Homemade Bath Salts

Bath salts are very easy and inexpensive to make. It is a fun project that you can be really creative putting together. The base of these bath salts is Epsom Salt, a pure mineral compound that is not actually salt (sodium chloride), but magnesium sulfate. According to the Epsom Salt Industry Council, "dissolved in a bath, it is absorbed through the skin to replenish the body's magnesium levels. This can help to relieve stress by raising serotonin levels, which is a mood-elevating chemical that creates a feeling of well-being and relaxation. It can also offset excessive levels of adrenaline, which can be produced by stress". It is recommended to soak in Epsom Salt at least three times a week for all its natural benefits. Whether these statements are totally accurate or not, adding Epsom Salt to a bath does soften the water and makes it seem more relaxing. And that's okay by me.

I add essential oils to the bath salts I make, and I bought mine at Bath and Body Works, The Body Shop, Hobby Lobby, and The Green Door health food store. My favorites are eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, baby powder, rose, and tea tree. Epsom Salt can be found in most drug stores, Walmart, and Target. This is a list of what you will need:

Epsom Salt
baking soda (opt)
essential oils
food coloring
jars
ribbon, tags, etc, if you are giving it as a gift

Pour the desired amount of Epsom Salt into a bowl. (This will not harm your bowl). Baking soda is a skin softener, so you can add some if you want to at this point. Add a few drops of essential oil and stir. You can add more as you go along. Then add a few drops of food coloring to achieve the color you want. It doesn't take much! You can see in this picture that I used only 3 drops of green:

It will clump a little as you stir it, as you can see, but keep stirring and it will eventually blend and be really pretty. I used only 2 drops of red to get pink:
This is how the pink turned out:
This is what the yellow looked like:

After you mix it all together, pour it into your jars. A funnel helps. You can include a tiny scoop inside if you want to, or just tie it on with a ribbon. Good places to find jars are: World Market, Walmart, and Target. You can even use Ball jars. I used a combination of eucalyptus peppermint for the green, baby powder for the pink, and tea tree for the yellow. This is how they turned out:

If I give it as a gift, I like to tie on a pretty ribbon with a tag that has the scent written on it:

These are also great to include in a "relaxation basket", with a loofah sponge, soap, a relaxing CD (I like jazz), and a rubber ducky for fun. When I make a basket like that, I line it with a washcloth or hand towel, depending on how big the basket it.

So, now we know a good, healthy way to help relieve stress. Go relax and detoxify.