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Bath Salts: What They Are and What They Are Used For

Baths are soothing, relaxing, and definitely one of the most therapeutic things that you can do at home. There are many ways to make your bath even more enjoyable and beneficial, one being to add bath salts. Bath salts are water soluble, solid products that are designed to be added to a bath in order to add fragrance, odor, or both.

Bath salts usually contain Epsom salts, table salt, baking soda, borax, sodium sesquicarbonate, and similar ingredients. Other common additives to bath salts are oils and foaming agents.

Make Your Own

Of course you can go out and buy bath salts, but there is the option of making your own, either for your own bath or to give out as gifts. The process is very quick and simple to do, and much more inexpensive.

The first step is to gather the supplies together that you are going to need. Although different recipes will call for different ingredients, for a basic batch of bath salts you will need 1 cup of Epson salts, 1 cup of baking soda, 2 tablespoons liquid glycerin, some food coloring, and essential oils.

Now you want to start by measuring the Epsom salts and baking soda, mixing them together well, and then add the glycerin and about four drops of the food coloring you have chosen. The next step is to add in a few drops of essential oils and make sure that you mix well so there will be no lumps. Now you transfer the salts to a decorative jar, and if you are planning to give it as a gift you may want to wrap it with ribbon or tie a decorative bow around it.

When you are adding the bath salts to your bath, it is best to add them just before you get in the tub, so that you can experience their full effect. If you add the salts into the water too early the heat from the water will evaporate the aroma from the essential oils so you will not be getting as much of that delightful aroma.

Another idea is to try adding a few tablespoons of dried herbs or flower petals to the mix, rose petals are especially popular. Oil extracts will come out of the flower petals once they are added to the water, making your skin feel soft and smooth, and the aroma will be absolutely tantalizing.