DYI Bath Salts

 

Bath salts have been around since the dark ages. The healer in family compounds used to make them for the lady of the home to help relax her after a hard day. They fell out of fashion for a while, but have obtained a huge comeback in recent years as people started going to spas for a bit of pampering. But why spend hundred of dollars at a spa when you have a tub in your home. Let me teach you how to create these lovely salts and why they're good for you. 

What you will need:

Small jar with sealed screw top

Rose oil or any fragranced oil you like

Rose petals or floral petals of your favorite flower that goes with your essential oil

Pink Himalayan salt or sea salt

Decorative mesh bags or jars/bottles with ribbon and label

Gift basket

So why would you want to make bath salts? First of all, they are soothing in any warm bath, and they make great gifts for those you love to spoil, especially new mothers who need a break and a bit of pampering. Secondly, bath salts are great if you have eczema or psoriasis as they help to soothe itchy skin and cleanse the top layer of skin of flakes. The third reason it is good to make bath salts is to help soothe back pain, sore muscles, and aches in the joints. 

When you add floral pedals you add an extra sense of peace, relaxation, and calm into a soaking bath for anyone who needs it. 

Gifts for women can contain floral essential oils and petals whereas gifts for men would contain patchouli oil to make it more masculine. For men, you can also use Frankincense or Sandalwood. All three go together very nicely for a male gift bath salt.

If you use rose essential oil, be advised that it has powerful healing properties and should be used sparingly as it’s a very fragrant oil.  Here are the healing benefits of Rose Oil:

Relieves joint discomfort and soothes muscle pain.

Improves skin imperfections and impurities.

Boosts immune system.

Supports the respiratory system.

Supports healthy digestion.

Reduces stress and anxiety feelings.

Relaxes your nervous system.

Reduces inflammation throughout the body.

Bath sea salts have health benefits:

Cleanses your skin

Shrink pores

Balances the oils in your skin

Anti-bacterial properties

Exfoliates the skin of dead skin

Restores damaged skin

Eases muscle cramps

Stimulates circulation

If you have stiff joints it helps relieve them too

Reduces fluid retention.

Pink Himalayan salt benefits:

Minerals it contains help with:

Balancing electrolytes in the body

Anti-Inflammatory properties

Calms skin irritations

Reduces signs of aging and breakouts

Retains moisture

Relieve achy muscles

Helps with itchy skin and Sunburn

Regulates muscle contractions

It also detoxes the body

Let's make some scented salts to give as gifts:

½ cup sea salt

½ cup Pink Himalayan salt

10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil

Floral petals if you like to use them.

Small muslin bags or

Small mason Jars for storage

Mix the salts together in a bowl and stir until completely combined. Then add in the essential oil you’ve chosen 1 drop at a time all the while mixing together. Adjust the floral base depending on your preference strong, medium, or little.  Then add in the Vitamin E oil and stir until the oils are mixed completely with the salt. You don’t want to dissolve the salt just lightly coat each grain with the oils. You can then add in your minced floral petals and mix well. Transfer to muslin bags or mason jars for storage. If this is a gift, decorate the bag or jar with a ribbon and fancy tag that you’ve made.

How to use it for a bath. Add ¼ cup of salts to a warm bath mixing them with the water with your hand. Soak in the bathtub for a minimum of 30 minutes. If you’re using a muslin bag in the bath, leave it in the water while you soak. Be sure to store them in glass jars, not plastic jars as the salts will eventually break down the plastic and you’ll have a mess to clean up.

TIPS: If you don’t have either sea salt or Himalayan salt you could use Epson salt. When you order or buy your essential oils, I suggest you read everything on the website or bottle. If it contains anything other than the oil itself, don’t buy it. You want pure essential oil.

Store your bath salts out of direct sunlight and in airtight jars or muslin bags. The muslin bags can be used as draw refreshers for delicate garments but are best used in bath water. The reason for the muslin bags is to keep the salts and other items such as floral petals contained and allow for easy cleanup. Enjoy

 

Artist and Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, and journalist. business professional, creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a master’s in criminology and a BS in Business Management she stepped out of the loop for a while but is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel and photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.