Keep Calm and Relax On: DIY Soothing Bath Salts

Are you looking to relax after a long and stressful day? Forgo the shower and let your body and mind unwind with a steaming soak in the tub. Rest your head back, close your eyes and absorb the calm. And what’s a nice hot bath without relaxing bath salts to lift the stress away? DIY bath salts are easier to make than you might think!

We at Pottery Barn understand how important to your self-care bath time is, so we’re excited to share these simple recipes for making bath salts at home. The main ingredients are available in the grocery store, and essential oils are usually available in large, upscale supermarkets or online. Also, you can make a large batch and then keep a smaller container on your counter or wall shelf for quick access.

Serenity of Simple Salt

First, you’ll need some Epsom salts and regular salt.  Sea salt is preferable. You can use a 3:2 ratio – three cups of Epsom salt, for example, to two cups of salt. Unless you have Dead Sea salt, there’s no need to purchase more upscale sea salts.  Salt is salt, after all. Also, feel free to experiment with the ratio. Combine them in a mixing bowl, add about a half-ounce of fragrance or essential oils and mix. Don’t add too much, or the salts will clump. You can also add a cup of baking soda (making a 3:2:1 ratio of Epsom salts to sea salt to baking soda) as a skin and water softener.

Colors and Scents Are Healing Too

Now, here’s where making bath salts gets fun. You can add food coloring or mica color to match the color of your bath towels or to create colors that make your happy. If you do use colorant, remember that it a little goes a long way. The same is true for fragrances.

There are multitudes of essential oils you can use. Lavender is a typical ingredient, which has a natural calming effect. Moroccan blue or Roman chamomile is also a good choice. A few drops of eucalyptus oil can enhance your relaxation, as can frankincense. If you’re prone to oily skin, try lemon and sage essential oils. Do your research and experiment until you find the combination that really works for you.

Another ingredient you can even experiment with are dried flowers, such as lavender, rose, chamomile, calendula and red clover blossoms. Try adding coarsely ground dried mint leaves, rosemary or thyme. Bath salts with flowers and herbs, can be beautifully decorative in glass container, such as a glass apothecary jar.

Remedy for Long Lasting Relaxing Salts

To keep the fragrance of your bath salts lasting longer and lessen clumping, add modified tapioca starch. This starch absorbs the oils and releases them into the bathwater. If you use starch, add the essential oils to it before mixing them with the salt mixture. Use 1/2 cup of modified tapioca starch. In this case, your ratio would be three Epsom salts to two salt to one baking soda to one-half modified tapioca starch (3:2:1:1/2). Again, keep the final product in a tightly sealed container.

Pour the mixture into a tightly sealed container, such as a plastic zipper bag or a mason jar. Spoon a smaller amount into a container or a small glass bowl on your bathroom counter, so your relaxing bath salts are within reach whenever the mood – or need – strikes you. If you use dried flowers, you can put them in small muslin bags or wrap them tied in cheesecloth with twine to make bath tea bags. Store them in a sealed plastic bag, and take one out when you’re ready for your bath. Bath salts can lose their fragrance and fizziness if exposed to air for long periods of time, so proper storage is essential.

Clear Mind, Healthy Body, Happy You

Now, you’re ready to relax. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of your DIY bath salts into hot bathwater. Maybe place lit votive candles in secure spots around the tub too. You can turn on some relaxing music and lower the lights. Sink into the bath and feel your stress disappear into the steamy water. Leave your robe nearby to slip into afterwards.