Making Your Own Bath Salts

Bath Salts are an easily prepared alternative to the mixtures now on the
market; most of these chemical-ridden formulas are almost guaranteed to
irritate your skin. Bath salts are used for many different purposes, and
they make great gifts when packaged in attractive containers.

The basic ingredients are table salt, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) &
Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate). Some herbalists also use borax.

Add the salts to a large bowl in these proportions:
3 parts Epsom salts
2 parts baking soda
1 part table salt (or borax)
Essential (scented, herbal/floral) Oils

Mix thoroughly using your hands or wooden spoons reserved just for this
purpose, to stir the ingredients. This is now the base from which you can
create a wide variety of bath salts. Its wise to add colors to bath salts.
Use plain food coloring for this purpose, letting it fall drop by drop onto
the salt base.

If two or more colors are required to mix an exotic hue (such as purple),
mix these in a spoon first and then add to the salts to avoid creating a
two-toned product, unless of course, you plan on a two or three tone salt.

Add many drops for a darker colored salt; fewer for a lightly hued salt. Mix
the color into the salts until it is evenly distributed; again use your
hands or you may use a utensil.

Now add the essential oils drop by drop, until the scent seems strong
enough. If you plan on using more then one essential oil then mix these
together first before adding to the salt. Use your hands and fingertips to
mix it together until all salt particles are moistened. This may take up to
fifteen minutes or longer.

As to proportions, rely on your sense of smell to determine the exact
quantities. The more potent the finished products' scent, the less will have
to be used for each bath. They should be strongly scented.
To use, add from 2 tablespoons to one-half cup of the bath salts to a full
tub. Mix with your hands into the water. Enjoy your home made bath salts!