To make homemade shower steamers without a mold, mix half a cup of baking soda with a quarter cup of citric acid, add essential oils and a light mist of witch hazel, then pack the mixture hard into a measuring tablespoon and tap it out onto parchment. Dry them overnight.
This version is for the days when every mold is full of a batch that is still drying, and it is the easiest way to make homemade shower steamers. A measuring spoon gives every steamer the same size and a neat dome, you already own one, and there is nothing to wash out of silicone afterwards.
It is a half batch, about ten steamers, which suits a first try or a quick top-up of the jar. The scent is rosemary and eucalyptus, with a little dried rosemary pressed through each one.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (about 110g) baking soda
- 1/4 cup (about 55g) citric acid
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed fine
- 15 drops rosemary essential oil
- 15 drops eucalyptus essential oil
- Witch hazel in a small spray bottle
Tools
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Stainless steel measuring tablespoon
- Small tray or plate lined with parchment
- Butter knife, for tapping
- Gloves
- Airtight jar for storing
How do you make homemade shower steamers without a mold?
1Set out what you need
Line a small tray or plate with parchment before you start, because the steamers go straight onto it and you will not want to move them until they are dry.
The spoon matters more than it sounds. A stainless steel measuring tablespoon with a deep, rounded bowl gives a neat dome. A shallow eating spoon gives a flat puck that breaks more easily.
2Mix the dry ingredients and herbs
Whisk the baking soda, citric acid and cornstarch together for a minute, breaking up any lumps. Then crush the dried rosemary between your fingers as you drop it in, so it goes in as small flecks rather than whole needles.
Keep the herbs to a teaspoon. They look lovely, but every fleck ends up on the shower floor, and whole needles are exactly the kind of thing that collects in a drain.
3Add the oils and mist
Add the rosemary and eucalyptus oils a few drops at a time into different spots, and mix after each. Then mist with witch hazel, two or three sprays at once, working it through with your fingertips between sprays.
Stop when a squeezed pinch holds its shape. This mixture needs to be a touch wetter than one going into a silicone mold, because the dome has to stand up on its own once it leaves the spoon. If it starts fizzing or swelling, you have gone too far. Stop spraying and keep mixing.
4Pack the tablespoon hard
Scoop the spoon deep into the mixture so it comes up heaped, then press down hard with your thumb. Scrape the excess level, add a little more on top, and press again. You want it packed so tight that it does not shift when you tilt the spoon.
A loosely packed spoon is the reason homemade steamers fall apart on the tray. Press harder than feels necessary.
5Tap it out onto the parchment
Turn the spoon over just above the parchment and give the handle a sharp tap with the back of a knife. The dome should drop out in one piece. If it does not, tap again rather than shaking the spoon.
If a dome breaks, drop the pieces back in the bowl and pack again. If they keep sticking, dust the spoon with a little cornstarch between steamers. If they keep breaking, the mixture is too dry; mist once more and mix. The crumbling shower steamers page covers both cases.
6Leave them to dry overnight
Leave the tray somewhere dry for at least a day, and do not touch them for the first few hours. A dome is at its weakest before it sets. They are done when they feel hard and lift off the parchment cleanly.
Store them in a sealed jar outside the bathroom. The rosemary scent is lovely on the first use and fades faster than eucalyptus, so use these within about a month.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| The dome breaks as it leaves the spoon | The mixture is too dry, or the spoon was not packed hard enough | Mist once more, mix, and press harder. Put the broken pieces back in the bowl and pack them again. |
| The mixture sticks inside the spoon | It is slightly too wet, or damp mixture has built up in the spoon | Wipe the spoon dry and dust it with a little cornstarch between steamers. |
| The domes slump or spread on the tray | Too much witch hazel, so they are soft before they set | Mix a spoonful of dry baking soda into the remaining mixture and press the next ones harder. |
| Bits of rosemary are left in the shower | The herbs went in whole or in too large a quantity | Crush them finely, keep to a teaspoon per half batch, and rinse the shower floor afterwards. |
What else can you use instead of a shower steamer mold?
Anything that packs the mixture tightly and releases it cleanly works. A measuring spoon works best, but these all do the job:
- A silicone ice cube tray. The closest thing to a proper mold. Small cube trays work well.
- A cookie cutter. Set it on the parchment, pack the mixture in hard, and lift the cutter straight up.
- A mini muffin tin. Works if you press very firmly, though metal releases less cleanly than silicone.
If you do want a proper mold later, the silicone molds page covers sizes. A 12-cavity mold takes a standard batch of twelve, which is what the shower steamer recipe makes.
Why homemade shower steamers are worth making
Shop-bought ones are fine, but they are often scented lightly and fizz out fast. Making your own means you choose how strong they are and what they smell of, and a batch costs a fraction of a boxed set.
If you want to go further, the rosemary shower steamers page has more blends like this one, and the rest are in scents and blends. Everything else about shower steamers is in the hub.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make shower steamers without a mold?
Yes. A deep measuring tablespoon packed hard and tapped out onto parchment makes neat domes, and a silicone ice cube tray or a cookie cutter pressed onto parchment also work. The key is packing the mixture tightly.
Can I use fresh rosemary in shower steamers?
No. Fresh herbs carry water, which sets off the fizz and can let the steamers go moldy in the jar. Use fully dried herbs, crushed fine, and keep the amount small.
Will dried herbs clog the shower drain?
A teaspoon of finely crushed herbs across ten steamers is unlikely to cause trouble, but whole needles and petals can collect in a drain. Crush them fine, and a drain strainer catches anything left.
How many shower steamers does this make?
About ten domes around 4cm across from half a cup of baking soda. Double everything for twenty, but mix in two batches so the first does not dry out while you press the second.
