Transform Your Bath Time into a Relaxing and Detoxifying Spa Experience!
Imagine a rainy Sunday spent crafting scented, colorful bath bombs with your little one who adores soothing baths, just like you. These bath bombs are a blend of natural wonders that promise to elevate your bath into a luxurious retreat.
Unlike store-bought options that can contain harsh chemicals, these DIY bath bombs are a treat for your body and soul. They’re made with Epsom salt, packed with magnesium for a range of health benefits. Lavender essential oil adds a calming touch, helping with stress, skin issues, and even giving your immune system a boost.
When sodium bicarbonate and citric acid mix with water, they create carbon dioxide gas and release other beneficial ingredients like salts, essential oils, and moisturizing agents into your bathwater. This is why understanding the ingredients in your bath products is crucial for a pampering experience. Keep in mind that anything you add to your bath is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream. That’s why I’m mindful of the ingredients in the products I choose, both for personal use and for my family.
Many commercial bath bombs are loaded with harmful additives, especially troublesome for those with sensitive skin or allergies. These can include artificial dyes, fragrances, and ingredients like linalool or alpha-isomethyl ionone, which have shown high toxicity levels in over 16 laboratory experiments.
That’s why I advise you to read the ingredient labels carefully and choose wisely when it comes to the products that you take care of your skin with.
These homemade bath bombs are natural and full of goodies for the body, mind, and soul!
I chose a combination that is a delight for the senses and has therapeutic effects at the same time. I added Epsom salt and lavender essential oil to sodium bicarbonate and citric acid.
The Epsom salt is actually a natural accumulation of magnesium sulfate, and derives its name from the Epsom mines, in England, where they were originally exploited from. They are easily absorbed through the skin and have innumerable beneficial effects on our health. It is well known that magnesium plays a role in over 325 enzymatic reactions inside the body, reduces inflammation, improves the vascular system, and helps heart function by preventing hypertension, improves the functioning of the muscles and nerves, whereas sulphates help nutrient absorption, toxin removal, and relieves migraine headaches. Epsom salts are effective in cases of eczema or psoriasis.
At the same time, what surprised me was the result of a US study, which shows that 68% of the population consumes about 19% less magnesium than the recommended daily dose, thus increasing the risk for various health problems. Maybe an occasional Epsom salt bath would make good use!
Lavender oil, just like Epsom salt, has a relaxing effect, eliminates stress and anxiety, treats eczema or psoriasis, and relieves migraine headaches. In addition to all these, it plays an important role in the immune system because it helps the body to produce antioxidants in just 22 hours after its use.
Hoping that these things awaken your interests too, I leave you the recipe below.
1 cup sodium bicarbonate
1/2 cup citric acid (lemon salt)
1/2 cup Epsom salt (also known as bitter salt)
1/2 cup cornstarch (optional, it helps to keep the ingredients together-I used organic, genetically unmodified cornstarch)
food coloring or mica crystals (optional, for coloring-I used natural mica crystals, for cosmetic products)
2 and 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons lavender essential oil
Witch-hazel water in a spray bottle (with tonic, astringent, and purifier effects)
Combine the dry ingredients in a glass or porcelain bowl, ensuring there are no clumps. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Slowly pour the liquid mixture into the dry one, whisking to prevent any potential reactions.
Add a touch of witch-hazel water until the mixture sticks together like wet sand. Once it’s cohesive, begin placing it into molds. We used plastic Christmas balls, but you can use any mold you prefer, including silicone. If you don’t have a similar mold, carefully cut a hard plastic Christmas ball in half, and use those pieces.
Apply pressure to the filled molds to keep them compact. I added dried lavender flowers to the molds before placing the mixture, then pressed them firmly together, smoothing the edges.
Gently tap the mold with a spoon, then carefully remove the first half and repeat for the other side.
Let the bath bombs air dry on a table for two days. After indulging in our relaxing detox bath, I wrapped the remaining bombs in plastic to keep them dry for later use.
