Bath salts form an integral part of aromatherapy practices. Read about some simple ways to make your own bath salts. Aromatherapy is an alternative healing practice. As the name suggests, it is a practice which involves the use of aromas to improve our health. For example, sandalwood is said to have a relaxing effect when an individual inhales its fragrance. On the other hand, peppermint is supposed to clear the mind and allow a person to focus on his work. In this articleBath saltsPreparing your own bath salts Bath salts A bath salt is simply a fragrant salt preparation. It imparts a distinctive scent to the water when the salt is added to it. Aromatherapy supports the use of bath salts. It is supposed to give you the following benefits: Soothe your tired body and give relief from stress Help in clearing your mind and refreshing it Help you to get a good nights sleep Soothe certain respiratory disorders and give relief from some skin ailments A bath salt also adds some variety to a regular bath routine. It livens up an otherwise predictable and often boring bath routine. Preparing your own bath salts Bath salts are available at most specialty stores that keep alternative healing products. However, even a small quantity of bath salts is very expensive to purchase. In addition to the high cost, many commercially available bath salts contain preservatives and chemical ingredients. These may have a harsh effect on your delicate skin. Preparing your own bath salts at home is simple and will save you money. At the same time, it will give you the satisfaction of personally knowing each component of the salt. In order to prepare your bath salt, you will first need to prepare the base for it. This is the salt mixture to which your scent will be added. The easiest recipe for a base includes mixing three parts Epsom salts, two parts sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and one part sea salt. Measure out the proportionate components and put them in a mixing bowl. You can mix the ingredients by hand or use a spoon to mix them. If you plan to make different scented bath salts, create the base in bulk. Then divide it into portions depending on how many different scents you plan to use. In order to give your bath salt its characteristic scent, you need to add fragrant oils to it. Essential oils are usually not used in bath salts due to their concentrated nature. Also, pure essential oils can sometimes irritate the skin. Essential oils are also extremely expensive. In contrast, fragrant oils are cheaper and have a gentle effect on the skin. Add the fragrant oil to the base salt, a few drops at a time. Then mix the oil into the salt properly. Keep adding the fragrant oil until the smell of the bath salt is reasonably strong. Remember that your bath salt will be diluted in water before it is used. In case the smell becomes too strong, do not worry. Simply add in some more base salt to balance out the strong smell. If you want to make your bath salt more attractive, you can add colour to it. Also, it will help you to easily identify different bath salts. Use cosmetic grade colours that are used in soaps. These are less likely to stain the bathtub and the tiles. The bath salt can be stored in wide mouthed plastic containers with lids. A good cover for the container will ensure that the salt does not harden. It may take you a few tries to perfect your salt making techniques. However, once you start, there will be no stopping you. You can even gift your home-made bath salts to your friends and family.
Bath salts form an integral part of aromatherapy practices. Read about some simple ways to make your own bath salts. Aromatherapy is an alternative healing practice. As the name suggests, it is a practice which involves the use of aromas to improve our health. For example, sandalwood is said to have a relaxing effect when an individual inhales its fragrance. On the other hand, peppermint is supposed to clear the mind and allow a person to focus on his work.
Bath salts
A bath salt is simply a fragrant salt preparation. It imparts a distinctive scent to the water when the salt is added to it. Aromatherapy supports the use of bath salts. It is supposed to give you the following benefits:
- Soothe your tired body and give relief from stress
- Help in clearing your mind and refreshing it
- Help you to get a good night's sleep
- Soothe certain respiratory disorders and give relief from some skin ailments
A bath salt also adds some variety to a regular bath routine. It livens up an otherwise predictable and often boring bath routine.
Preparing your own bath salts
Bath salts are available at most specialty stores that keep alternative healing products. However, even a small quantity of bath
salts is very expensive to purchase. In addition to the high cost, many commercially available bath salts contain preservatives and chemical ingredients. These may have a harsh effect on your delicate skin. Preparing your own bath salts at home is simple and will save you money. At the same time, it will give you the satisfaction of personally knowing each component of the salt.
In order to prepare your bath salt, you will first need to prepare the base for it. This is the salt mixture to which your scent will be added. The easiest recipe for a base includes mixing three parts Epsom salts, two parts sodium bicarbonate (
baking soda), and one part sea salt. Measure out the proportionate components and put them in a mixing bowl. You can mix the ingredients by hand or use a spoon to mix them. If you plan to make different scented bath salts, create the base in bulk. Then divide it into portions depending on how many different scents you plan to use.
In order to give your bath salt its characteristic scent, you need to add fragrant oils to it. Essential oils are usually not used in bath salts due to their concentrated nature. Also, pure essential oils can sometimes irritate the skin. Essential oils are also extremely expensive. In contrast, fragrant oils are cheaper and have a gentle effect on the skin.
Add the fragrant oil to the base salt, a few drops at a time. Then mix the oil into the salt properly. Keep adding the fragrant oil until the smell of the bath salt is reasonably strong. Remember that your bath salt will be diluted in water before it is used. In case the smell becomes too strong, do not worry. Simply add in some more base salt to balance out the strong smell.
If you want to make your bath salt more attractive, you can add colour to it. Also, it will help you to easily identify different bath salts. Use cosmetic grade colours that are used in soaps. These are less likely to stain the bathtub and the tiles. The bath salt can be stored in wide mouthed plastic containers with lids. A good cover for the container will ensure that the salt does not harden.
It may take you a few tries to perfect your salt making techniques. However, once you start, there will be no stopping you. You can even gift your home-made bath salts to your friends and family.
