Bath Salts

Bath Salts are easy to make and they are an inexpensive and fun gift. Bath salts are also a fun activity for children. Just be sure they don't eat the salts!

You can find some of the materials you need at your local grocery. Others can be found at craft and hobby stores that carry soap-making supplies.

Below is the recipe I like best. Feel free to adjust it to fit your own tastes. You can use all Epsom salts or all sea salt, or a mix of the two. Add more or less fragrance oil, as desired. This may take some trial and error on your part.

The following recipe makes approximately 6 to 7 cups of bath salts.

Utensils Needed:

• Glass or metal bowls, 1 large, 1 small for each color (Do not use plastic or wood; they will absorb the ingredients)
     
• Whisks
     
• Air tight containers—mason jars, other decorative jars (you can find these at your local dollar store or thrift store). You can use either glass or plastic. If you use plastic, do not reuse the containers for anything else. Also, some fragrance oils may discolor plastic containers.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Epsom salt
     
  
• 2 cups generic sea salt (if you're using high quality coarse ground sea salt, decrease to 1 cup and increase Epsom salt to 5 cups)
  
  
• 1 cup baking soda, optional (skin softener)
  
  
• 30 to 40 drops Urban Botanic fragrance oils
  
  
• 1/4 cup Natrasorb or 1/2 cup Dendritic Salt, optional (absorbs and holds the fragrance)
  
  
• 5 to 10 drops of coloring, optional (It is usually safe to use just a few drops of food coloring. If you go light, it won't stain your tub or skin; or, if you want more vibrant colors, use liquid soap colors or micas)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. In your large glass or metal mixing bowl, measure the Epsom salt and the sea salt together. Stir well, breaking up all clumps. Add the baking soda and mix well.
   
   
2. If you are using the Natrasorb or Dendritic salt, put it in a smaller glass or metal bowl. Add 30 to 40 drops of fragrance oils, depending on how strong you want it to be. Mix well.
   
   
3. Add the fragranced mix from step 2 to the salts from step 1.  Mix well. Break apart all clumps.
   
   
4. If you are not using the Natrasorb or Dendritic salt, slowly drizzle the fragrance oil over your salts, a few drops at a time. Mix well, breaking up the clumps. If your bath salts are very clumpy, you might want to let it dry a bit and then whisk it before adding it to your container.
   
   
5. If you want a natural white color for your salts, skip to step 7.
      
   
6. For color, add it a drop or two at a time over the salts. Mix well and break apart the clumps after each drop. If you want multi-colored bath salts, divide the salts into smaller bowls, one for each color. If your bath salts are very clumpy, again, let them dry a bit and then whisk it before adding it to your container.
   
   
7. Make sure there are no more lumps in the bath salts.
      
8. Spoon the bath salts into their containers, layering the colors if you're creating a multi-color arrangement. Put the air-tight lid on the container.
      
9. Add a ribbon or bow, and voilá, you have a wonderful gift!

To use the bath salts:
Sprinkle salts into a warm tub of water, adding 1/2 to 1 cup to a standard-sized bathtub.

If you're giving the bath salts away as a gift, include a tag with usage instructions and a caution not to eat the salts.

For step-by-step instructions with images and ideas, read How to Make Basic Bath Salts on About.com

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