The best DIY recipe to have on hand in harsh weather. These DIY bath salt bars have multiple uses including relieving anxiety and moisturizing dry skin. In a soothing peppermint mocha blend, these bars make a thoughtful homemade gift too!
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With this DIY project, you get the best of both worlds: a calming, muscle-easing bath with all the benefits of soft, silky skin.
Learning how to make bath salt bars can be a game changer during the colder months when your skin is naturally a bit drier.
The bars not only give you a luxurious bath but the oils in the bars help repair your skin as well.
Follow it up with your favorite vanilla lotion and your skin will be feeling ultra-silky in no time.
Why You’ll Love These Bars
Easy to make: All you need to do to make the bath salt bars is combine the ingredients, press them into the molds, and let them sit.
Minimal ingredients: You’ll notice that most of the ingredients in the bars you probably already have on hand given they come out of the kitchen.
Pampering: The bars give a special kind of luxurious feeling to the user because of their heavenly scent and exfoliating skin properties.
Ingredients You Need
With only six ingredients you’ll be hard-pressed to avoid making these bars, they’re that easy!
Epsom salt: The king of all salts when it comes to your bath. These salts are going to help ease tense muscles, so they make the perfect base for the bars. In a pinch, sea salt can be used instead.
Baking soda: This is a key ingredient in detox baths as baking soda helps reduce inflammation in the skin.
Cacao powder: You can use cocoa powder if that’s what you have on hand, but cacao powder will offer a more chocolate-based scent.
Ground coffee: The scent of these bars’ coffee was the perfect choice to help as a pick-me-up at the end of the day. Plus, as you use the bar in your bath you can gently exfoliate your legs as coffee is gentle enough for the skin.
Carrier oil: Any of your favorite oils will work here. Sweet almond oil and jojoba oil are two of my favorites.
Peppermint essential oil: Used to reduce headaches and anxiety, and as a general mood boost, you’ll find that the peppermint scent combined with coffee is true bliss.
How to Make Bath Salt Bars
Learning how to make bath salt bars is super simple and can be summed up in just 3 steps:
- Combine the salt, baking soda, cacao powder, and coffee in a large bowl before adding the oils.
- Mix well until everything is combined.
- Press the mixture into silicone soap bar molds and let them sit for at least 6 hours.
Expert Tips and Substitutions
The harder you press the mixture into the molds the better they’ll hold together once they’re done. You really want to get all the air bubbles out.
Let them sit completely overnight but for at least six hours. This is how they firm up and hold together. Trying to remove them from the mold too early and they’ll crumble.
The essential oil and carrier oil can be interchanged with something else you have on hand. Orange also pairs really well with coffee if you want a brighter scent.
To use the DIY bath salt bars, run a warm bath and drop a bar into it. Soak for as long as you like and enjoy the delicious scent.
Gifting The Bars
These DIY bath salt bars make the perfect gift on their own or as part of a larger homemade spa basket.
If you gift them on their own, you can wrap a few bars individually in brown parchment paper and tie them stacked with twine. On the twine, place a label explaining how to use them.
You can also stack the bars in a glass mason jar to gift them. Again, make sure to label them with instructions.
Given as-is, the bath salt bars are lovely. However, paired with homemade body butter, DIY lip balm, and a pack of hot chocolate, your lovely gift becomes richly thoughtful.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bath Salt Bars
What do bath salt bars do for your body?
Bath salt bars are wonderful both for your body and your skin. Because they use Epsom salt as the base the bars can help reduce muscle tension and stress. On top of that, the carrier oil in them helps replenish and nourish dried skin as well.
How do you store bath salt bars?
Like any DIY beauty product, store them in a cool dry place in a sealed jar. Make sure not to get any water or moisture in the container when removing one of the bars or they’ll go bad faster. If stored properly, they should last roughly three months time.
More Homemade DIY Bath Recipes
DIY Bath Salt Bars
Equipment
Materials
- 1 cup Epsom salt
- 3 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder or cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coffee
- 1 tablespoon carrier oil of choice I like to use sweet almond oil
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt, baking soda, cacao powder, and coffee. Mix well.
- Add the carrier oil and essential oil, then mix until all is combined thoroughly.
- Press the mixture into silicone soap bar molds.
- Allow the bars to set and dry overnight, or at least 6 hours, before removing.
- To use, drop into a tub of warm water, soak and enjoy!
Marilyn says
I had no idea making bath bars was this easy, and yes, I had all of the ingredients on hand, I just never thought of combining them. I wasn't sure about the coffee, but the aroma was great.