They are fun and easy to make and can often be made with items you already have at home & are great for a last minute gift.
The basic recipe is;* 1 Cup Epsom Salts
* 1/4 cup sea salt (there are many varieties of sea salt) or kosher salt (salts may be in large chunks or finely ground).
You can experiment with amounts, use equal amounts or only one item. The Sea Salts help to detoxify.
Other items that can be added that soften the skin are:
Glycerin, Oatmeal, cornstarch, powdered milk, baking soda (if using baking soda do not mix it into the bottle. Add them SEPARATELY as it can cause the bottle to exploded!)Coloring:
10-15 or more drops of regular food coloring (the drawback is that this makes the salts moist and then you need to lay them out to dry: it also makes the crystals much smaller)The Wilton brand of food coloring is very vibrant and you need very little of it: it is thicker and not wet like regular food dye and works very well. (it has become popular not to add any color at all!)
Plants, herbs, citrus peels, rose buds, lavender, can also be used to add color: if using plants you may want to use a spice sachet or an organza so it can be easily removed after the bath and you won't have a messy tub to clean!
Essential oils:
10-15 or more drops (again this makes the salts moist: see above).I use professional quality oils as they are pure: they do cost more but you need very little - 1 to 3 drops. You can also use extracts: almond, lemon, vanilla, etc...
Mix salts in a mixing bowel or in a zip lock bag. The bowl seems to keep the salts from getting crushed. Stir gently. If you want a variety in color mix slightly and you will get some specs which are nice contrast. The zip lock is handy if you are teaching a large group how to make the salts and they can take them home in the bags.
This is a fun activity: experiment and have fun!
