DIY Bath Salt Recipe (How to Make Soothing Bath Salts)

Come learn how to make your own beautiful homemade bath salts! They’re easy and inexpensive to make, perfect for self-care or a thoughtful handmade gift to share. Our DIY bath salt recipe uses simple natural ingredients like epsom salt, sea salt, dried herbs or flowers, and essential oils. It’s also highly flexible, so you can easily customize it based on what you prefer or have on hand.

This guide will explore the best types of salt and ingredients to use in DIY bath salts – along with frequently asked questions on using bath salts, tips for easy clean up, septic system concerns, and more.

Note: This article was originally published in December 2022.

RELATED: Looking for more DIY gift ideas? Here are 27 fun and easy eco-friendly crafts, edible gift ideas, mason jar gifts, and more.

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Benefits of Bath Salts (How They Work)

Taking a hot bath is a wonderful way to relax and relieve tension after a long day. Adding DIY bath salts can further ease aches and pains, soothe and soften skin, and calm frazzled nerves all at once!

When added to warm water, bath salts dissolve and release beneficial minerals into your bath water, such as healing magnesium. It’s thought that those minerals can absorb through your skin and help relax muscles, soothe skin irritation, and reduce inflammation. Warm bath salt soaks can also help improve circulation, relieve stress, and stimulate detoxification in your body.

Beyond minerals, DIY bath salts can offer additional benefits depending on the ingredients used – such as the therapeutic powers of herbs, skin healing benefits of colloidal oats, or soothing aromatherapy of essential oils.

Best Kind of Salts to Use

You can use one type of salt in your homemade bath salt recipe (such as epsom salts alone) or combine several to reap the benefits of each one – plus add visual interest! Here are some of the most popular options:

• Epsom salt is the most common type of salt for bath salts, and potentially the most therapeutic too – though it’s technically not a real “salt”. Epsom salt is a naturally occurring mineral compound made of magnesium and sulfate, ideal for healing and pain relief.
  

• Sea Salt. Sea salts are derived from seawater and are mostly composed of sodium chloride. Since they’re not refined or only minimally processed (unlike table salt), sea salts retain numerous valuable minerals including magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, bromine, boron, zinc, iron, manganese, copper and silicon. Especially rich in magnesium, Dead Sea salt is popular for homemade bath salts.
  

• Pink Himalayan Salt. Pink salt is a rock salt found high in the Himalayan mountains of South Asia, and contains up to 84 trace minerals and elements! It’s also really pretty, adding a pop of color and interest to your DIY bath salt recipe. 
  
  
• Cooking salts. While not as therapeutic, you can also use common cooking salts in homemade bath salts, such as kosher salt, pickling salt or coarse rock salt. These salts are economical, readily available, and contain some trace minerals too. However, AVOID using iodized table salt to make bath salts. Lacking minerals, highly processed table salt doesn’t offer many health benefits. Instead, it adds trace amounts of unwanted iodine to your bath water. 

Fine, medium or coarse grind salts

Salts come in various grain sizes or “grinds”: coarse, medium, fine, and extra fine. Finer grain salts dissolve fast and easy in your bath, while coarser salts take a little longer to dissolve. Yet coarse salts have more surface area and therefore absorb essential oils better, and are more visually appealing to some. All that considered, I like to use mix of medium and coarse grind salts in my DIY bath salts. 

DIY Bath Salt Recipe (Ingredients)

Homemade bath salts can be as simple or complex as you wish to make them. Below is a list of ingredients that we use in our DIY bath salts, though you can easily adjust or omit things as you see fit.  I always try to source high-quality organic ingredients… especially for something I’ll be soaking my bits and parts in!

This recipe makes about 5 cups of finished bath salts. Scale up or down as desired.

• 4 cups of salt total, such as epsom salt, dead sea salt, and/or pink Himalayan salt. I often use three kinds (e.g. 2 cups of epsom salt, 1 cup dead sea salt, and 1 cup pink salt).
  
  
• ½ cup to 1 cup dried herbs or flowers. Dried lavender, rose petals, calendula, chamomile, rosemary, mint leaves, lemon balm, and dried citrus are popular bath salt additions. Again, I like to mix in a couple different things. To prevent mold, it’s important to use 100% dry herbs or flowers for bath salt blends you intend to store for later use. We use a lot of homegrown herbs, though we also source organic herbs from Starwest Botanicals.
  
  
• ½ cup colloidal oat powder, which is phenomenal for your skin! It’s proven to soothe irritation and itching, add softness, and lock in moisture – therefore alleviating skin conditions such as dermatitis, rashes, psoriasis, eczema and more. I make my own colloidal oatmeal by grinding organic oats into a super fine powder in our Vitamix blender, but here is a great organic colloidal oat powder from a small black-owned business.
  
  
• 2 Tbsp Vitamin E oil – a powerful antioxidant with moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties that improve skin health. While not as potent, you could also use olive oil, argan oil, sweet almond oil, or other carrier oil of choice.
  
  
• ½ teaspoon (50 drops) or up to 1 teaspoon (100 drops) of essential oils total (e.g. 30 drops lavender and 20 drops clary sage, one of my favorite combos). Sliding scale based on how strongly-scented you want your DIY bath salts. If you’re unsure, start with less – you can always add more later! I recommend using just one or two scents. See more tips about using essential oils below.

The best essential oils for bath salts

Though not required, essential oils can enhance homemade bath salts and your overall bath experience. Certain scents are very effective at calming nerves or elevating your mood. It’s called aroma-therapy, after all!

The most popular essential oils for DIY bath salt recipes include: lavender, sweet orange, roman chamomile, clary sage, vanilla, tea tree, eucalyptus, bergamot, geranium, sandalwood, cedarwood, jasmine, rose, lemongrass, frankincense, ylang ylang and rosemary. Use one scent alone, or try mixing two or three. 

AVOID using “hot” or potentially irritating essential oils like peppermint, wintergreen, cinnamon, clove, oregano, cassia, and thyme in DIY bath salts. 

TIP: Balance sweet, woody, or floral scents with a more bright, herbaceous or citrusy scent, such as lavender + eucalyptus or rosemary, chamomile + lemongrass, sandalwood or cedarwood + bergamot, or jasmine + sweet orange.

Instructions to Make DIY Bath Salts

1. First, add salts and optional colloidal oatmeal to a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
2. Next, drizzle over the vitamin E oil (or other oil) and then the dry herbs or flowers. Mix again.
3. Add your chosen essential oils and stir until everything is evenly combined.
4. Finally, package your homemade bath salts into airtight storage containers of choice, and enjoy your soak! Keep reading for tips on storage and use.

What about baking soda?

Unlike some other bath salt recipes, I do not recommend adding baking soda unless you plan to use it immediately, or unless you’re using epsom salts only (no real salt).

The combination of baking soda and salt reacts to create carbon dioxide gas which will expand in packaging, and can even break glass jars in extreme circumstances! So, if you do want to include baking soda (which is great for softening skin) then simply add up to a half cup directly to your bathwater as it fills. 

How to store bath salts

Store homemade bath salts in an airtight container. Sealable bags, a glass container with swing-top lid and gasket, or mason jars with tight-fitting lids work great. Store in a cool, dark, dry location. A good storage container should prevent moisture intrusion and clumping as well as keep in the aroma of the essential oils, helping your bath salts stay nice and fresh.

If you’re going to share your homemade bath salts with others, be sure to add a label that lists all of the ingredients! This way, the recipient can know what to expect and be aware of any potential allergens.

How much bath salts to add to the bathtub

Add anywhere from ¼ cup up to 2 cups of bath salts to a standard size bathtub. Unless I need intense relief, I tend to lean more on the light side since the ingredients we use are high quality (read: not exactly cheap). If I want a little extra oomph, I toss in an extra half cup of plain epsom salt in addition to my “special” DIY bath salts. 

NOTE: Do not use bath salts in whirlpool tubs, hot tubs, or other tubs with jets unless the manufacturer specifies that’s okay.

How to add bath salts to your bath

There’s really no “wrong” way to add bath salts to a bath! However, if you’re using homemade bath salts made with essential oils and hope to bask in the aroma, I suggest waiting to add the bath salts until the tub is nearly full of warm water. Then stir the water around with your hand to help them dissolve. 

Essential oils are volatile (meaning they evaporate easily, especially when heated) so their aroma tends to dissipate more quickly than synthetic fragrances. If added to the bath too early, the smell can be quite faint by the time you’re ready to climb in! Close the bathroom door to keep the lovely scented steam in too.

How to make bath salts less messy

Some folks like to add bath salts directly to the bathwater. Soaking while rose petals swirl around you can certainly feel luxurious! On the other hand, some people may not like the feeling of floaties touching them as they soak. Or, want to deal with the clean up. For a mess-free, floaty-free bath salt experience, simply put your bath salts in a “tea bag” to steep! 

Add bath salts to a small reusable cotton drawstring bag, or fashion a steeping satchel out of organic cheesecloth and a hair tie or string. Hang or hold the teabag in the water near the downspout as the tub finishes filling. The salt will still dissolve and seep into the water, while the bag contains the herb and flower particles. As an added bonus, the herbal tea bag doubles as an exfoliating wash cloth!

TIP: If you don’t steep your bath within a tea bag and they contain large flower or herb bits, use a mesh drain strainer to catch debris as the tub drains at the end of your bath.

How long to soak in bath salts (and how often)

To reap the maximum benefits from your bath salt experience, allow yourself to soak for 20 to 30 minutes. You can use bath salt soaks up to three times per week in times of need. 

It’s difficult to “overdo it” when it comes to bath salts, though too much could lead to dry skin in some sensitive individuals. Frequent bath salt soaks could also change vaginal pH levels, making a more hospitable environment for yeast infections or irritation. 

Should I rinse off after a bath salt soak?

That’s up to you! A strong bath salt soak (using 1 to 2 cups of bath salts) could potentially leave skin feeling dry later, depending on the other ingredients in your bath salt recipe. You may also want to rinse off if your bath had herbs and flowers floating around that are now stuck to your skin. Since I usually steep my herbal bath salts in a tea bag (and my tub is separate from my shower) I personally don’t feel the need to rinse off afterwards. 

Can bath salts expire?

Salts themselves (epsom salt and sea salt) do not expire. Similarly, homemade bath salts will not “go bad” but they’ll be the best quality if used within a year or two. The other ingredients added to DIY bath salts such as oils, colloidal oatmeal, or dried herbs may have a “best by” date or degrade in quality over time. 

Are bath salts bad for septic systems?

When used in moderation, bath salts should not harm your septic system. However, highly salty water isn’t good for septic systems. For instance, most septic experts advise against discharging water softener backwash (brine) into septic tanks. Yet the water from an occasional bath salt soak has a very dilute salt concentration in comparison. 

Plus, epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) aren’t actually a true “salt”, remember? Epsom salts are completely harmless to septic systems. In fact, some septic professionals actually suggest adding epsom salt to septic systems. They claim that they help the system run more efficiently and encourage healthier plant growth in the drainage field. So, fear not!

If you plan to use bath salts routinely (e.g. once a week or more) and have a septic tank, use a 2:1 epsom salt to sea salt ratio. Or, use just epsom salts alone to make homemade bath salts. Also be sure to use strainer for the drain.

Are bath salt soaks safe during pregnancy?

If you’re pregnant, talk with your doctor before using bath salts. While warm (not hot) baths are generally safe during pregnancy, it’s unclear if adding bath salts is recommended.

Many sources say that natural bath salts made with epsom salts are okay to use while pregnant, and can provide much-needed relief from the discomforts that go hand-in-hand with pregnancy. Yet it’s suggested to exercise caution with essential oils while pregnant, and avoid them entirely during the first trimester. It’s also important to avoid bath salts that contain artificial fragrances, phthalates, or other chemicals.

And that’s how to make your own beautiful, natural DIY bath salts!

I hope you found this tutorial to be both insightful and inspiring. As you can see, making homemade bath salts is quite easy to do, flexible, and perfect for self-care and thoughtful gifts alike. Have fun getting creative and making your own! Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments. Also please consider leaving a rating or review below. Happy soaking!

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