How to Make Bath Salts (Scented and Colored)

Bath salts are simply colored and scented Epsom salts, easily made at home.
Bath salts are simply colored and scented Epsom salts, easily made at home. Pascal Broze, Getty Images
By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on February 06, 2020

This is a recipe for making scented, colored bath salts.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 15 minutes

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What You Need

You only need a few materials for this project. Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate. You can find this product in the pharmacy, beauty, or laundry section of a store. Glycerin is also found in pharmacies.

  • 2 C Epsom Salts
  • 1 C Sea Salt or Rock Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Glycerin
  • Food Colors (optional)
  • Essential Oils or Perfume
  • Jars with Lids/Stoppers

Here's How

  1. Mix salts together in a bowl.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Generally a drop of two of fragrance is sufficient. Use ingredients containing water with care (color, certain fragrances), since too much water will dissolve salt.
  3. Spoon salts into the jars and seal them. Decorative labels listing ingredients are nice!

Tips

  1. Make certain jars are absolutely dry. Salts absorb moisture, so this project will work better in low humidity.
  2. Salt and oils may irritate skin, so it's best to wear gloves. If you do get the salts and oils on your hand, rinse them off. You'll need to use soap or detergent to remove oils.
  3. Kitchen fragrances work well. Try extracts of vanilla, lemon, orange, cinnamon, or mint.
  4. Suggestions to try include lavender, rose geranium, rosemary, or jojoba. Not all essential oils are appropriate for bathing!
  5. Colors or fragrances may be omitted, if desired, for persons with chemical sensitivities.
  6. Some essential oils are naturally colored (e.g., chamomile is blue).
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Your Citation
Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "How to Make Bath Salts (Scented and Colored)." ThoughtCo, Sep. 14, 2021, thoughtco.com/making-scented-and-colored-bath-salts-602198. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2021, September 14). How to Make Bath Salts (Scented and Colored). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/making-scented-and-colored-bath-salts-602198 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "How to Make Bath Salts (Scented and Colored)." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/making-scented-and-colored-bath-salts-602198 (accessed April 26, 2024).