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The Secret of Making Bath Salts

August 13, 2007 by Kimberly Ayers 7 Comments

There is nothing in the world like a nice warm bath with bath salts containing pure essential oils to help relax and soothe your mind and body! Giving scented bath salts for the holidays, birthdays or just to give to a good friend also makes a welcome gift!

Once you have made these gifts with your own two hands what isn’t so nice is if the bath salts are hard as a rock when the recipient goes to use them! (Yes, it has happened to me, much to my embarrassment!) When the essential oils or fragrance oils are added to a salt blend – many times what can happen is that the bath salts absorb the moisture from the oils and then the salts turn hard as a rock. To have your salts nice and free-flowing you must add an ingredient called “malto dextrin.”

Malto dextrin is a natural carbohydrate that aborbs moisture and also helps the bath salts to retain their scent. It is used in the food, beer-making, and cosmetic industries, is readily available and best of all…..CHEAP! I purchase mine from BrewSource.com at the current price of $1.50 per pound.

To make your own bath salts first mix together mix the following together:

  • ½ cup of Malto Dextrin
  • 2 drams (160 drops, or 1 ½ teaspoon) of essential oils or fragrance oils

Mix the oils into the malto dextrin until it becomes a crumbly mixture, then add that mixture to 4lbs of epsom salts. (4 pounds of epsom salts is one carton of salts that you can buy at the drug, grocery or Wal-mart stores.) Mix well and check out how your blend smells. If it’s too weak, add more oils until you get the desired aroma. If it’s too strong, add more salts. Then what I do after I adjust the scent is shake, shake, shake the salts in a large zip lock baggie. Once that is accomplished you’re ready to package your bath salts in an airtight container and give as gifts or just keep for yourself.

If you try this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you!

*note: do not put scented bath salts in tins as the oils in the salts will rust the tins. Line the tin with a plastic baggie first then add the salts.

[tags]bath, bath salts, body, aromatherapy[/tags]

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Comments

  1. Barbe Saint John says

    August 13, 2007 at 10:21 pm

    Thanks for that Kim!!!! I always wondered my homemade salts got weird!

  2. Kimberly Ayers says

    August 14, 2007 at 1:18 pm

    So glad I could help out! I made about 12 tins of salts one year for gifts and every single one of them was hard and the inside of the tins rusted….lol

  3. Corris says

    October 8, 2007 at 7:14 am

    Thanks for sharing the ingredient tip! I am teaching my craft club how to make bath salts for the holidays and I will be sure to share your story.

  4. sheane32 says

    February 11, 2008 at 2:40 pm

    maybe you can add some color to your bath salts as well. But add it the same way with adding the fragrance, by drops. This gives you finer control on the color of the salts since you don’t want your bath water’s color to be overpowering.

  5. Vitali says

    December 18, 2008 at 3:35 pm

    Xm, frankly speaking, I have no idea about the ingredietn “malto dextrin”. And how much should use this ingredient to achieve necessary results? )
    Thanks

  6. Sam says

    October 31, 2015 at 1:47 am

    Can you add more salts a few days later after making them to lessen the strong scent?

Trackbacks

  1. stikilines » Blog Archive » The Secret of Making Bath Salts says:
    November 5, 2007 at 8:09 am

    […] all the details here […]

Have you read?

DIY Summer Nail Designs You’ll Want to Rock All Season Long

As soon as the weather heats up and the days get longer, I swap out my moody nail colors for something a little more fun, flirty, and full of sunshine. Summer is the perfect excuse to get playful with your nail designs — and this year, I’ve been experimenting at home to find a few favorites that are both easy to paint and seriously cute.

I’ve rounded up three of my go-to summer nail looks that you can totally do yourself, even if you’re not a pro. These are the styles I keep coming back to because they’re fun, eye-catching, and honestly — they just make you feel good. Whether you’re heading to the beach, a backyard BBQ, or just want to admire your nails while holding an iced latte, these are the ones to try.

Let’s dive in!

Sunset Ombre Nails

This is hands down one of the most satisfying nail designs you can do yourself. The colors melt into each other like a beach sunset, and the end result looks way more advanced than it really is.

You’ll Need:

  • A base coat

  • Three polishes (I use pink, orange, and yellow)

  • A makeup sponge

  • Top coat

  • Nail polish remover for cleanup

How to Do It:

  1. Start with a clear base coat to protect your nails.

  2. Paint horizontal stripes of your 3 colors directly onto the makeup sponge.

  3. Dab the sponge gently onto your nail, reapplying polish to the sponge as needed. Tap until the gradient blends.

  4. Clean up any excess polish around your cuticle.

  5. Apply a top coat to smooth the colors and add shine.

This design is one of those that looks good even when it’s a little messy — the top coat really pulls it all together.

 

 Tropical Palm Silhouettes

If you want vacation vibes without actually going anywhere, this one’s for you. The pastel base paired with simple black palm trees gives it that dreamy island feel.

You’ll Need:

  • A light pastel base polish or soft gradient background

  • Black nail art pen or thin brush with black polish

  • Top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Paint your nails with a soft pastel or ombre base.

  2. Once dry, draw a thin curved line for the palm trunk.

  3. From the top of the trunk, add small lines that fan out to mimic palm fronds.

  4. Let everything dry completely before adding a glossy top coat.

Even if your palm trees aren’t perfect, they still look awesome. Think of it like nail doodling — just more tropical.

 

 Watermelon French Tips

This design is so cheerful, I smile every time I see it. It’s a fruity twist on a French manicure and it’s perfect for pool parties or picnics.

You’ll Need:

  • Pink polish for the base

  • Green and white for the rind

  • Black polish for the seeds (use a dotting tool or toothpick)

  • Base and top coat

How to Do It:

  1. Paint your entire nail a soft pink.

  2. Add a green curved tip at the top edge (like a French tip).

  3. Under the green, paint a very thin white stripe.

  4. Add small black dots on the pink section to create seeds.

  5. Seal it all in with your favorite top coat.

This one is such a crowd-pleaser and looks adorable on both long and short nails.

Whether you try one of these or rotate through all three this summer, I hope these nail designs add a little color and creativity to your routine. They’re simple enough to do at home but still look like you spent time (and money!) at the salon.

Let me know which one you’re trying first — and don’t forget to tag us if you share your summer nail look!

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