Off to the bath: do-it-yourself bath additives

What could be better than a hot bath after a busy day? In our opinion, there's simply nothing like a relaxing, fragrant bath in the evening to bring the day to a cosy close. However, if you want to take a bath, it doesn't always have to be the expensive bath additive from the shop - you can easily make your own bath salts at home. We reveal how you can pamper your body, mind and soul in equal measure and how you can make bath salts with just a few natural ingredients.

The great thing about making your own bath salts is that you can test and vary the fragrance and effect of the essential oils used to your heart's content. Homemade bath salts are ideal for giving as a gift for this very reason, as the preferences of the person you are giving the gift to can be taken into account when mixing.

DIY bath salts: the basic ingredients

If you want to make bath salts, you will need the following basic ingredients:

- 2 cups of sea salt (Dead Sea bath salt is particularly suitable)
- 2 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (olive, almond, coconut or jojoba oil)
- 15 drops of essential oil
- optional: 1-2 tablespoons of flower blossoms or medicinal herbs (lavender, rose, thyme, etc.)

This is how it works:

Making the bath salts is very simple and only takes a few minutes. In addition to the basic ingredients mentioned above, you only need a large screw-top jar with a lid to mix and store the bath salts in.

Step 1: Prepare the salt

Crush half of the coarse bath salt in a mortar. Then mix the crushed salt with the coarse salt in your screw-top jar.

Step 2: Add vegetable oil

Drizzle about a tablespoon of the chosen vegetable oil over the salt.

Step 3: Mix in the essential oils

Drop your personal selection of essential oils onto the salt. Close your screw-top jar and shake the mixture vigorously so that the oils combine well with the bath salts.

Step 4: Leave the mixture to stand overnight

Ideally, leave the mixture to rest overnight so that the essential and vegetable oils can soak into the bath salts. However, this step is not essential.

Step 5: Add the dry ingredients

Once the oils have combined with the bath salts and the mixture has been allowed to rest for a while, it is time to add the dry ingredients. Add your medicinal herbs and flower petals and shake the bath salts thoroughly again. Et voila - your personalised bath salts are ready!

Essential oils and their effects

You can use specific essential oils to provide an extra dose of relaxation. There are no limits to the possible combinations. Why not try one of the following blends?

Free breath:

- 5 drops of eucalyptus
- 10 drops of peppermint

Do you have a cold? Then a mixture of eucalyptus and mint is perfect for you! Add 5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and 10 drops of mint oil to the basic recipe and enjoy a soothing cold bath.

Rest and relaxation:

- 5 drops of bergamot
- 10 drops of lavender

Lavender is known for its calming effect and is therefore contained in many calming products. The scent of bergamot also ensures inner peace and serenity. Add 5 to 10 drops of each essential oil to your bath salts - then it's time to enjoy.

Create clarity:

- 7 drops of lemon
- 7 drops of rosemary

Do you know those days when there are far too many thoughts buzzing around and you can no longer concentrate on the essentials? Lemon and rosemary help you to regain clarity. Simply add 7 drops of each of the two essential oils to the bath salts.

Muscles and joints:

- 10 drops of arnica
- 10 drops of spruce

What could be better than a pleasant bath after sport or physical exertion? A warming arnica and spruce bath is perfect for relaxing muscles and joints. Add 10 drops of each of the two oils to the basic recipe and enjoy the relaxing effect of your sports bath.

Enjoy luxury:

- 7 drops of rose
- 5 drops of gerandium
- 3 drops of lavender

On certain days, you simply want to pamper yourself and enjoy a little luxury. The bath salt mixture with rose, geranium and lavender oil is perfect for this. With a handful of dried rose petals, you can create a bath that you won't want to get out of.

Find balance:

- 10 drops of sage
- 5 drops of peppermint
- 5 drops of tea tree

In stressful times, it is important to treat yourself to some time out and restore your inner balance. The blend of sage, mint and tea tree oil is particularly suitable for this. These three essential oils help you to balance your body and mind.

Refresh and revitalise:

- 3 drops of clove
- 3 drops of orange
- 5 drops of cedar

Do you sometimes feel tired and listless? Then we have just the perfect essential oil blend for you: clove, orange and cedar are ideal for revitalising you and reviving your spirit. Give it a try!

As you can see, there are countless ways to do something good for your body. If you make your own bath salts, you can cater to your individual needs and create the perfect bath additive for your particular well-being. We hope you enjoy making the various bath salts and have lots of fun in the bath!