Bath salts are used for relaxation, for additional cleanliness, and can also be of benefit on a medical level. The experience of using bath salts can be enhanced by adding aromatherapy bath oils to any homemade recipes you choose to make. These salts change the balance of the water so that less water is absorbed through the skin.
The use of salts for bathing can be traced back to 2,700 B.C. when the Chinese published a book concerning the issues of using sea salt as an aid to bathing. The discovery had been made that mixing salt with other ingredients proved to help with certain types of medical conditions. It was thought to improve skin diseases, digestive, and respiratory problems. Salt is used a lot in modern day times too, it is added to skin care products, such as lotions, ointments, and some cosmetic products.
Aromatic bath salts were as much a part of the daily bathing routine in the past as they are today. Essential oils, herbs, milk, and other such items are added to the bath to create a relaxing atmosphere. Aromatherapy bath salts can help the body, but even more important, is that the lovely aroma is also good for the mind. There are different types of salt that can be used in the bath, using normal table salt will do nothing for your skin. Sea salt is the recommended salt to use for bath salts. People go to the dead sea just to bathe in the water, as it is known to have healing qualities. If dead sea salt is not an option, then organic grey sea salt, or Hawaiian sea salt can also be used.
Here are some aromatherapy bath salt recipes you can prepare at home:
- Minty Bath Salts -
1 cup fresh bay leaves, finely chopped
1 cup fresh or 1/4 cup dried mint (Finely chopped if fresh)
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
1 teaspoon of almond extract
Mix the ingredients, then place in a mesh bag, cheesecloth is good to use. Place under hot water, and you're all set for a relaxing minty fresh bath.
- Cherry Bath Salts -
1/2 cup of shampoo (unscented, or mild baby shampoo)
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 drops cherry fragrance oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pour shampoo and water into a bowl, and stir well. Add salt until the mixture becomes of a thick consistancy. Add the cherry fragrance, and put in a suitable container.
- Passion Fruit Bath Salts -
3 tablespoons dendritic salt
2 cups medium grain sea salt
12 drops yellow
5 liquid dye
1 teaspoon of passion fruit fragrance oil
Place the dendritic salt in a mixing bowl, and slowly add the fragrance oil, while stirring. Then add the medium grain sea salt, and mix thoroughly. While mixing, slowly add the drops of yellow liquid dye. The passion fruit bath salts are now ready for the relaxing tub.
Stainless steel or glass mixing bowls are recommended for the mixing process. Please check with your doctor to be sure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients used in these recipes before bathing with them.