This is our first Christmas home after living abroad for the past 3 years and I thought it would be nice to make a few homemade gifts for family members that we’ll be spending time with over the holidays. I’ve packaged up some Maple Spiced Pecans for the guys, and I decided to make something special for the moms, mother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, and grandmas on our list: homemade bath salts.
I looked for sugar scrub recipes online but was worried about their shelf life, so I fell back on this trusty recipe from a couple years back. Bath salts have taken on a whole new meaning lately, but I promise that these will do nothing but induce relaxation and calm 🙂
I found these cute little jars at the dollar store, but upcycled jam and Mason jars with painted lids would be just as nice.
The addition of a high-quality essential oil is what makes these bath salts especially luxurious. I chose grapefruit oil because of its many benefits including:
- Its aroma – it’s refreshing, uplifting and energizing
- Its antiseptic properties – it’s disinfecting and detoxifying
- Its skin benefits – it’s been known to help with cellulite and stretch marks
Notes – Homemade Bath Salts
- Do your research and choose a skin-appropriate essential oil.
- I avoid chemical-laden beauty products so I don’t add artificial coloring to my bath salts.
- Beware of naturally-derived dyes, as they could contain animal by-products such as cochineal.
- The recipe produces 6 cups of bath salts, enough to fill approximately 6 of these small jars.
Homemade Bath Salts
Make your own bath salts at home with this easy recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Gifts, Health, Beauty
- Cuisine: Gifts, Health, Beauty, Vegan
Ingredients
- 3 cups Epsom Salt
- 2 cups sea salt
- 2 tbsp essential oil
- 1 cup baking soda
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix Epsom salts and sea salts.
- Add essential oil and mix well to break-up any clumps that have formed.
- Add baking soda and mix well.
- Pour into *clean* glass jars.
Keywords: easy gifts, bath salts, diy gifts, vegan gifts
Fun little gifts for the bath-loving people in your life 🙂
Adding Baking Soda to bath salts will cause the glass to explode after a short time of sitting in the jar. Please do not add this ingredient to the bath salts.
★★★
Are we sure of this? Happened to anyone else? Definitely not a good gift if it does
I make these every year for DIY Christmas presents and they’re always a hit! Just stopped by to say thanks for this recipe, as I will be making this again this weekend 🙂
★★★★★
Where did you get the deceptive cellophane you wrapped the jars in?
I am always nervous with DIY bath salts that contain essential oils. All of the ingredients listed are water soluble except the essential oils and none of the ingredients are proper dispersants nor carrier oils. Oil and water do not mix. I urge anyone making bath products with essential oils to use caution and use a proper dispersant.
★★★
You’re not using the essential oils for anything other than the scent of them. The small amount of oil of course will float in the bathtub but it’s irrelevant. Folks just need to be smart and clean their bathtub after use so no oil residue remains and provides a slipping risk. But that would be even if you added an emulsifier.
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it 🙂
Essential oils actually have lots of health benefits, not just a good scent!
True!!! Please add almond, coconut, shea, or argan oil as carrier oil. Straight essential oils can burn the body.
I tried this recipe and followed the ingredients exactly. I added two cups of the mixture into my bath water but one of the elements did not dissolve leaving white clumps in the tub.
Even if I added too much it still should dissolved. Anyone else’s experience this or know the cause. I’d hate to gift something that doesn’t dissolve.
★★★
I added two cups of this mixture into my bath water and I’m not sure which element is not dissolving but there are white clumps floating. I have been experimenting to sell them, but wanted to test the product on myself before selling. Did anyone else have this issue?
I don’t think it should matter how much I put in it should have still dissolved right?
I made this for my girlfriend as part of a DIY Valentine’s Day gift. She loved it. Thanks for the helpful recipe!
★★★★★
I made the bath salts for gifts for my daughters bridal shower. I bought clear plastic jars in bulk from “Uline”. I made 4 batches, mixed with my hands and they turned out wonderful. Thank you for the idea and recipe.
★★★★★
If you are looking to get any benefits other than smell from the essential oils be careful with plastic. Plastic will absorb and degrade the oils. Clear glass jars will also degrade oils because of their sunlight exposure. To keep your oils fresher longer dark glass is suggested. 😉 Happy crafting.
Great points Kelly, thank you.
I have made several different salt baths and it seem that the baking soda is messy. It clumps and turns to little balls in the bath. Am I doing something wrong?
Thanks
★★★★★
What is the shelf life on homemade bath salts?
A few months?
Oh my gosh! This was the best idea I’ve ever had for Mother’s Day and I’m so happy that I made these bath salts. I’ve tried them myself just to test and make sure my mother would like it, and it was beyond better than I had expected! Thank you so much for posting the recipe, this will make me start becoming a bath lover x).
★★★★★
Thanks for deciding to make them (and not wait on answers to your questions). Again, I’m so sorry for the delay in getting back to you on that! Glad you liked them, and how sweet of you to make them for your mama 🙂
I’m thinking about making this recipe but what is the baking soda for and will it change how good the recipe is without it? I’m looking forward to making it =D!
Oh, and also, how much should be used at one time for a bath?
Good question! It depends on the size of your bath, but I’d probably put in a 1/4 cup or so 🙂
So sorry for the delay! The baking soda mixed with the salt makes it detoxify 🙂
I’m a dummy…dollar store…nice dollar store, that’s for sure!!! Sorry! But, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
No problem 🙂 My dollar store was running low last week, so you may need to check yours again in a couple weeks when they holiday madness has subsided 🙂
Where did you get your jars? I’ve been looking high and low…apparently not in the right order, or something….I just have the old ones and I love them!!!!
★★★★★
Amazing! I have never thought about making my own bath salts! Thanks for sharing!!! Funny that we have epsom salt around and we never use it in the house, and that’s a good excuse to experiment something with it! Happy Holidays Angela X
This is such an amazing recipe. Thank you for sharing. x
★★★★★
You’re welcome – thanks for stopping by 🙂