Bath Salts
By Lynnette de Sandoval del Valle de los Unicornios
- SUPPLIES:
- Paper and pencil
- Rock Salt, Kosher Salt, or other salt chunk product
- Gallon ZipLock bags
- Food coloring (found in the baking section)
- Scented oils
- Measuring cups
- Eye droppers
IMPORTANT: Write down everything as you add it, include all measurements and specific info on what ingredients you used. This will allow you to reproduce the batch if it turns out to be FANTASTIC!
- COLOR:
- In a gallon ZipLock bag, measure out several cups of salt chunks.
- Add several drops of one color of food coloring.
- Seal bag, shake, toss, roll, etc. to mix the ingredients.
- Add more of that color if you want more intensity.
- Seal bag, shake, toss, roll, etc. to mix the ingredients.
Notes:
- Always do the COLOR before the SCENT. The scent is the most expensive ingredient, so if you screw up the color, it's cheap to toss it and start over if you haven’t added the scent.
- You can blend two or more colors, but it takes some practice, so test it out on a small batch for that.
- A nice look is to make two different colors of salt in different bags, and mix them together when the coloring has dried. It makes a speckled look. Or mix uncolored salt into the dried colored salt.
- SCENT:
- Once the color is correct, add a FEW drops of one oil.
- Seal bag, shake, toss, roll, etc. to mix the ingredients.
- Add more of that scent, or an additional scent, if you want more intensity.
- Seal bag, shake, toss, roll, etc. to mix the ingredients.
Notes:
- Mixing different scents together is very useful, for instance: I find a couple of drops of lemon essential oil gives strawberry essential oil a more natural scent, but do it carefully. Best is to always add one or two drops at a time.
- If your scent gets too strong, you can add more salt.
- Once you're happy with the scent, seal it in the ZipLock bag and set it aside.
- In a few days, check out the scent, it will have changed a bit, and you're coming at it with a fresh nose.
- Adjust the scent as necessary.
- PACKAGING:
- Package in a nice jar or bottle, or in a smaller ZipLock bag. Make a pretty label with the name of the Bath Salt, the complete list of ingredients (such as: Rock salt, food coloring, Strawberry and Lemon oils), and the directions for use (Dissolve 1 cup in a bath.)
- Canning jars, often found at grocery stores, make great bath salt jars. Use pinking shears to cut a circular piece of fabric a couple of inches wider than the top of the jar. Put it on top of the jar lid like a mop cap, and tie it down with a piece of ribbon.
- The 99 Cent store, thrift stores, and yard sales are great sources of bottles and jars for your bath salts.
(Copyright 2007)