Make Your Own Aromatic Bath SaltsThese home-made bath salts also make lovely, thoughtful gifts for family and friends - clean out your kitchen cupboards to find really nice, or unusual jars, or scour the charity shops for really cheap ones too! Then just decorate the (cleaned!) jars with ribbons, foliage, or home-made labels to make your jars look really professional! I have chosen a simple recipe which includes adding baking soda to the mixture - this will create nice soft water for you to bathe in. 
Basic Bath Salt Recipe2 cups sea salt 1 cup Epsom salt 1 cup moisturising oil (optional) 5-10 drops essential oils 1 cup baking soda Salt Every bath salt mixture starts with the most important ingredient: salt. You may think there is only one choice for salt, but there are many different options for you to choose from. Some people like to make their salts using just one salt, but most like to mix and match salts to give their mixture a variety of textures. You can choose from Epsom salt, sea salt, Dead Sea salt, Icelandic geo-thermal brine salt or Hawaiian Red Salt. Many of these salts are known to have their own, unique medicinal properties as well. Colourants There are three kinds of colourants you can consider using in bath salts. You’ll want to make sure the colours you purchase are non-staining and non-irritating. You can also use multi-coloured salts, since several different colours of salts are available. Powdered mica - Mica provides a gentle tint with a pearl-like iridescence that many people find appealing Food dye & food colouring - These dyes in liquid colouring is another option (some people use this in a glycerin base, but that can make your bath salts clump) Powdered soap colourant - This is one more option which many beginners choose since it is readily available in a variety of colours and scents Botanicals If you wish to add botanicals to your bath salts, consider packaging them in mesh or muslin bags, and then using your bath salts just like you would a tea bag. Botanicals can add colour and scent to your salts, creating an aromatherapy effect. Essential Oils for Fragrance Essential oils are available in bath and body shops, holistic stores and online through suppliers who work only with essential oil fragrances. These potent but natural fragrances are effective for aromatherapy products such as bath salts. They are available in a wide variety of scents. See our Aromatherapy pages for benefits of specific oils. Natural Moisturisers to Add to Your Salts You’ll want to add a natural moisturiser to your bath salts. The following oils are wonderful additions to any bath salt recipe: Avocado oil This oil is golden in color and has extra moisturizing effects. Apricot kernel This is great for oily skin because it moisturizes without clogging pores. Castor oil This oil is known to have anti-inflammatory properties. Olive oil This oil is very gentle and soothing.
Instructions See! I told you it was easy! Now read on for some easy recipes to personalise the basic recipe:
Extra-Special Bridal Bath Salts To the first one add 2 drops Rose essential oil, and 2-4 drops of red colouring - mix well. To the 2nd one add 2 drops Sage essential oil, and 2 drops green, 2 drops blue colouring - mix well. To the 3rd one add 2 drops Lavender essential oil, and 2 drops red and 2 drops blue colouring - mix well. To the 4th add 2 drops Rosemary essential oil, and 2 drops green colouring - mix well. On seperate pieces of wax paper spread out each colour and allow to dry for several hours. When completely dry, take your final, best container/jar and layer it as so: Bottom - Rosemary - for lasting friendship & remembrance 2nd - Lavender - for devotion 3rd - Sage - for good health and long life Top - Rose - for unity and love Add a fake veil to the jar and really pretty it up. I also add a small gift card explaining the meanings - the bride-to-be will love it, and always remember it! Herbal If you want to have an herbal bath you can layer fresh herbs and salt in a glass jar and cover tightly with a plastic lid (or put plastic wrap over, then cover with the lid it if is metal). Allow this mixture to rest for two to three weeks for the salts to soak up the scents of the herbs then remove the herbs and you have aromatic bath salts that you can use to take a soothing herbal bath. Stress Relieving Had a hard day at the office? Climb in and drift away. 2 drops Cedarwood 2 drops Neroli 2 drops Bergamot Exam Buster Stimulate the mind and reinforce concentration. Be top of the class! 2 drops Basil 2 drops Lemongrass 2 drops Geranium An Energising Bath! Need a boost? Our energising bath will really give you wings. 3 drops Rosemary 2 drops Peppermint 2 drops Lemon or Orange Sensual Invite someone in to join you - not a bath to be taken alone! 3 drops Jasmine 3 drops Ylang Ylang A word of warning: Botanicals and essential oil fragrances you should not use in bath salts are : Basil, oregano, thyme, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and bay leaf are all botanical or essential oil fragrances that can be too irritating to be used in a bath salt. Your sensitivity level will determine which fragrances or botanicals you find soothing or irritating, so make sure you test your skin for sensitivity before immersing yourself in a bath enhanced with potentially irritating fragrances.
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