50 LIFE HACKS: BATH SALTS

• Homemade Bath Salts 

  
  

  

   Mindy Schiller 

  Taking a bath is at least as therapeutic as going to see a psychologist for an hour. A lot cheaper, too. Add a half a cup of bath salts, and you’ll be gaining the healing benefits of magnesium—like exfoliating skin and relieving muscle pain, to name a few.

  Bath salts are the kind of DIY project any novice can try, and what makes them fun is the amount of variation and personalization you can add by tweaking two small variables: scent and color. If you’re into aromatherapy, go ahead and choose your scents based on their function. Feel free to be more whimsical about your choices, though, and simply use what smells good.

  When choosing colors, you can easily stick with one color for the whole batch, or you can divide the salt in half and create a layered effect with two colors. Have fun with it, and don’t be afraid to try something new.
• 02 of 04

  Gather Ingredients and Materials 

  
  

  

  
  

  Believe it or not, you probably have most of the ingredients you need already in your kitchen or bathroom cupboard:

  • 2 cups Epsom salt
  • 1/2 cup sea salt
  • 1/2 cup baking soda
  • 15 drops combined lavender and orange essential oil
  • Optional: food or soap coloring
  • Mini mason jars or other cute jars.
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• of 04

  Add the Colorant and Fragrance 

  
  

  

   Mindy Schiller 

  Mix the salt and soda together.

  If you’re using traditional food coloring, you’ll only need about 5 drops. (Soap coloring, which you’ll find at craft stores, will be less intense, so you’ll need closer to 15 drops.) Use a spoon to pat down the clumps, so the color is mixed throughout the salt. Then, if you want a more vibrant color, add more.

  When it comes to fragrance, play around. We used lavender and orange in this recipe because the combination seemed both soothing and refreshing. If you’re going to mix scents, we suggest you smell both bottles simultaneously, to make sure the combination is a good one.

  Note: some essential oils should not be directly ingested by pregnant women or babies under 3 months, so be sure to read labels.
• 04 of 04

  Bottle It and Enjoy 

  
  

  

  
  

  You can buy special bottles for this if you’re going formal, or use mismatched mason jars for a more rustic feel. Both options can be found at craft, hardware, and dollar stores. To dress these up as a gift, try wrapping some twine around the jar and adding a gift tag with a special note.

  Alternatively, add a few dried flowers to the mix for a special flare. These can be found at craft and health food stores.