How To Make Your Own Bath Salts

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One of my favorite rooms in my house is the bathroom. For the most part it isn't very special, but it does have one important thing-a huge bathtub! Technically two people can fit in it, but mostly it is nice for that afternoon soak after a hard day. Like many other women, I have a big assortment of various gels, salts, oils and bath bombs to make the water smell nice and help me unwind. One thing I have noticed is that some of them are very nicely colored and make great decorations-at least, until the bottle is empty! They are also much cheaper to make on your own than to buy in the store; my sister has made some for gifts that would have cost twice as much if she'd bought them ready-made. Believe it or not, making them isn't that complicated. While there are some variations, here is a basic recipe.

You will need:

Sea salt, 2 cups

Epsom salt, 3 cups

Some fragrance or essential oils for the scent, ½ ounce

An airtight container to put it in

Baking soda, 1 cup (optional)

Coloring (micas or liquid-soap coloring, also optional)

A mixing bowl, preferably glass or metal

A whisk or spoon

The salts and baking soda can be found at any grocery or discount store. Craft stores will often have the coloring and oils, although specialty beauty shops may have a wider range of scents.

The first thing you would do is measure out your salts into your mixing bowl. The reason I said that the bowl should be glass or metal is because some fragrance oils can soak into and discolor or alter plastic. Once you measure out your salts, add in ½ ounce of your fragrance or oil. If you are using baking soda, add it and stir everything to make sure your mixture doesn't clump. It's not unheard of for someone who is using a strong scent to use less oil than the ½ ounce I mentioned, but you don't want to use much more than that because that can cause the salts to clump. Remember, you can add more later if you want, but you can't remove it once it's in there. If you don't want to add any color, just spoon the salts into your container (a mason jar or any other airtight container will do) and you're done.

One thing I'll say about the containers-you want an airtight container that will not react to the oils in the salts. Simple mason or apothecary glass jars will do, although craft stores may sell other types of bottles. Some of my favorites are glass test tubes or tiny wine bottles with a cork! You can use plastic containers or plastic-lined paper bags if you want. Just be sure that air can't get in and that the salts or oils won't warp the container.

Colors give you an easy way to personalize your salts and turn them into decorative items as well as functional items. You can use only one color, layer colors or make a sort of 'swirl' by shaking the jar. It's your choice. All you have to do is drop the color into the mixture in your bowl and stir. For best results, use only a few drops at a time because otherwise your salts can clump.

So, now you have a nice way to create a bathroom decoration that also serves a purpose. These homemade bath salts can also make for a good gift. However you use them, making your own bath salts can be a great way to save money while also being creative. Have fun!