There is nothing more relaxing than an at-home spa treatment. Think soothing music, a face mask and sinking into a bath tub filled with warm, scented water and rejuvenating salts. Take your ‘nirvana’ experience to the next level with these easy homemade bath products that can be made easily. Not only are they a refreshing treat after a long stress-filled day, they also make excellent gift ideas for your near and dear ones!
These bath products need essential oils and we recommend tangerine, lavender, rose, ylang-ylang, cedar, jasmine, grapefruit, sandalwood, cinnamon, and mint, as these have rejuvenating properties.
Bath salts
Epsom salt bath soaks are detoxifying, can alleviate stress and tension, and do wonders for the skin. Use scents like lavender, jasmine, and cedar for a calming bath, or citrus scents like grapefruit, orange, tangerine, or lemon for an uplifting soak.
You need:
3 cups Epsom salt (available in pharmacies)
2 cups rock salt
½ cup baking soda
2 tbsp. essential oil of your choice
Mix well, making sure they done have clumps and store in glass jars.
Bath milks
Luxurious and soothing, bath milk soaks have been popular since time immemorial. Fell like Cleopatra while you soak in this bath milk soak and give your skin a boost of radiance.
You need:
½ cup powdered milk
½ cup Epsom salt
Essential oil of your choice
Combine the above and store in a glass jar. For that extra oomph, you could also add some flower petals with the milk soak just before you get into the tub.
Bubble bath
Have a bit of fun with a bubble baths. Here is how to make your own.
You need:
1 cup clear, un-scented Castile soap (available in pharmacies)
½ cup of glycerine (also available in pharmacies and health stores)
¼ cup water
A few drops of an essential oil of your choice
Combine the above ingredients and store in a jar. You could also add a drop of food colouring to the mixture and make sure the hue matches the scent, for example add red food colour that creates a pink colour in the water for rose scented bath products, and green food colour to complement herb-based essential oils.
Bath bombs
Fun, colourful and fragrant, bath bombs are a great way to give yourself a relaxing soak at home.
You need:
2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid (available at pharmacies)
1 cup corn starch
½ tsp. essential oil
1-3 tsp. sweet almond oil or regular almond oil
Dried flowers (optional)
Food colouring (optional)
Water
Plastic mould to shape the bath bombs
Mix your dry ingredients and then add the oils and food colouring. Start by adding small quantities of water until the mixture starts to clump together and has the consistency of wet sand. Once mixed and damp, pack into moulds as tightly as possible, then pop them out and let them rest for 2 to 3 days to dry out.
Bath scrubs
Scrubs increase the blood circulation to your skin and make your skin radiant.
You need:
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
1 cup of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of sweet almond or jojoba oil
Petals from one rose (pink or red)
Combine the above ingredients and let it sit in a glass jar for four to five days. When you want use the scrub, mix the ingredients together and gently massage it into your skin.