Bath salts are a popular alternative to the use of a cream or bubble bath. Bath salts certainly have much greater environmental credentials than their chemically produced alternatives. On the downside, bath salts can be expensive, one alternative to commercially produced bath salts is to consider making one's own. Homemade bath salts make great homemade gifts, alternatively one may use the preparation for home use, thus reducing the weekly shopping bill on an expensive item.
Making Homemade Baths Salts – Ingredients and Costs
Bath salts are relatively cheap to produce and require only a suitable salt, a scenting agent and a jar of some description.
Salt – The largest ingredient needed is a suitable carrying salt. Suitable salts include, pure white rock salt or a sea salt. Using a culinary grade salt will ensure that the preparation is safe for use as a homemade cosmetic. Such salts can be purchased readily in the supermarket for as little as 90p per 500g or £3.60 per 2kg.
Scenting Agent – Homemade bath salts may be made to reflect any desired scent, typically the best scenting agents are flowers and include Lavender and Roses. If using flowers, consider that it is the essential oils in the flowers that will give the salt their scent. As such the best flowers to use, are those which haven’t yet opened, this will see that the flowers still contain all of the essential oils present.
Jars – If creating homemade gifts, this is the point to get creative. Recycled jars such as whisky bottles or old honey and jam jars make ideal presentations for small amounts of homemade bath salt. If making larger quantities, buy an airtight container such as a Kilner Jar. Using an airtight container will ensure that the produce retains it scent over a period of time. A Kilner Jar with enough capacity for 2kg of bath salt will cost in the region of £6.
Bath Salt Recipes – Lavender Bath Salt and Rose Bath Salt Formulas
The following recipes are deigned to produce around 2kg of homemade bath salts. If using home grown produce and a recycled jar, such a quantity can be produced for as little as £3.60. Recipes assume an average quality of produce, smaller or larger amounts may be required, were superior or inferior quality produce is used.
Lavender Bath Salt – Lavender may be the classic amongst homemade bath salts. Lavender bath salt is one of the easiest to produce and yet may also be one of the most appreciated, either for home use or as a gift. In making Lavender bath salt, one should first obtain the flowers from a Lavender plant. The flowers should be striped from the stalk of the plant and allowed to dry.
Once dried, tip 2kg of a suitable salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the lavender flowers at a rate of around three heaped table spoons per 2kg. The salt should then be mixed and allowed to stand for 24 hours. After 24hours the salt may be bottled and will be ready for use. The completed Lavender bath salt should have retained the original blue/purple hue of the flowers, adding colour as well as fragrance to the preparation.
Rose Bath Salt – Rose bath salts are another classic for the bathroom. Although not as attractive from a colour perspective as Lavender bath salt, what rose bath salts lack in colour, they make up for in fragrance. In producing rose bath salts, one will need around four closed roses per 2kg of salt. It is essential that the roses used in the preparation have not yet opened and come from a scented variety. Using roses which have opened will mean that vital essential oils have already been lost, this will reduce the quality of the bath salts.
To produce rose bath salt, take 2kg of a suitable salt and pour into a large mixing bowl. Take the closed roses and then peel the petals from the bud, add the individual petals to the salt and mix until dispersed. The salt should be covered and left for 24 hours to infuse. After 24 hours the salt will be ready for bottling and use. Do not be put off if the petals have lost their colour, this is a natural part of the process.
Ben Groves - Ben Groves graduated from the University of Abertay, Dundee in 2003 with a 2:1 in Business with Economics. Since graduation Ben has held a ...
