recipe in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies, put together by C. Norman Shealy MD, PhD. As a night time tea, blend valerian root, dandelion root, and chamomile flowers. Steep about 2 teaspoons of the mixture for one cup of tea. This is amazing with a little honey and coconut milk.
Slip into the healing waters of an epsom salt bath in the comfort of your home and experience an amazing 20 minute mind body makeover. Epsom salts, which are not true salts, are conveniently found in every drugstore or corner apothecary as well as many expensive bath mixes. They are magnesium sulfate crystals, magnesium sulfate being a naturally occurring mineral combination. Pour a cup or two into hot water, it really does seem too easy, but this is all you need for an amazing, relaxing, revitalizing soak. (As with all hot baths, pregnant women and those with heart conditions are generally told to talk to their doctor before using.)
1. Ease sore muscles
Epsom salt baths are great for relieving aching, sore muscles. The magnesium, which is absorbed through the skin, helps to reduce inflammation. If you have lower back pain, a sore neck, or simply a minor sports injury, try this soothing home remedy. To relieve pain, use 2 cups of the salts per bath.
2. Reducing stress
Again, thank you magnesium; this mineral balances with calcium in the body to ensure proper nerve functioning. Making sure that you have adequate levels of magnesium in your diet is important for common problems like insomnia, depression, and anxiety. While a nourishing diet (almonds, dark leafy greens, seeds, and soy are great sources) should be your foundation, soaking in mineral rich waters is not such as bad idea to get some of the many health benefits of this mineral.
3. A remedy for headaches
Both magnesium and sulfate are great minerals to help fight headaches. If you suffer from regular tension headaches, try a nightly epsom salt bath with one cup of the crystals and 10 drops of lavender essential oil.
4. Detox bath
Epsom salts are detoxing! Soak for 20 minutes in a hot epsom bath (use 2 cups) to help flush toxins from your body. Immerse your entire body, up to your neck, and make sure the water is tolerably hot. Have a cup of juice or an herbal tea ready to drink after your soak. You will want to relax for another 20 minutes in a towel or your robe as your body will keep sweating after the soak. You also need to rehydrate!
5. Epsom salt baths are versatile and inexpensive
These perfect little crystals are efficient. They are very reasonably priced, making it easy to use a lot of the salts for little expense. You can of course look for epsom salts in soothing and detoxing bath salt mixes, but blends can be pricey and the amount of salts in a mix is usually negligible. Make your own soothing blends by adding essential oils, herbs, milks, and powders to your own epsom salts.
If you want to expand beyond the limits of bagged tea, you will have to enter into the realm of loose leaf. What do you really need to make your perfect cup of tea? Tea pots, infusers, and disposable satchets, here are the pros and cons of all your brewing options.
Tea pots for loose leaf tea
I love those little glass tea pots. You get to see the colors of your infusion while brewing and the lid helps to hold in all those beneficial volatile oils that would otherwise escape with the rising steam. Also, the liquid stays relatively warm by the time you are ready for that second cup (if you are a slow sipper however, your next cup will be lukewarm. You have about 15 minutes before the tea starts to go from pleasantly, honey melting hot to tepid). If you want to sip lingering cups of tea, you'll have to spend more than the $20 or $30 for the average glass pot and go high-end. The Berghoff glass pot
for example, comes with a really cool warmer. It is stainless steel, and uses the heat of a candle. Place under your glass pot for subtle warmth — very natural. I don't have it yet, but it is on my wish list.
The problem with glass pots is that they break. I had one for a little over one year, washed it by hand in about 90 seconds, but I did eventually break the pot, leaving me with only the infuser basket, which is really all that I need.
The best loose leaf tea infuser
The classic infuser is the mesh ball, my mother and grandmother both used one. You can buy one for a couple of dollars, wash easily, and use it 
over and over again. The cons — you can only make one cup of tea and you still need a cover — little ceramic plates work well. And, they break, really easily. For a heavy tea drinker, they are not a great option.
In mug infusers, personally I love them, even more than steeping cups. They are easy to use, easy to clean, and they last. For a great loose leaf tea infuser with a lid, Forlife has a nice model for just over 10 dollars.
Satches
Disposable tea filters are wonderful. They are convenient! Especially when you are preparing your cup of calming tea at the office. You can also use them with to go cups. They do, however, create waste and you have to keep on buying them. For the eco minded, use satchets that are compostable. Mountain Rose Herbs has nice unbleached, chlorine free paper filters.
You have a lot of infusing options with loose leaf tea. Don't feel like you need to invest in a pot, unless you drink more than one cup at a time or like to enjoy your tea with a friend. Otherwise in cup infusers are really wonderful, and satchets are your convenient, on the go option.
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What is the best calming herbal tea that you can drink? After hundreds of cups of different soothing teas, I always go back to pure and simple oatstraw. I highly recommend it if you are looking for something to help with tension and stress. Instead of getting upset or overreacting to all those frustrating stressors in life, you can kind of take an objective, calm step back and move through life more smoothly.
So, how does it work? Why is this one of the best teas? Oatstraw, avena sativa, is my favorite of all the calming teas because it is the most approachable, universal, nourishing herb. Rolled oats for breakfast and the dried tops infused in hot water before bed, that is the way to live peacefully. The stem, leaf, and milky tops of this plant are loaded with nutrients that nourish your nervous system — B vitamins, calcium, and magnesium.
Drink a cup every day to strengthen your nerves; think of it like nervous breakdown, road rage, emotional turbulence protection. I notice that I am calmer and react less to stressful situations, not necessarily after one cup, but after drinking this tea for two or three days in a row.
If you are looking for a natural aid to help you cope with stress, oatstraw is a great place to start. Unlike other calming herbal teas, this one has a great taste; soft, simple, earthy, with grassy and nutty tones. It works well with honey or milk and blends well with other calming herbs like lavender and chamomile. Oatstraw tea is also safe. I understand not everyone is comfortable with some of the stronger sedative herbs. Avena sativa is simply calming and nourishing — I give it to my kids all the time! As an added bonus, you will be helping your bones, hair, and skin with the nutritional boost (especially the calcium for bones and silicon for hair and skin). Drinking oatstraw is one of those win all around things in life.
There is nothing like slipping into the calming waters of a lavender milk bath. Whether you use powders, cream, oils, or herbs, the effects are essentially the same; the lavender soothes your mind, relieving stress and combating headaches, tension, and nervousness, while the milk moisturizes your skin, leaving you feeling absolutely soft and serene.
Making your own lavender and milk bath is easy. I like to use both lavender powder and milk powder, but you can also use essential oils, creamy milk, milk substitutes, and dried lavender. Swirl your ingredients into warm or hot waters (add essential oils right before getting in your bath) and enjoy.
To make a milk and lavender powder bath, you will need:
- 1 cup milk powder
- 2 tablespoons lavender flower powder
For best results, swirl the powders into the water while your bath is filling. This is a great recipe to mix and put into glass jars as homemade gifts.
To make a cream and lavender oil bath, you will need:
- 1 to 2 cups whole milk
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
Add the essential oil to the milk before pouring into your water.
To make a coconut milk powder and lavender bath, you will need:
- 1 tea satchet
- 2 tablespoons dried lavender
- 1 cup coconut milk powder
Add the dried herb to your tea satchet and tie shut. Let the lavender infuse into your bath while the water is filling — start with very hot water for the best infusion, and then let the water reach a comfortable temperature before entering. Swirl in the coconut powder.
Follow your skin soothing, calming treatment with a cup of lavender tea and honey!
Disclaimer
I am not a health professional, but a tea drinker! My goal is to share my experiences with teas and soothing baths. This website does not intend to diagnose or treat any disease. If you need medical advice, consult with the professionals!!!