For this bath salts recipe, stir 2 cups of Epsom salt, 1 cup of coarse sea salt and half a cup of baking soda together, dilute 20 drops of lavender and 10 of sweet orange in 2 tablespoons of almond oil, stir it through, fold in dried rose petals and jar it. Use half a cup per bath.
This bath salts recipe is the simplest thing on the site, and one of the most useful. No mold, no drying time, no fizz to get wrong: you stir three salts together, add a little oil, and it is ready to use or jar up as a gift in ten minutes. This version is Epsom salt and coarse sea salt softened with baking soda, scented with lavender and a little sweet orange, and flecked with dried rose petals. Unlike a shower steamer, bath salts go straight into the water and against your skin, so the essential oil is always diluted in a carrier oil first and kept to a much lower amount.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Epsom salt
- 1 cup coarse sea salt
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
- 20 drops lavender essential oil
- 10 drops sweet orange essential oil
- 2 tablespoons dried rose petals (optional)
Tools
- Large mixing bowl
- Small glass dish
- Tablespoon
- Two airtight jars of about 250ml
How do you make this bath salts recipe?
1Gather the ingredients
Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, sold in large bags at pharmacies and garden centres. Use plain, unscented Epsom salt. Coarse sea salt adds texture and sparkle. Sweet almond oil is the carrier; fractionated coconut oil or jojoba also work.
2Mix the salts and baking soda
Tip the Epsom salt, sea salt and baking soda into the large bowl and stir until evenly mixed. The baking soda softens the water and makes the salts feel silkier in the bath.
3Dilute the essential oils in the carrier
Pour two tablespoons of almond oil into a small dish, then add twenty drops of lavender and ten of sweet orange and stir. Diluting the essential oils in a carrier oil first stops neat oil from sitting on the surface of the bath water and onto your skin.
4Stir the oil into the salts
Drizzle the scented oil over the salts a little at a time, stirring well between each addition, until every crystal has a faint sheen and there are no oily clumps. The salts should still feel mostly dry to the touch.
5Fold in the rose petals
Fold in two tablespoons of dried rose petals. They are there for looks and a faint scent; if you would rather not fish petals out of the drain, leave them out or put the salts in a muslin bag.
6Jar and label
Spoon the salts into airtight jars and seal them. Kept dry and closed, they keep their scent for about three months. This batch fills two jars of roughly 250ml each.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| The salts clump in the jar | Damp got in, or too much oil was added | Store the jar sealed and away from the bathroom, and keep to 2 tablespoons of oil. |
| An oily film floats on the bath | Essential oil was not diluted, or too much carrier was used | Always dilute the oils in carrier first and stir the bath well before getting in. |
| The scent is faint | The oils faded or the jar was left open | Seal the jar and use the salts within three months. |
| Petals clog the drain | Whole petals do not dissolve | Use a drain sieve, put the salts in a muslin bag, or leave the petals out. |
How do you use bath salts?
Add half a cup to a warm running bath and swish the water to dissolve them before you get in. Soak for as long as you like. If you used petals, a small sieve over the drain catches them afterwards.
How is this different from a shower steamer or bath bomb?
Bath salts dissolve quietly and carry a gentle scent plus a little oil for your skin. A bath bomb fizzes and often adds colour. A shower steamer never touches the water at all and carries far more essential oil, which is why you should never put one in the bath; the shower steamer recipe shows how much oil one carries. Bath salts are the gentlest of the three.
Why Epsom salt and sea salt together?
Each does a different job. Epsom salt dissolves quickly and makes the water feel soft; it is the traditional soaking salt, and the one people reach for after a long day on their feet. Coarse sea salt dissolves more slowly and gives the jar its sparkle and crunch, which matters when you are giving it away. Together they look better in a jar and feel better in the water than either alone.
You can change the proportions freely. All Epsom salt makes a finer, quicker-dissolving soak. More sea salt makes a chunkier, more decorative one. Pink Himalayan salt can replace some of the sea salt for colour. Keep the baking soda at about a sixth of the total, which is enough to soften the water without making it feel slippery.
How much essential oil is safe in bath salts?
Much less than in a steamer. A shower steamer carries five drops per tablet because it never touches you; bath salts dissolve into water you sit in, so this recipe uses thirty drops for about six baths, around two drops per soak once diluted. Resist the urge to add more for a stronger scent. If you want more fragrance, add another tablespoon of dried lavender buds instead of more oil.
Safety notes
Keep the essential oil low: thirty drops across a whole batch, about two drops per bath, is plenty for skin. Avoid strong oils like peppermint, eucalyptus, cinnamon and clove in a bath, since they can sting. Epsom salt baths are not recommended for everyone, including some people with kidney problems, heart conditions or diabetes, so ask your doctor if that applies to you. Keep the jar dry and away from children.
Other bath salt scents
Swap the oils for any gentle blend: lavender and cedarwood, or sweet orange and vanilla. For a single bath mixed fresh, see the Epsom salt bath. A jar of these is one of the easiest additions to a DIY spa gift basket, and more soaks are in the bath soaks hub.
Frequently asked questions
How much bath salt should you use per bath?
About half a cup, dissolved in warm running water before you get in.
Do you need a carrier oil in bath salts?
Yes, if you use essential oils. Diluting them in a carrier oil stops neat oil sitting on the water and against your skin.
How long do homemade bath salts last?
About three months in a sealed jar kept dry. The scent fades before the salts go off.
Can you use table salt in bath salts?
Fine table salt works but dissolves fast and often contains anti-caking agents. Coarse sea salt and Epsom salt are better.
