Learn how to make homemade bath soaks and salts from everyday ingredients that are probably already in your home! Non-toxic and easy!

At this point in my life, baths seem like the ultimate luxury. It’s not that I have a particularly nice bathroom (think of your typical apartment-sized bathtub with 1980s cream tile). It’s that having a bath means that I have the time to do nothing for at least 30 minutes.
Between kids, work, and other things (like my chronic over-volunteering syndrome), I just don’t have time for an uninterrupted bath. So when I get the chance, I make sure to do it the right way: with candles, a couple of extra towels, a good book, and homemade bath soaks and salts.
Homemade Bath Soaks and Salts
The thing about making your own bath products is that it is super easy. You don’t have to mix up a large batch or buy special products. Just make exactly what you need when you need it.
Not convinced? Here are my top four reasons for DIYing my bath soaks.
- Affordable: Seriously… a huge box of Epsom salts is like $5 at the pharmacy. Oatmeal and baking soda are just as cheap.
- Zero-Waste: Avoiding extra packaging is a bit of a theme for me lately. So a plastic-wrapped bath bomb is not going to be my favorite.
- The Right Stuff: DIY bath products mean that I get exactly what I need. While Epsom salts are perfect for sore muscles, they aren’t great for dry skin. Putting together what I need, when I need it is the best way to have exactly what I want in my bath.
- No Uncertain Ingredients: We’re not huge fans of chemical scents and unpronounceable ingredients. While I’m not about to whip up a batch of homemade hand cream, it is super easy to make homemade bath products.
Here are four simple homemade bath products. While they include suggestions for essential oils, it’s not necessary. Just use whatever you happen to have on hand.
1. Muscle soothing Epsom salt bath
To be honest, there’s not a lot of research proving that Epsom salts help relieve muscle pain. However, warm baths relieve pain, and adding Epsom salt prevents some of the wrinkling that occurs in water, so why not include it in your muscle soak?
- 1/4 cup Epsom salt
- 12 drops of essential oil (I recommend a mix of eucalyptus, lavender, and lemongrass)
2. Moisturizing Oatmeal Bath Soak
Oat bran is perfect for soothing irritated and dry skin. The only trick to making this moisturizing bath is to start with whole rolled oats, not oat flour or instant oatmeal which are more refined and might not contain oat bran.
- 1 cup of rolled oats, finely ground in a blender or coffee grinder
- 1 tsp of rosewater
3. Soothing Baking Soda Bath Soak
Bathing with baking soda is perfect for soothing itchy skin. Whether you’re suffering from eczema, hives, or poison ivy, it will help reduce itching. It’s also good for combating yeast or fungal infections.
- 1 cup baking soda
- Up to 10 drops of essential oils (only if you aren’t suffering from eczema or sensitive skin).
4. Relaxing Lavender Bath Salts
This is another Epsom salt bath, this time with a focus on relaxation. You can include actual chamomile and lavender flowers if you want. While they look pretty, they’re a bit more work to clean out of the bottom of the tub afterward.
- 1/4 cup Epsom salt
- 1 tbsp of dead sea salt (or pink Himalayan salt)
- 5 drops of lavender essential oil
- 5 drops of chamomile essential oil
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