Herbal Bath Salts Recipe
When added to your hot bath, this Herbal Bath Salts recipe offers many beneficial properties for your mind and body and is easily made in bulk for your own use or to give as gifts.
Why You Would Want to Make Herbal Bath Salts
An Herbal Bath Salts Recipe that includes a combination of Epsom salt, Dead Sea salt, and/or baking soda, and dried herbs and flowers is a mind and body therapeutic, often recommended to soothe sore muscles, irritated skin, and reduce stress.
Table of Contents
What Salt Should I Use?
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The three most common ‘salts’ used are Dead Sea Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt, and Epsom Salt. Baking Soda is also regularly used in Bath Salts.
About Epsom Salt
Well, to start with, they are not a ‘salt’ as we commonly know it to be. Table salt is pure sodium chloride while Epsom salt is pure Magnesium Sulfate. Epsom salt was discovered over 400 years ago in the town of Epsom, north of London.
It is the magnesium in Epsom salt that seems to offer the most benefits. Most humans don’t get enough magnesium, a chemical necessary for many healthy body functions.
In a strictly scientific sense, the jury is still out on whether the body can absorb enough magnesium through bath water to have a significant positive impact. But, there is enough anecdotal evidence of the benefits of soaking one’s sore body and tired mind in an Epsom salt bath that I enjoy a good soak when needed. Truth be told, after one of these baths I commit to being more diligent about a regular bath time.
About Dead Sea Salt
True sea salt from the Dead Sea Lake in the Middle East, Dead Sea Salt is a coarse sea salt higher in sodium, as well as magnesium, calcium, sulfur, bromide, iodine, sodium, zinc, and potassium than regular sea salt. Trace minerals found in sea salt include phosphorus, bromine, boron, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, and silicon.
A variety of minerals in Dead Sea salt makes it a natural healing agent for the skin. Magnesium, potassium, sodium, and calcium in Dead Sea salt can promote moisture in the skin and make skin more permeable, allowing creams and moisturizers to penetrate layers of skin more effectively.
About Himalayan Pink Salt
Sourced from the base of the Himalayan Mountains, pink Himalayan salt is believed to be what was left after the sea rose to this point. When it receded, the area was covered by snow for millions of years, resulting in a salt that was free of any impurities. It is filled with trace minerals, some of which cause the familiar pink hue.
Himalayan Pink Salt offers similar benefits as Dead Sea Salt but does so with a pretty pink color.
About Baking Soda
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, can be added to a bath to soothe certain skin conditions and irritations like poison ivy, chickenpox, eczema, and psoriasis.
Feel free to choose one or mix them up! Dead Sea Salt is slightly more expensive than Epsom Salt. And Epsom salts are readily available in every drugstore and grocery store.
What Herbs and Dried Flowers Should You Use in your DIY Bath Salts?
I used dried lavender, chamomile, and rosebuds in this Herbal Bath Salt Recipe as I was looking to create a calming soak. But you could and should use what appeals to you! Consider the following herbs in different combinations to formulate your own homemade bath salts recipe.
- For a more invigorating, but still fragrant bath salts recipe, consider adding mint, lemon balm, ginger, rosemary, pine needles, and/or eucalyptus.
- Hops and linden flowers are also nice in a relaxing bath salt recipe.
What about Essential Oils in a Herbal Bath Salt Recipe?
Well, you certainly can add essential oils. I have quite an assortment, so could’ve chosen a variety, but opted not to for two reasons. I didn’t want the oils to make my bath salt clumpy and more importantly, I didn’t want to deal with a slippery tub or oily residue. I just bumped up the dried herbs and flowers and feel it is plenty fragrant.
If you do decide to add essential oils, consider 10 – 15 drops for ever 2 cups of salt.
A Note About the Dried Herbs and Flowers
You should be able to buy dried lavender flowers, dried chamomile buds, and rosebuds in bulk at your local health food stores, that is where I purchase mine. If you can’t find them locally, you can always find lavender, rose petals and chamomile flowers on Amazon.
Even though we chop the dried herbs and flowers into small pieces, you will have a residue of flower and herb bits and bobs when you drain your tub. It doesn’t bother me, but if it does bother you I’ve got you sorted…don’t worry. Just add the bath salts into a drawstring cotton muslin bag, like these. They serve almost like ‘tea bags’ filled with herbal goodness and healing salts. I already had the 5 x 7 on hand, so that’s what I used. But you could easily get away with smaller ones.
The salt completely dissolves in the water and you still get the benefit of the aromas. After your bath, just turn it inside out and remove the dried flowers. Or…keep them in until your next bath.
I tucked one into each glass jar that I will be giving as a gift, just in case the recipient wants to avoid the dried herb residue. I know, you need to get up early to outthink me sometimes! 😁
How to Use Your Herbal Bath Salts
Start with adding 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup of your bath salts to running hot water in your bath, adding more as needed. After a long day, this delightful soak will soothe both your mind and body.
When you finish your blissful bath, rinse your skin with fresh water or take a quick shower.
To Give the Herbal Bath Salts as a Gift
Simply put some of the mixed-up salts in a jar or bag, along with instructions. I had some large test tubes leftover from this test tube vase project for our daughter, so I put some of the salts in the tubes. The tubes hold a little more than 1/4 of a cup.
Another option is to put them in a nice jar. I recently found these wooden lids that fit wide-mouth mason jars! They are a really nice touch. I am planning to order more for my own use since I used these for the gifts.
Make sure to add a tag! You can print these tags by clicking the image below. It’s a two-piece tag, the instructions for using the bath salts are on the tag underneath.
Herbal Bath Salt Recipe
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Large Bowl
- Mason Jar or other airtight container
Ingredients
- 2 cups of Epsom Salt Dead Sea Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt or a combination of all.
- .5 ounce dried rose buds or rose petals
- .1 ounce dried chamomile buds
- .1 ounce dried lavender flowers
- Optional:
- Baking Soda reduce the amount of salt equal to the amount of baking soda you add
Instructions
- Working with each herb or flower individually, chop them in a food processor until fine. For the roses, you will also want to remove the woody bits that don't chop up.
- Once the dried herbs and flowers are chopped, add all ingredients to a large bowl and combine well.
- Store in airtight containers
- Start with 1/2 cup in your bath, adding more as needed.
Notes
Bookmark this page or pin the following image to refer back to this Herbal Bath Salts Recipe in the future.
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why does only the epsom salt line increase if you choose 2x or 2x for batch size?
Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I’ve fixed it.