Making Bath Salts.... the ones for your bath, NOT the other kind

Anytime I mention I'm making bath salts, I get a lot of jokes about the other kind of bath salts.  So, maybe I should come up with a cool new name like Super Salt Soaker, or Scented Salty Water Softener... or perhaps I should just call it 'Awesomeness!'  (Or, just stop mentioning it in front of certain people!)

Whatever you want to call them, I think they are just great, and super easy to make.  They take mere minutes to throw together and the hardest part is gathering supplies.  Since, as I've mentioned previously, I hoard craft supplies, I have enough ingredients to make about 20lbs worth with about 100 different scents.

Some people only have showers, and some people don't use their tubs, and I think that is such a shame.  If I'm ever having a bad day, or just want to relax with a good book, or a good movie or tv show.... I hit the tub!  Yes, I am one of those 'crazy' people who will drag their laptop into the bathroom, and watch tv and movies on it. Years ago I think I spent over 4 hours in the tub because I got caught up watching a season of 'LOST'... the key is when the water cools you drain some out, and refill a little with more hot water. ;-)  I also love to light candles, add scented bath salts to the water, turn the lights off and soak!  It's such a non-guilty pleasure that more people should embrace! Perhaps, I've shared too much, but I do love a good soak!

For my own use I usually just grab a bowl or jar, throw in some epsom, some dead sea salts, regular sea salts, celtic sea salts, any combination of what is in the front of my craft cabinet, add a few drops of Jojoba oil, sweet almond oil or my new go-to Avocado oil, then add a few drops of essential oil or a scented blend.  Mix with a spoon and Voila!

When I'm making a gift for other people however, I put a bit more effort into it.  For todays blog, I was working in the middle of the night and just wanted to throw something together quickly.  I made a mess, couldn't find a few things, made some last minute substitutions, and never got the finished shot of the jars... well, maybe I'll add it later in better lighting. 

THE LAZY DIVA'S LAVENDER AND EUCALYPTUS 

SUPER SALT SOAKER RECIPE

Ingredients:  

Yes, I made a last minute scent change...
I decided to go with the tried and true Lavender Eucalyptus instead and didn't retake the photo.

Epsom Salts
Sea Salts (Regular, Dead, Celtic or whatever else), 
Oil (Sweet Almond, Avocado, Jojoba, Apricot, or etc..) 
Lavender Essential Oil, 
Eucalyptus Essential Oil, 
dried Lavender and dried Eucalyptus leaves (optional), 
Purple and green coloring (I usually use soap making or cosmetic coloring, but this too is optional).

You'll also need a pint jar to put them in, and two gallon size plastic ziploc (or whatever brand) bags.  

 1)  ADD SALTS

Take your plastic bags and put 1 cup of Epsom Salts and 1 cup of Sea Salts in each bag. I did a double batch here, so I filled two pint jars up with salt, then added them to the bags to make sure they were packed tight.

2) ADD HERBS (Optional)

In bag one add lavender and shake it up.  In bag two add Eucalyptus, and shake it up.  I went really light with the herbs this batch since they can be a little messy in the tub.

3) ADD MOISTURIZING OIL (Optional)

I like to add about a tsp of oil to each bag, for moisturizing, but it's best to do it gradually. Add a couple of drops to each bag, close the bags, shake and work them up good, add a few more drops, shake them up good, and repeat once or twice more.   This batch I used Avocado..since it was handy.

4) ADD ESSENTIAL OILS

In bag one add a few drops of lavender, shake it up, and repeat.  In bag two add a few drops of Eucalyptus, shake it up, and repeat.

5) ADD COLOR

I used a more natural sea salt blend that had a slight pink hue,
which would have been great for the peppermint I planned,
but for the Lavender, I think I added a bit more color than usual.

For a decorative look, I gradually add purple to bag one, and green to bag two, and like above, shake and repeat.  I went through a big melt and pour soap making stage so I have a bunch of soap colors, just keep adding until you get the color you want. 

6) LET DRY FOR A BIT

This picture shows the color a little more accurately. 

Sometimes pressure builds up, so you want to let it dry out a bit to make sure there isn't an issue.

7) ADD SALT TO JARS

I tried to even out the layers with a spoon.

Now for some decorative fun...I usually do layers.  I snip off one of the bottom corners on each bag, or fold over the top and just alternate adding salt to the jar.

Okay... some of my lines were a bit wavy but not too bad!

8) DECORATE THE JAR

When making a gift I usually use the canning jars and put a square of fabric between the lid and the jar.  You can either cut your own fabric, or if you are scissor challenged and lazy like I am.... I buy the pre-cut squares as I've mentioned in previous blogs.  You can also add a label, and/or a scoop if you like.  About a 1/4 cup per bath works nice.

The fun about bath salts is that they are easy to make...and you use the ingredients you have, or can easily get.  For my last bath I just threw Epsom and Sea Salts in a bowl with a few drops of Orange, Lavender and double the Jasmine Essential Oils, then I gradually stirred in Avocado Oil.  It smelled amazing... I think Jasmine is becoming my new favorite scent and the Avocado was moisturizing but still light on my skin. Awesomeness!!

Happy Bathing... Enjoy your tub time!