Witch Hazel Sitz Bath Recipe
Relaxing in a sitz bath infused with witch hazel is a gentle way to support healing and comfort for the genital and anal areas. Witch hazel helps increase blood flow, tone tissues, and repair inflamed skin, making it especially beneficial during pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
Equipment
- Sitz bath seat or bathtub
- Large covered pot
Ingredients
- 1 quart extract of chopped plant material (more is great!)
- 1 gallon of water
Directions
- Ethically harvest witch hazel branches, bark, fresh leaves and/or new bud growth*
- Take any of the woody plant material, bring it to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
- Turn off heat, add tender leaves/buds, and cover.
- Steep for an hour or more (the more plant material you add and the longer it steeps, the stronger the sitz bath brew will be).
- Fill a bath with enough warm water to completely cover your pelvic floor.
- Now strain the witch hazel extract and add the liquid to the bath.
- Soak in the tub for 20 minutes.
- Whatever the issue is that you are addressing with the sitz bath—hemorrhoids, postpartum tears and soreness, rash—send positive energy to that area and take deep belly breaths while soaking. Visualize the witch hazel and your body doing a marvelous healing dance together!
Notes
*Harvest witch hazel’s branches and bark any time of year, or the fresh leaves and new bud growth in spring. Always make certain if gathering bark from the trunk to only take it from one side of the tree. Removing bark from the entire circumference of a tree or shrub will kill it. I prefer to strip the bark from small limbs or branches in order to limit the harm to the tree. See this article on ethical wildcrafting for guidance if you are new to foraging.