I used to love taking relaxing salt baths when I first got married. Now, most days, bath time just involves me washing many tiny fingers, toes and heads of hair. No complaints, but definitely not as relaxing!
Benefits of Salt Baths
Salt baths are great for much more than just relaxation. Of course, a soothing salt bath is great for that too, but the benefits go well beyond just being a soothing end to a stressful day. They make a great DIY gift!
Benefits of salt baths include:
- Stress relief
- Reducing muscle aches
- Improving circulation
- Headache relief
- Speeding up wound healing (don’t use on direct open wounds)
- During illness, especially respiratory illness
- To help mineral absorption and improve sleep in children
- For acne, eczema or other skin problems
- Improving skin hydration
Skin Boosting Ingredients
Bath salts can be as simple as just using a salt or magnesium salt on its own. Options include:
- Epsom Salts– Magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) is an inexpensive way to get the benefits of magnesium in a bath.
- Magnesium Flakes– Magnesium chloride flakes are another way to add the benefits of magnesium. I especially love using epsom salts or magnesium flakes since the magnesium has many added benefits of its own.
- Dead Sea Salt– Contains 21 minerals and is great as a base for bath salts. People flock to the dead sea for the health benefits and using dead sea salt is a way to get the benefits at home. I love this pre-made moisturizing dead sea bath salt soak.
- Baking Soda– We’ve used baking soda in detox baths for years. It isn’t recommended for everyday use, but adding a little baking soda to a bath once a week or so is a great way to keep skin clear.
From there, any array of optional ingredients can be added for additional benefits:
- Essential Oils– Any essential oil that is safe for skin use can be added to a salt bath. Since oil and water don’t mix, add the oil to the salt and then add to the water.
- Spices– Sounds crazy, but many kitchen spices can be added to a bath for a soothing effect. Most common are cinnamon and ginger powder.
- Oils– Adding oils to the salts helps moisturize skin and stops the drying effect of the salt. Some people find salt on its own too drying. Mixing in a little oil (like coconut, almond, jojoba or argan) can help.
Bath Salts- Ingredients
- 2 cups epsom salts
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup dead sea salt (optional)
- 30 drops of lavender essential oil (Optional- use the code “WellnessMama” at this link to save 10% on the essential oils I use)
- 10 drops of peppermint essential oil
- 2 Tablespoons oil of choice (coconut, almond, jojoba, argan, etc)
Bath Salts- Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl.
- Store in an air-tight jar and use 1/4 cup per bath.
Pre-Made Bath Salts
There are some great options for pre-made bath salts if you aren’t a fan of making your own. I personally like this dead sea salt based bath salt since it is moisturizing and smells great (without artificial scents or perfumes). Make sure to choose a bath salt that is perfumes, dyes and synthetic chemicals.
Other Ways to Use Salt and Magnesium:
- In soothing bath fizzies (here is my favorite recipe)
- or After-birth bath fizzies
- In natural detox bath recipes
- In homemade magnesium oil
- To make homemade magnesium body butter
Ever take a salt bath? What do you put in yours? Tell me in the comments below!
Hi, Thanks for your recipe! Have you ever stored it in ziplock bags instead of glass jars?
I haven’t. I try to avoid plastic whenever possible.
Hi Katie,
I am planning on making this but I just wanted to know why you add baking soda.. What does it do to the recipe?
It is supposed to be good for pulling toxins from the skin and it makes the water more alkaline
Baking soda in the recipe can cause the mixture with essential oils to harden like a rock, how do you avoid this from happening Katie.
I would like to use a couple of your recipes in a book I am writing and would like your permission to do so. Please contact me via email.
Thank you,
Sharon
All of my recipes are copyrighted. I do not allow reprinting of them. Thank you.
The literary expression of a recipe — the exact way you say it — can be protected by copyright, but the information in it is not copyrightable. So anybody’s allowed to reproduce the info in them in their own words.
Copyright is not meant to protect commercial secrets, such as instructions to make something. For that there are patents and secrecy agreements.
Yes, in a legal sense you are technically right that someone can use the ingredients of a recipe if they want to. This does not apply to the instructions as those are written and protected as “literary expression.” But I don’t think the reader was asking legal advice. She was asking if I would give permission for her to use my recipes in a book, which I do not allow, especially with the instructions as I’ve written them. In other words, she was asking about permission, not copyright law and I shared my stance on that. You can read my copyright policy here: https://wellnessmama.com/disclaimer/
so excited to have found your site – thank you SO much for the incredible sacrifice of time and attention you obviously spend sharing incredibly important, helpful, inspiring, and life giving insights. So thankful!
Thanks so much for reading Jamie and for the kind words 🙂
I just wanted to know, does it have to be an airtight jar? What if its a basic little mason jar?
I add coconut oil and use Dead Sea Salts………going to try your recipe next time…….best relaxing bath ever!!! So good for you, too. Thanks Katie!
If you add coconut oil will it last for awhile or does it go bad?
Have you made a natural and safe bath bomb? I tried skimming your blog and haven’t came across a post yet!
Love this! Although my family isn’t big bath-takers, I’ll be making a batch very soon! How long does this keep?
How long can these salts be stored in the jars?
This is great! Would be perfect Christmas gifts. Where do you purchase the containers to store in?
I’ve purchased a lot from Zulily, but you have to check often to find out when they have ’em in stock. Amazon also has some nice ones.
I love your blog–all of your posts are so great! This one too. Your list of benefits is so complete! Thanks!
Hi Katie! I follow you and make so many of your recipes… Thank you for being such an integral part of educating people (so many!) on what it is to be healthy. I am sipping my coconut oil coffee here as I type this (with Frontier Cinnamon and Coconut Cream Concentrate too!)… I was just wondering a very simple thing… where do you get the beautiful glass jars that a lot of your salts and powders are stored in such as this one? Thanks! 🙂 ~Angela
I usually get them from Zulily or Amazon.
You can usually pick up glass jars at your local thrift store: I go about three times a month and get 7-8 for about $25.
You’ll have to buy new gaskets, but you can get 6/$5. most places. Or cork @ Widget.com; they are FAST!
I have gotten some absolutely beautiful jars this way, and some just regular bormoli-type but they are MUCH cheaper than new, and JUST as good!