How to Make Aromatherapy Bath Salts, Bath Melts, and Bath Bombs

Aromatherapy bath salts, bombs, and melts are a pleasant way to relax and nourish your skin with essential oils.

Relaxing Aromatherapy Bath Salts

Make four baths.

• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) Himalayan salts
• 10 drops elemi essential oil
• 6 drops frankincense essential oil
• 2 drops vetiver essential oil
• 2 drops myrrh essential oil
  

1. Place the salts in a wide-mouth 4-ounce (120-ml) jar.
2. Drop the essential oils into the salt as you stir gently.
3. Use about 2 tablespoons in each bath.
4. Optional: For sore muscles, add a half-cup Epsom salt to the bath water.
   

Source: Aromahead

More Aromatherapy Bath Salt Recipes

In the following bath salt recipes you can use a single essential oil or a blend. Here are some suggested essential oil blends:

• To soften skin: 6 drops geranium, 6 drops frankincense, 3 drops myrrh
• To soothe anxiety: 10 drops lavender, 6 drops ylang ylang, 4 drops bergamot
• To relieve arthritis stiffness: 8 drops juniper, 8 drops lavender, 4 drops cypress, 3 drops rosemary

Here's the simplest essential oil bath salt recipe 

• 1 cup Epsom salt or sea salt
• 5 to 10 drops essential oil 
• Dark jar or container with lid

1. Place salt and essential oil into the jar. 
2. Put on the lid, and shake vigorously until essential oil is evenly dispersed. 
3. Use 1/4 to 1/3 cup for each bath. 

Aromatherapy Bath Salts Recipe

Good essential oil choices include lavender, clary sage, ylang ylang, and Roman chamomile. Avoid "hot" and potentially skin-irritating oils, such as oregano.

• 50 drops (1/2 teaspoon) essential oil of choice
  
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup sea salt
• 1 cup borax

1. Blend all ingredients in a glass container that has a lid. 
2. Use one-fourth to one-half cup of salts for each bath.

Source: Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art

Aromatherapy Bubble Bath Salts

• 1/2 cup liquid soap
• 1 tablespoon almond oil
• 30 to 60 drops essential oil(s) of your choice
• 6 cups rock salt or kosher salt

1. Stir the soap, oil, and essential oil together.
2. Pour the mixture over the salt and stir to evenly coat the salt crystals.
3. Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
4. Place the salt on the sheet in a thin layer.
5. Let the salt dry until all the moisture has evaporated (drying can take up to a day).
6. Store the salts in a covered jar.
7. To use, pour 1/4 cup of the salts under running water while drawing a bath.

Source: EcoBeauty: Scrubs, Rubs, Masks, and Bath Bombs

Aromatherapy Bath Bombs and Bath Melts

Aromatherapy bath bombs or bath melts dissolve in the bath for a luxurious feel and beneficial skin effects. Although you can buy bath bombs or melts, making your own lets you choose the essential oils to use, and you know that the melts don't contain any unwanted ingredients.

Moisturizing Bath Bombs

Makes four 4-ounce bath bombs.

• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup citric acid powder
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
• 1/2 cup almond oil
• 10 to 12 drops essential oil of choice
  
• Plastic molds

1. Stir ingredients (except molds!) together until you have a crumbly dough.
2. Press the dough into the molds and let them sit at least 12 hours.
3. To remove the bath bombs from the molds, tap gently.
4. Let the bath bombs air dry for one day. Then store in closed container.
5. Drop one in the bath and enjoy!

Source: EcoBeauty

Bath Melts

To use the following melts, place one or two, depending on how strong you want the scent, in a hot bath and enjoy!

• 1/4 cup cocoa butter
• 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil or coconut oil
• 10 to 20 drops essential oil of choice
  
• candy or soap molds or a mini-muffin pans
• 4-ounce jar

1. Put cocoa butter in a heat-resistant glass measuring cup or bowl.
2. In a pan, heat one-inch of water (not to boiling). 
3. Place the cup or bowl in the pan.
4. Turn heat to low. 
5. Stir (a popsicle stick works great) every couple minutes until cocoa butter is just melted, 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Add almond or coconut oil and stir. 
7. Turn off heat and remove measuring cup from pan.
8. Let mixture cool slightly.
9. Stir in essential oils.
10. Place the soap or candy molds or mini-muffin pans on a cutting board or cookie sheet.
11. Carefully pour the mixture into the molds. 
12. Place the cookie sheet or cutting board with molds in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bath melts have become solid all the way through. Do not let the melts freeze, or they will crack.
13. Remove melts from freezer, and remove the melts from the mold. Store in jar.

Source: Adapted from The Very Essence newsletter.

More aromatherapy bath recipes.

Photo Credit: Bigstock