Detoxification

DIY Foot Soak | Natural Foot Detox

March 30, 2022

A foot soak, as the name implies, involve soaking your feet in warm water. Many people think that this practice is done just for relaxation or for sore feet, but there are actually many great benefits to foot soaking. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of foot soaking as well as some great DIY foot soaks that you can try at home.

What Is Foot Soaking?

Foot soaking is a therapeutic practice of soaking your feet in warm water. According to the Arthritis Foundation, water temperatures between 92°F and 100°F are considered the best temperatures to ease soreness.

Foot soaking has been around for a very long time. It is a common practice in China, where according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), soaking your feet daily is said to promote blood circulation and enhances the flow of energy (chi) in your body. They also believe that a foot soak can wash away the stresses of the day and help to support a good night of restful sleep.

What Are the Benefits of Foot Soaking?

The benefits of foot soaking really depend on what is in the foot soak bath. In general foot soaks may help to:

alleviate symptoms from colds and flu
remove toxins from the body
help reduce abdominal pain
provide deep relaxation
help with foot aches and muscle soreness
improve mood and energy level
increase circulation
soften the fascia of the feet
fight fatigue
reduce stress, anxiety and depression
soften the skin of the feet

Foot soaking has benefits for more than just your feet. As reflexology points out, the entire body is affected by our feet, and by taking better of your feet, you in turn, take care of your whole body.

Not to mention, there are many mental and emotional benefits to foot soaking as well. Foot soaking can provide that nice relaxing “ahhhhhhh” feeling of soaking in a nice hot bath at the end of a long day. While a foot soak is limited to just your feet, it provides similar psychological benefits of reducing stress and improving relaxation and well-being.

These are just the main benefits of foot soaking in warm water. There are many more benefits that can occur as well, depending on what else is added to the foot bath.

Epsom Salt

Many DIY foot soak baths include Epsom salt as a main ingredient. Epsom salt is one of many naturally occurring mineral salts, a compound composed of magnesium and sulfate. The name “Epsom salt” traces back to “Epsom” the town in England that this salt was discovered in about 400 years ago.

While Epsom salt is technically edible, it is very bitter and unpalatable, and far different from your average table salt. Instead, Epsom salt is typically used for baths—including foot baths—and has many great health benefits.

When Epsom salt is added to water, it dissolves in the water and releases magnesium and sulfate ions, creating a healing solution with many benefits, such as:

Soothing muscle aches, cramps and pain
Enhancing muscle and nerve function
Preventing blood clots
Reducing or preventing athlete’s foot
Easing gout pain and discomfort
Treating toenail fungus
Helping disinfect wounds
Loosening skin for help removing splinters
Relieving stress and enhancing relaxation

Essential Oils

Essential oils are another common ingredient added into DIY foot soaks. Essential oils are plant extracts that are created by steaming or pressing different parts of a plant to extract the compounds that produce a scent. It often requires a lot of plant material to produce a bottle of essential oil. In addition to producing a fragrance, essential oils often contain very concentrated amounts of certain medicinal plant compounds.

Because of this, essential oils will have different benefits depending on the plant essential oil that is used and the medicinal properties of that plant or oil. Lavender essential oil, for example, is great for relaxation and soothing the nervous system, as well as relaxing muscle pains and spasms. Tea tree essential oil is a powerful antifungal that can be great for athlete’s foot.

Remember, essential oils are very concentrated, so a little bit goes a long way.

Whole Herbs

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), whole herbs are often added into their foot soaks. This is a great way to incorporate the healing properties of medicinal plants that may not be available in their essential oil form.

How to Make a Foot Soak Bath?

To make a foot soak bath at home, all you need is a container for holding water, a way to heat up your water, a towel, and whatever ingredients you plan to add into the foot soak. There are several ways to do this, some better than others.

The best possible way to make a DIY foot soak bath for all you purists out there is to get a hand-hammered copper foot bath bowl, use only purified water, heat the water in a nontoxic material (glass, ceramic, or stainless steel are best) and to only use pure and organic ingredients for whatever you choose to add into your foot bath, avoiding all additives, chemicals and fillers.

The worst possible way to make a DIY foot soak bath is to get a plastic container, use unfiltered tap water, heat it in a toxic material (Teflon or alluminium) and to use inorganic ingredients with added chemicals.

We’ll explain both.

First, hand-hammered copper bowls are made with pure copper and do not contain glue, plastics, polishes, varnish or chemical finishes. These microscopic toxins can get into your water solution, especially when heated, and then make their way into your body through your feet. Copper is also an essential mineral that we need, and this is a safe and easy way to get it. Keep in mind however, we only need small amounts, as too much can be harmful—which is why cooking with copper is not recommended. Stainless steel foot soaking tubs work as an alternative as well. When you heat up plastic, chemicals from the plastic like BPA also leach into the water and into your skin—so it is best to avoid it altogether.

The water you soak in is also important. You will want to use the purest water you can find. Unfortunately, a lot of water is contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, and other toxins like chlorine, chloramines, and fluoride. Having a good water filter, or a good source of natural spring or well water, is the best option. It is recommended to avoid tap water when using it for anything regarding your body—this includes showering. You can get shower filters that filter out chemicals from tap water for fairly cheap and they are well worth the investment.

Similarly, what you cook with is also very important, as toxic cooking materials can contaminate food or water that you consume. Teflon cookware, for example, is coated with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), which is a plastic polymer that starts to leach toxins when heated above 572 degrees Fahrenheit. These toxic fumes lead to flu-like symptoms and can be dangerous to people and animals. Another chemical compound found in Teflon cookware is PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), which has carcinogenic properties. Aluminum (including aluminum foil) can increase your risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Its best to cook with safe cookware materials like glass, ceramic (not ceramic coated cookware, as this coating can actually be toxic), pure cast iron and stainless steel.

Lastly, organic ingredients are always the safest and most natural. Inorganic ingredients can contain pesticides and other toxins that can be harmful for your health—not something you want to soak your feet in! A lot of Epsom salts will also contain added chemicals, especially scented ones. You are much better off getting pure Epsom salt and adding your own aroma in with pure essential oils.

Okay, now onto the steps for how to actually make a foot soak bath:

Heat up water to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (allow to cool if heated past this temperature).
Place a towel on the floor where you intend to have the foot bath, this will help catch any water that may spill and will allow you to dry your feet off once you are done.
Place your foot bath on top of the towel.
Add the heated water to the foot bath.
Add in ingredients, such as Epsom salt, essential oils, or herbs.
Sit down, step your feet in, soak, relax and enjoy.