Bubbling Bath Salts

Do you love detox Epsom salt baths AND do you also love a good, old fashioned bubble bath?

Well, now you don’t have to choose.  Bubbly Bath Salts is BOTH a detox Epsom salt bath AND a bubble bath.

What a fantastic way to relax and soak your cares away!

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 cups Epsom salt (find it here or at your local drug or grocery store)

1/2 cup baking soda (I get baking soda in a large size at Costco, but you can also find it at your grocery store or here)

1/2 cup citric acid (find it here or here)

2 Tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch (grocery store)

2 Tbsp sweet almond oil (find it here) or substitute with another light, moisturizing oil like apricot kernel oil (find it here)

15-20 drops essential oil

2 Tbsp of SLSA  (find it here or here)

1-2 tsp witch hazel (find it here or at or local drug or natural foods store)

<1 tsp (a few sprays) of rubbing alcohol (find it at your local drug store, Walmart, or Target)

click here to get a FREE PRINTABLE of the bubbling bath salts recipe

Why are these ingredients used?

Epsom salt– eases stress and relaxes the body, helps draw toxins out of the body, helps reduce inflammation, and helps improve the absorption of nutrients

baking soda–  helps to detoxify and alkalize your body, helps to soften the skin, and leaves skin feeling silky soft

citric acid– combined with baking soda creates a fizz and helps create more bubbles from the SLSA

cornstarch– leaves skin feeling soft

sweet almond oil– softens skin and helps skin retain moisture

essential oil– Essential oils are a wonderful addition to a bath, because their therapeutic benefits are easily absorbed by the skin.

Lavender: eases feelings of tension and soothes occasional skin irritations

Cedarwood: promotes relaxation

Bergamot: calming and provides skin purifying benefits

Orange: uplifting to the body and mind

Roman chamomile: calming effect on skin, mind, and body

Patchouli: grounding, balancing effect on emotions.  Reduces the appearance of wrinkles, blemishes, and skin imperfections.

Frankincense:  promotes feelings of relation and reduces the appearance of skin imperfections

Ylang ylang:  lessens tensions and pressure, promoting a positive outlook.  Promotes mood while having a calming effect.

Sandalwood:  grounding and balancing with a mediation-like effect

Geranium:  promotes appearance of clear, healthy skin

SLSA (Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate)– derived from coconut and palm oils SLSA makes lots of foam and bubbles

witch hazel– soothes and calms skin

rubbing alcohol– helps bubbling baths salts dry and harden into little pebbles so they can be stored without turning into one big blob (that’s the technical term)

How to make bubbling bath salt:

1)  add 2 cups Epsom salt to a large bowl (choose glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowl because you’ll be adding essential oils later)

2)  add 1/2 cup baking soda

3)  add 1/2 cup citric acid

4)  add 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch

5)  mix all the dry ingredients that are in the bowl, breaking up any clumps

6)  add 2 tablespoons of sweet almond oil

7)  add 15-20 drops essential oil (use your favorite single oil or blend, or see below for some suggestions of blends you may want to try)

8)  add 2 tablespoons of SLSA  (find it here or here)

for safety, you need to wear a mask over your mouth and nose because SLSA particles are very small and you do not want to breathe them in until you get them mixed with the rest of the bubbling salt salt ingredients.  I try to add the SLSA right into the oil so that the oil can coat the SLSA and help make it less airborne before I start to stir.  Once you incorporate the SLSA into the oil and mix it in with the rest of the ingredients, the particles will no longer be super small and airborne.  It’s only when you’re adding the SLSA and mixing it in that you need to wear the mask.

9)  stir the SLSA into the oil (make sure you’re still wearing your mask), and then stir the entire mixture together until well blended

Below is what it should look like when it is well mixed.

10)  spray the top of the mixture with 1-2 teaspoons of witch hazel

note: the reason for spraying is to get good distribution of the witch hazel throughout the batch of bubbling bath salts without over-activating the baking soda and citric acid.  When the baking soda and citric acid combination gets wet it will fizz.  A little of that will happen when adding the witch hazel, but we want most of the fizzing to happen in the tub, so we don’t want to get it over wet when making the bubbling bath salts.

in the photo below you can see the mixture fizzing a little on the top of the bowl (this is okay)

11)  stir mixture together until well blended

12) add a few sprays of rubbing alcohol

It won’t smell great initially, but the rubbing alcohol evaporates quickly and the smell will completely go away.

The rubbing alcohol will help the bubbling salts harden into little pebbles, making the bath salts easier to store and use.

13)  stir mixture together until well blended

14)  pour mixture out and spread out on a parchment paper to dry

Stir it every so often to help it dry.  Depending on the humidity in your home and how often you stir, your bubbling bath salts could dry in as little as a few hours or they could take up to two days to dry.

15)  Once bubbling bath salts are dry, break up any clumps and move them to a sterile, airtight container.

I use the parchment paper that the bath salts have been drying on to help me transfer the bath salts to a container.  Lift up the edges of the parchment to move the bath salts towards the middle of the parchment and then roll the parchment into a makeshift funnel.  Lift the funnel up horizontally (so none of the bath salts fall out), and put the bottom end of the funnel into the jar. Then simply lift up the other end of your parchment funnel and the bath salts will easily fall into the container.  No mess.  No fuss.

To use:

scoop about 1/4-1/2 cup of bubbling bath salts and put in tub under running hot water for a regular size tub

use 1/2-1 cup of bubbling bath salts for a large whirlpool style tub

Run your hand back and forth in the tub water to agitate the water which will help dissolve the Epsom salt and it will also help make more and bigger bubbles.

Please be careful when getting in and out of the tub.  This recipe uses a little bit of oil which could possibly cause the tub to become slippery. 

LOOK:  LOTS AND LOTS OF BUBBLES PLUS THE BENEFITS OF BATH SALTS

Suggested essential oil blends for Bubbling Bath Salts

7 drops lavender and 7 drops cedarwood

5 drops eucalyptus and 5 drops peppermint

7 drops lavender and 7 drops bergamot

7 drops lemon and 7 drops rosemary

want more ideas for essential oils blends?  click here to check out these 15 essential oil blends for relaxing bath salts

click here to get a FREE PRINTABLE of the bubbling bath salts recipe

Interested in more recipes, tips, and ideas for how to use essential oils?

Please join us…

we’re on Facebook here

we’re on Pinterest here

click here to sign up our email newsletter

Please note: Products mentioned in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and information on this page are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This website is not a substitute for professional care.  Always consult your medical doctor regarding your medical care. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Disclaimer: Please know that this website contains affiliate links. This means that should you click on certain links, and then subsequently purchase a product, I will receive a small commission. The price is exactly the same for you as it would be without the affiliate link.  Thank you for supporting me in this way.