A bath is always wonderful. Add to that the benefits of Epsom salt and essential oils and you have something truly beautiful. Epsom salt is reported to provide supplemental magnesium, promote sleep, reduce stress, treat constipation, relieve muscle cramps and soreness, and reduce pain and swelling. The benefits of essential oils depend on the ones you choose to use. We decided to go one step further and not only make bath salts but make them beautiful as well. Bath salts are one of my favorite gift items. They are a consumable so I don’t feel like I am cluttering up people's life with more stuff and they look so pretty they add to the décor until they are used. I have even used making these as an activity for my daughter’s birthday party where they were a huge hit.
For this design, you need small glycerin soaps, Epsom salt, table salt, essential oils, food coloring, plastic bags, and a container with a lid.
Supplies
I used small silicon molds to shape my soap but you could buy small soap that was already created. I like making my own because I can personalize it a little more, from shape to color it is all in my hands.
Making the bath salts in this style is easy but takes a little time. The first thing to do is determine how much salt will fit in your container while leaving room for the soap decorations. For our containers, it was 3 cups. This was perfect because it is a 2:1 ratio of Epsom salt to table salt. We started by combining 2 cups of Epsom salt, 1 cup of table salt, and 12-15 drops of essential oils in a gallon-size bag. You can combine multiple oils or just use one. This is very much dependent on personal taste and the quality of your oils. You can add more or less as you deem necessary but remember it will be less potent later. Seal up the bag releasing any trapped air. Mix the ingredients together through the bag dispersing the oil throughout.
Essential Oils
Now it is time for the fun part. Adding the color.
Ocean and Earth Layers
Ocean Layers Salts
Since I did an ocean theme I needed both the water and the sand color so I removed a small amount (1/3 cup) to be my sand and put just a little brown food color into it and mixed. Try not to get the color on the bag as that makes it harder to mix in. I poured a little into the bottom of my bottle for my sea floor (which my 7-year-old assures me is necessary,) and saved the rest off to the side for my island sand. Add 1 drop of blue food color to your mix. You want this to be a really pale blue. Pour a small amount into your bottle allowing it to mound up on one side more than the other. Add 1 more drop of blue. Be sure there is enough of a color difference that you will be able to see the difference in the layers. Turn your bottle so it can mound up at a different point and pour in some of the salt. Now add 2 drops of yellow and mix. Turning and pouring like you did before. Try to do different amounts for the different layers for a more artistic effect. Put in more of the colors that you really like. Add 2 drops of blue, mix, turn and pour. Add 1-2 drops of yellow, mix, turn and pour. This is your final level for the water so pour it all in. Add your reserved brown salt for the island allowing a little of the blue to show at the top. Place your soap at the edge of the water on the beach. I like using the starfish and shells best. I place three soaps on the beach for a bottle this size. You now created your own little bit of ocean for your bath time experience and décor until you use it.
Earth Layers Salts
Choose 2-3 colors that work well together. If you are just doing one color tone gradient like Emmaline did you can keep it all in the one bag and add your first color with your oils and mix. She added just a little of the brown. Try not to get the color on the bag as that makes it harder to mix in. After this is mixed in pour your first small amount into your jar allowing it to mound up more on one side than the other. Add more brown to your mix. Be sure there is enough of a color difference that you will be able to see the difference in the layers. Turn your bottle so it can mound up at a different point and pour in some of the salt. Now add crimson red and mix. Turning and pouring like you did before. Try to do different amounts for the different layers. Put in more of the colors you like more. Add red and mix. Turning and pour. Add brown, mix, turn, and pour. Add more brown, mix, turn, and pour. Add even more brown for your final level. Mix, turn, and pour. Add little rock or gem soaps for decoration if you desire. You have now created your own earth layers for your bathtime experience and decor until you use them.
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