If you are a bath person, perhaps you like to use bubbles, bath bombs, or bathtub teabags to improve your tub-time experience. Maybe a glass of wine, your favorite book, and some candles make an appearance.

Another popular ‘condiment’ to add to the tub is bath salts. They can be found in drugstores and supermarkets in the toiletries section and often come scented with herbals, such as lavender or eucalyptus.

However, as with many commercial bath and beauty products, bath salts can be made at home and personalized quite cheaply and easily.

What Are Epsom Salts?

When people use bath salts, they often use Epsom salt. Epson salt is named after the UK town where it was discovered. Epsom salt is not salt as we know it at all but is magnesium sulfate, and it is for this reason that it is believed to be beneficial to take a soak in it.

When Epsom salts are dissolved in water, they release magnesium and sulfate into the water. The idea is that when you soak in a bathtub containing Epsom salts, your body can absorb the magnesium and sulfate through your skin. Though this is widely practiced and believed to be the case, more research needs to be done on its effectiveness.

What Are Bath Salts Good For?

That said, taking a soak with some bath salts is thought to have some other wonderfully beneficial effects. People use bath salts to help relieve achy and tense muscles and joints. They may also help with skin irritations, dryness, and itchiness and can soothe the symptoms of poison ivy.

How Can I Make My Own Bath Salts?

Source: Wilson Homestead/YouTube

If you are looking for something uncomplicated, you can simply add about a cup of Epsom salts to your hot bath and let it dissolve before getting in. It is as simple as that. However, there are some other common ingredients that you can add to your bath salts to make for an extra special bathtub soak.

In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of Epsom Salts and one (or all) of the following:

• 1/4 Cup of Baking Soda: Adding baking soda to your bathwater is thought to help soften and soothe the skin of any rashes or irritations.
• 1/4 Cup of Oats: Ground oats can be added to your bath salt mix if you are looking for a little more nourishment for your skin. Oats are thought to treat and soothe dry skin and ease the symptoms of insect bites and poison ivy.
• 1/2 Cup of Sea Salt: Adding some actual salt in the form of sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, or just table salt is said to add beneficial minerals to your bathwater and work with the Epsom salts to relieve tired and achy muscles.
• 1/4 Cup of Coconut Oil: As well as being nourishing for your skin, adding coconut oil to your bath salts is a good idea if you are adding essential oils. Most essential oils are not recommended for use directly on the skin and must be diluted first by a carrier oil.
• Essential oils: Adding essential oils to your bath salts can give your bathtime experience a whole other dimension. The aromatherapeutic benefits of essential oils may help to relieve stress, anxiety, headaches, and tension, and even ease sinus congestion. You might use lavender oil to promote a blissful sleep, eucalyptus to clear a stuffy nose, or peppermint to relieve a tension headache. You will need to research each essential oil individually for recommended uses and directions.

Stir your mixture until it is well combined. You may use your salts straight away or store them for future use.

How Can I Store My Homemade Bath Salts?

It is best to store your bath salts in an airtight container. Keep your container in a cool, dry place to reduce the possibility of dampness setting in. If you find that your bath salts have clumped or hardened, you need to agitate them with a spoon or fork to loosen them up again.

Some things to keep in mind-

• If you have used essential oils, you might want to avoid certain plastic containers as the oil may react with the plastic.
• If you have used baking soda, be careful that you have not mixed it with an activator such as citric acid. The combination of the two in a sealed container might cause pressure to build and create an explosion.

So, get experimenting with some homemade bath salts and take your bathtime experience up a notch.

Research and test all new ingredients before applying them to your skin. Consult a medical professional before using bath salts if you have underlying health issues. 

Related Content:

• Guide: How to Make Your Own Lavender Bath Salts
• How to Make Your Own Bathtub Tea
• 10 Luxurious Natural and Vegan Bath Products for Pampering Yourself During Lockdown
• DIY Projects for a Rainy Day: Homemade Bath Bombs
• Homemade Natural Foot Soaks
• Things to Do with Dried Flowers

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