Homemade "Shower Soothers"

My homemade shower soother.

Hi! And sorry I've been MIA for awhile. I was planning lots of blogging this week but then I got a bad cold that's been going around the office, so mostly I've been blowing my nose and casting annoyed glances at the DVR, wishing it would magically create more interesting shows for me to watch.

Most of the time, when I feel a little bug coming on, I take very good care of myself and marshal my homeopathic remedies to fight it off. Sure, they could be placebos - but if placebos work, then who cares? I rarely get seriously sick, so when I do it tends to be a doozy - every third year or so, I get something that knocks me out for a week or more.

This is that time, I guess. I woke up with a sore throat Sunday morning, and despite my valiant efforts to stave off, it developed into a full-blown cold.


When I do get sick, I don't necessarily rely only on homeopathy. The doctor recommended some more serious drugs, which I'm taking diligently. However, I do think that a lot of homeopathic remedies can make one feel a lot more comfortable. I especially like SudaCare Shower Soothers. They are these little hockey pucks that you put on the floor of your shower, and as the water pours over them, they release mentholly vapors into the steam, which helps to clear your sinuses.

I find them extremely comforting, especially since every illness seems to come to rest in my sinuses, but they can be hard to find at the pharmacy. That's why I was excited to find a recipe for homemade Shower Soothers on Pinterest.

Luckily, the grocery store I stopped off at to stock up on Kleenex had all the ingredients I needed: baking soda and essential oils (the store had a little natural area - you should be able to find essential oils at natural groceries or at hippie places like bead stores, candle stores, and natural beauty shops. You can also order them if you're someone - unlike me -- who has the capability of planning ahead).

If you go to the link above, there are two sets of directions - after the main post, there's an updated one. I used this one. Basically, you just mix a cup of baking soda with a half-cup of water, which creates a thick paste. Then you smash the paste into a muffin tin. You bake for 20 minutes at 350, and when it's cool, you dribble a few drops of the essential oil on to the hockey puck you've created. I used tea tree oil, because out of all the ones I sniffed in the store, it seemed the most sinus clearing, and it was cheaper than some of the others.

I'd definitely consider this another Pinterest success. Plus -- making your own shower soothers means cutting back on lots of packaging and you can feel good about where the ingredients came from.