DIY Scented Bath Salts in 3 Minutes!

Nobody loves bath time more than me. All year long, almost every day—if you want me, you can find me in the tub. Winter? I'm in a hot bath, steaming the deep chill away. Summer, I'm in a cool bath, floating down the chilly lazy river of my mind, washing away boob sweat and sand and mosquito bite itchiness. I have a whole cupboard full of stuff to put in there, from scented oil to bath bombs to Mr. Bubble to fancy soap flakes shaped like rose petals.

I’m serious about bath time. I even have a wooden bath desk that has a spot for a book and a glass of wine. I have a waterproof notebook and a pen that writes underwater. On a recent trip to Whole Foods, as I was scooping bulk lavender-scented bath salts ($12.99 a pound) into a bag, I realized they looked a whole lot like Epsom salts. Which are cheap! Very. So I looked it up online and decided to try making my own recipe. My first batch turned out perfect! And now you can try it, too. It makes an awesome gift!

DIY Scented Bath Salts

You will need

2 cups of Epsom salt
Epsom salt is a mild pain and itch reliever, and helps draw impurities from the body. You can find it at drugstores, usually in the foot-care aisle, in a carton or giant bag.

2 teaspoons of fruit or vegetable oil of your choice
I used jojoba oil, but you could use almond, olive, apricot, grapeseed … you name it.

5–10 drops of your favorite essential oil
I used tuberose, but you could use sandalwood, lavender, eucalyptus...again, any smell you like.

Optional: a drop or two of liquid food coloring
If you want a tint to your salts, use just a tiny, tiny bit of liquid food coloring. It may give bath water a bit of a tint, but it's safe! Here, two drops of teal coloring turned the salts soft cyan. 

Optional: 1/4 cup sea salt
It somehow makes the water feel silky, and the salty steam can leave hair with a lovely beachy texture. 

A glass jar with a lid

Steps

1: Mix all the ingredients together with a fork, making sure to break up clumps.

2: Sniff the salts ecstatically. Go take a bath with them or give them to someone you want to impress. Make sure to package it nicely with a little ribbon tied around the lid.