When talking about showering, what comes to mind?
If it isn’t a magical spa experience, at least sometimes, you’re doing it wrong. Whether you’re taking one to wake up first thing in the morning, after a hard workout, or to relax before bed…I’m about to blow your mind and tell you why you should put fresh eucalyptus in your shower.
Before this summer, eucalyptus was just another plant to me.
I was well aware that it smelled good, but under the impression that its aroma is limited to essential oils and beauty products. Then, my lovely friend Ashley introduced me to the concept I had been eyeing from a far and even gave me some Eucalyptus after her ridiculously beautiful curated dinner, The Table Experience. My majestic shower and I haven’t looked back.
Eucalyptus can be grown, ordered, picked up from your local florist or even found at stores like Trader Joes. Just be wary of the type of eucalyptus you’re getting from more commercial places, as they may carry more massive and less fragrant eucalyptus. The less aromatic is a wider silver dollar variety, and the more fragrant baby blue variety (pictured in this blog) is what you want.
Now, to get down to the nitty-gritty of why you need it in your life:
1. Spa Experience and Aromatherapy
Let’s be real, most of us rarely make it to the spa, and we don’t always have time for a nice soak in a hot bath with aromatherapy. Hanging fresh Eucalyptus in your shower gives you the best of both worlds: zero effort and an impressive steamy aromatherapy experience. In my home, the bathroom is near to the front entryway, and almost every guest I have comments on how good it smells even that far out of the bathroom. When you turn the shower on and slide into the warm solace of forgetting about your stress and obligations for a few minutes, you owe it to yourself to feel like you’re in a majestic jungle or at least a spa. Treat yo self.
2. Health Benefits
I’m not saying it’s a guarantee, but there’s a good chance that your germ-laden, chapped fingers are scrolling through the internet right now waiting to get sick and be congested. When you do get the sniffles this season, look no further than a hot eucalyptus shower (obviously look further if you need to, please) to clear some congestion and make you breathe a little easier. Eucalyptus is known to have antimicrobial, deodorizing, anti-inflammatory, and decongestant properties to name a few.
3. Aesthetics
I don’t have an enormous paragraph to write about this. Just look at the pictures, folks. Magical.
To get on this crisp aromatherapy train, get a handful of eucalyptus stems and tie them together with twine, a hair tie, a rubber band (really whatever you want, just make it happen) and then attach it to the base of your shower head. Be mindful of not putting it directly in the path of the water. You want to steam it, not drown it.
A few words of advice for those of you that have never handled a eucalyptus plant would be:
It can be sticky, and it’s quite hard to trim.
So, treat it gingerly, be prepared to wash your hands, and don’t cut it unless you have to.
If you feel like for some reason you must hack it apart and you don’t have cutters that are up to par, it’s almost always easier to break it. I usually replace mine about once a month, but this is up to you and how long your leaves stay fragrant.
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