Shower Salt Bar {for soft & glowing skin}

I love a good scrub. 

 

Whether it’s my homemade lip scrubs (chocolate, candy cane, or vanilla honey), my favorite sugar scrub, my copycat DIY of Lush’s Ocean salt scrub, or my relaxing chamomile foot scrub, I just love whipping up a DIY scrub.

 

I think it’s the combination of  1) exfoliating to get rid of dull, rough skin, 2) moisturizers that leave skin feeling super soft and hydrated, and 3) the incredible essential oil scents.  Scrubs just make me feel like I’ve been to the spa.

 

This new DIY scrub does all that – exfoliates, moisturizes, and relaxes my senses.

Plus this new DIY scrub is a BAR.  That’s right, it’s a shower scrub in a bar.  Isn’t that fun?!

 

You simply shower and wash up as normal, then at the end of your shower you run the salt bar all over your skin, giving a little extra scrub to rough patches like elbows.  Then rinse off, pat skin dry with a towel, and you’re done.  Very quick and easy.  And you’ve got soft, glowing, super hydrated skin.

 

 

 

 

What’s in Shower Salt Bars

 

cocoa butter– Cocoa butter is high in fatty acids that help soften rough, dry skin, strengthen skin making it more resilient, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

 

kokum butter– Like cocoa butter, kokum butter is also high in essential fatty acids which soften and smooth skin as well increasing skin elasticity.  Kokum butter is also a powerful antioxidant that helps with skin regeneration and may help less the appearance of cellulite.

 

mango butter– Mango butter is light, smooth, and creamy.  It’s full of skin-loving nutrients like vitamin E and vitamin C that boost radiance, moisturize, and soften skin.

 

coconut oil– The lauric acid in coconut oil can help calm inflamed skin.

 

lemon essential oil– Lemon essential oil can help detox skin and minimize the appearance of pores.

 

lavender essential oil– Lavender essential oil is anti-inflammatory which helps calm and soothe skin.  Lavender can also help reduce redness, blotchy patches, and other skin discolorations.

 

rock salt– Rock salt contains 84 of the 92 trace elements required by the body.  Plus the exfoliating texture of rock salt is a super slougher that will help leave your skin silky soft.

 

Himalayan sea salt– Pink Himalayan sea salt is a fantastic exfoliator.  It helps scrub away old, dry skin, revealing healthier, younger-looking skin.  Plus, it’s a great anti-inflammatory that helps heal and soothe skin.

 

 

 

 

 

Shower Salt bar Recipe

yield: 6 bars

 

step 1:  add 1 cup finely chopped cocoa butter to a heat-safe measuring cup or bowl

tip: I like to use unrefined cocoa butter, but if the scent is too strong for your liking, then you can use either refined cocoa butter (which has little-to-no scent) or you may replace cocoa butter with more kokum butter (that is, use 2 cups of kokum butter instead of 1 cup each cocoa butter and kokum butter).

 

chopped cocoa butter

 

 

step 2: add 1 cup kokum butter

tip:  If you don’t have kokum butter, you may substitute with cocoa butter.

 

chopped kokum butter

 

 

step 3:  add 1/2 cup mango butter

tip:  If you’d like, you can replace mango butter with shea butter.

 

mango butter being added to measuring cup with other butters

 

 

step 4:  add 1 tablespoon coconut oil

tip: use the kind of coconut oil that’s solid at room temperature.  Do not use fractionated coconut oil that’s liquid.

tip:  If you don’t like coconut oil, you can substitute babassu oil for it instead.

 

coconut oil being added to measuring cup with butters used to make homemade salt scrub

 

 

step 5:  melt the butters and oil

tip:  I like to melt my butters and coconut oil using the double boiler method.  To do this, place heat-safe measuring cup inside a pan that has about 1 inch of gently simmering water over medium-low heat.  Stir the butters occasionally and continue heating until completely melted.

tip:  If you prefer, you may melt using microwave.  Use 50% power and stir every 30 seconds.

 

butters and oil being melted down in double boiler

butters and oil completely melted

 

 

step 6:  allow the melted butters to cool for about 1 minute before adding essential oil

 

butters and oil cooling for a minute before adding essential oils to make homemade salt scrub bars

 

 

step 7:  add about 75 drops essential oil

I like to use a blend of 40 drops lemon essential oil and 35 drops lavender essential oil.

But you can adjust and use any combination of essential oils you prefer.

 

adding essential oil to melted butters and oil

 

 

step 8:  divide 1.5 cups of rock salt fairly evenly between 6 cavities in a silicone mold.  Each bar will have about 1/4 cup of rock salt.  You can play around with this amount and use more or less salt as you prefer.

 

putting rock salt in silicone molds

 

 

step 9: pour the melted butter and essential oil mixture over the rock salt

 

pouring melted butter and essential oil mixture over rock salt

 

 

step 10: use a spoon or small stirring stick to mix the rock salt and melted butter mixture together.

tip:  make sure you get the butter mixture into all the corners and the bottom of each mold

 

stirring rock salt with melted butters and essential oil

making sure that all rock salt in coated in butter and essential oil mixture

 

 

step 11:  While the bars are still wet, sprinkle about 1/2 cup of coarse Himalayan sea salt over the top of the bars

 

sprinkled Himalayan pink sea salt over top of salt scrub bars

 

 

step 12:  allow the bars to harden completely before removing from molds.  Depending on the heat and humidity in the room, this could take as little as 2 hours to overnight.

 

once salt scrub bars are completely cooled, remove them from silicone molds

 

 

How to use salt bars

  • Wash and clean skin as normal in shower
  • Massage salt bar onto wet skin allowing the salt to help exfoliate skin
  • Rinse
  • Pat skin dry (don’t rub skin with towel, just pat dry so that all those wonderful butters and coconut oil stay on the skin and help keep it moisturized and glowing all day.

important: Keep salt bar dry and away from heat in between uses.

 

 

pile of salt scrub bars on top of wash cloth

 

 

Where to get supplies

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. 

 

cocoa butter

kokum butter

mango butter

coconut oil

rock salt  – I buy this at the grocery store.  It’s usually in the baking aisle.  It’s called ice cream salt or rock salt.  Here’s what you’re looking for.

coarse pink Himalayan sea salt

silicone molds- I used Crafter’s Choice basic square mold #1605 in the photos shown in this recipe.  You can find that silicone mold here.  But don’t worry about using that exact mold.  If you have another silicone mold that will make something about the size of a shower bar, then use that mold.  It can be round, rectangle, or square.  There’s no magic to the specific silicone mold I used.

bamboo stir sticks

heat-safe measuring cup

click here for free printable recipe

free printable for salt scrub bar recipe

 

 

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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.

 

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Sarah Lewis

A little thing about me: I 💙 essential oils. I also love using my background in research to help people learn more about essential oils and all the wonderful ways they can be used. I share DIY recipes for natural cleaners that really work, non-toxic beauty solutions, and holistic wellness. My essential oil recipes, info, and tips have been viewed more than 20 million times. I've been featured on MindBodyGreen, Health & Natural Living, All Natural Ideas, This Natural Home, Natural Living Ideas, and Passion for Savings.
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