DIY Smell Good Bath Salts
I knew that some memory of something was sparked in the back of my mind every time I thought of “bath salts”. But I simply couldn’t put two and two together to figure it out. Thinking it was my mind playing tricks on me I didn’t do much to try to figure it out either.
But as I was writing my post, the computer suggested that I use the phrase “bath salts face eating”. Oh, yeah. That was it.
These are not the kind of bath salts that are going to turn you into a zombie. Instead they will help you feel fabulously soft and refreshed and ease those aching muscles. I’ve mentioned before that I have a super big thing for baths, to the extent that I have very high on the priorities list for my next home a bathtub where my knees aren’t up around my neck as I bathe. I even showed you how I make my similar fizzy bath bombs.
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These are much easier to make and don’t require anything fancy, like citric acid, which is easy enough to get but I doubt you have lying around your home. Chances are you have most everything you need to get your bath salt on. Well, except maybe the fragrant oils, but as a few tutorials in h coming weeks will show you, a good set is something any crafty person should always have on hand!
To make your own non-face eating bath salts you will need:
- Epsom salts
- baking soda
- fragrant oils <– my favorite, tropical scents set
- food coloring (optional)
- containers to hold your bath salts
Add 1/3 cup of baking soda to 1 cup of Epsom salts and mix that stuff up really well.
Add a handful of drops of food coloring and anywhere from 5-15 drops of fragrant oil. I must admit that I LOVE having my skin plump with a pretty smell when I get out of the bath so I go a bit heavier than you might. Give a good stir to fully incorporate.
Keep adding a few more drops of food coloring until you are happy with the color. Don’t drop a bazillion in first go, though. Build up to the right color!
Put it in a pretty jar and you’re all set! This set smells like ‘Sun and Sand’ so I went with yellow to mimic the color of the sun!
And here we have Acai berry in a pretty purple. See how there is an occasional red speck up in there? It’s really easy to do. Get the color you want and then add the second color you want specks of. Let it sit for several minutes (I do about 30) and then stir. The color will set in the salt pieces a bit better and the color will be retained rather than changing up the color of the entire batch.
And here we have Coconut Cream scented bath salts in a fun color that reminds me of blue coconut snow cones! To get a much darker color, measure out your baking soda first and color it to your liking. A bit of the color will rub off on the salts but most will stay vibrant in the baking soda!
If you make a batch a bit bigger than your containers, the rest can be stored in sandwich bags!
These jars of the pretty stuff make fantastic gifts. I betcha anybody you gift some smell good bath salts would love to get them as a gift again!
Comments (17)
kayteelou
October 4, 2014 at 2:43 PM
The homemade bath salts sound so nice. My only question, “Would the food coloring tint the skin? …even a little?”
Allison Murray
October 4, 2014 at 5:17 PM
I’ve never had that problem even with the salts I have used a lot of food coloring to tint. You put half a cup or so in a full bath tub. It’s diluted so much that it tints the water but not your skin
Liz Queenlila
October 24, 2014 at 11:58 AM
mmmmm they look good enough to eat!
Emily
October 28, 2014 at 12:22 AM
Hello! My question is, how much should one you per bath of these?
Allison Murray
October 30, 2014 at 2:26 PM
Hi, Emily! You can use 1/4 – 1 cup depending on your preference. I tend to use a lot just because I like the color and I find more salt loosen tight muscles better!
Melissa
November 18, 2014 at 9:28 PM
Will it make a huge difference if i decrease the amount of baking soda? maybe to 1/4c or an 1/8c?
Allison Murray
November 18, 2014 at 10:35 PM
No. You can totally increase the baking soda. It might settle a bit so you might need to give it a good shake before putting it in your bath though.
Carissa de Beer
November 26, 2014 at 1:39 PM
Hi there. Is there a chemical rxn that occurs between the ingredients? I have placed the salt in glass jars that seal with rubber lids, but the lids keep popping off. Must you leave the salts overnight to dry/air?
Allison Murray
November 29, 2014 at 4:19 PM
I’m not sure. I’ve never had that problem! Leaving them to air dry might very well help!
Dani
November 25, 2015 at 6:19 PM
This mixture should always been placed in containers with lose fitting lids. The mixture releases CO2(chemical reaction) and can cause containers bursting, not good. I use glass mason jars with material stretched where the lid goes, then just screw lip over.
Allison Murray
November 25, 2015 at 6:44 PM
That is good to know and a great solution!
LeAnn
January 26, 2015 at 11:01 AM
Hi, please do be careful making bath salts/soaks at home! I tried this for Christmas last month and noticed a distinct “pop” when my glass jars were opened just three hours later. I recognized it immediately as a reaction of the oil (any fragrance will contain a small amount of acid) and the baking soda. RED FLAG!!! Even two weeks later, drying them out in open air, they are still inflating and putting pressure on their containers when I put them away. I couldn’t give them away as gifts or store them in the glass jars – they were simply too dangerous. My husband was even afraid to keep them in plastic, in a box, in our closet! With this recipe, an invisible chemical reaction WILL occur to release CO2 into the trapped space in the jar/container. Slowly (or even quickly, in my case), the CO2 pressure will build up so much as pop open (if you’re lucky) or even to shatter the container. I read one person say that she broke her finger opening a jar of her salts, another had glass shards in her bathroom that cut clear through the dry wall – after TWO YEARS storing the salts. This is some seriously dangerous DIY.
Allison Murray
January 26, 2015 at 9:21 PM
I’ve never experienced this myself, nor has anyone I’ve gifted bath salts to, maybe because they get used so quickly. If you are more comfortable, you can always place your bath salts in paper bags instead so that any built up gases can easily escape OR just eliminate the baking soda from the equation. I wouldn’t say this is seriously dangerous DIY and from what I can find online these explosions are the exception rather than the rule… But thanks for taking the time to comment.
John
January 4, 2016 at 7:35 PM
I made some and the aroma is just to strong. Is there a way to lessen the aroma of the existing bag
Allison Murray
January 5, 2016 at 7:56 AM
Yes! If you leave them open in a cabinet the smell will dissipate a bit. You can also mix the scented salts with more unscented Epsom salts and spread the scent around.
Cindy
May 28, 2016 at 10:52 AM
My bath salts seem to harden in the containers. What am I doing wrong?
Allison Murray
May 28, 2016 at 1:33 PM
It will often harden like that, it seems even more so in very humid environments like a bathroom. If I don’t use my salts up very quickly I just loosen them up by stirring them with a dowel or whatnot. Not the most convenient but if I keep them in the linen closet rather than the bathroom I don’t really have to mess with that.