Your essential oil diffusers might have just met their match with this purely botanical steam session.
99.999% of Instagram shower photos have those ambiguous grey-green plants in the composition somewhere. Something I’ve noticed about the trendsetters, the models, the beauty editors, the ambiguously lavish influencers flaunting these plants–their lives (and showers) seem better because of them, so I found out why herbal showers are so life-changing.
Curating an herbal shower is like setting up an organic spa in your bathroom. It gives the skin and the mind an aromatic steam-room experience and a multi-faceted cleanse. The steam created by the water activates the herbs, releasing the natural scent and nutrient(s) of the plant; which is something your oil diffuser can’t do. It doesn’t take a botanist to master the art of self-care we’re talking about here, but there are some things you need to do to make the most of the experience and the benefits:
Eucalyptus showers are one of the healthiest trends on the social media market right now–but only if they’re done the right way. For a refreshing, resetting shower, start with clean eucalyptus leaves…and then demolish them. Crush them, rub them together, roll them with a rolling pin. The herbs have to be open and vulnerable for you to actually see any of the benefits. Just like your mind must be vulnerable to be benefited by your therapist, the herbs have to be vulnerable to let out their goodness and benefit you. When you’re relaxed and ready, steam them around your shower head or in a vase as you shower. Grab a glass of wine (because isn’t it best served in the shower?), light a candle, and reap those benefits. A eucalyptus shower should leave your mind and body refreshed and reset, your sinuses opened up, and your essential oils on extremely thin ice.
This crushing and steaming process works with other herbs as well. Using the scientific method (a.k.a. my imagination and impulse) I decided to give this process a try with lavender and chamomile as well. These were herbs that I was already growing, so I plucked some of the stems, crushed them, and took another shower. The mix of pure chamomile and lavender left a subtler scent than the eucalyptus and was more calming. Replace your melatonin and lavender oil with this shower, or try some other herbs, and report back to me with how you slept.
