Bath bombs and salts

Our Permaculture Consultant, Lauren Lochrie is here again to guide us through making some relaxing products to add to your bath.

I found this bath bomb recipe online several years ago and never looked back (mostly as the more I researched the more complicated it seemed!) – I didn’t realise how often things went wrong for folk, I got lucky first try – so I’ve stuck with it since, adapting it slightly to suit my needs and preferences.

For example, you can:
- Include herbal tea infusions or rosewater to replace the water element
- Add different essential oils (such as lavender, sweet orange, pine etc) and dried herbs (such as moisturising blue malva flowers or oats, soothing calendula flowers etc) to aid specific ailments or to simply uplift or relax.
- Add natural colourants for extra appeal. As your skin essentially absorbs or ‘eats’ anything you apply to it or immerse it in, choose food-grade and natural dyes if you’d like coloured bath bombs.

Bath Bomb Recipe

Utensils:
large mixing bowl
small bowl
cup
tablespoon (tbsp)
x6 metal or plastic bath bomb moulds (halves)

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup Epsom salts
1 cup bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup citric acid
3/4cup arrow root powder or corn starch
Handful of dried flowers or herbs

Wet Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp water
30-40 drops of essential oil
1-2 tbsp natural dye (optional)

Method
1. Crumble the herbs and mix all the dry ingredients together in the big bowl (except the citric acid)
2. In the small bowl add all the wet ingredients together, mix well (doesn't matter that the oil and water don't blend)
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix well with hands, smoothing out lumps until the colour is even throughout
4. Add the citric acid and mix well, add more dye if needed
5. Press tightly into moulds and leave overnight in a cool, dry place to set (place a book or something heavy on them to weigh down)
6. The following day, tap the backs of the moulds gently to release
7. Gift wrap or enjoy the fizzy, aromatic bombs in a bath or foot spa

I’ve found that the lightweight metal, half moulds work best but don’t bash them too hard or you’ll create a dimple on the mould. I also place down an old towel on the floor or desk where I mix everything together… it can get a bit messy but in a fun way!

Gift wrap idea!

I like to shred coloured paper, old magazines, or newspaper in the bottom of a simple brown paper bag as a bed for the bath bombs to sit on, decorating and personalising it with a wildflower impregnated seed-card for a gift tag.
Write a beautiful message or well wish on it – which should be planted by the person you gift it to – the seed-thoughts of which will likely and quite literally, come to flower and fruition for them!

Bath Salts Recipe

Ingredients and utensils
3x 300ml bottles
Decanting cup
Scales and bowl
Himalayan pink salt (course and fine)
Epson salts
Dried lavender buds
Lavender essential oil
Dried blue malva flowers
sheet of paper
gift tags and twine
decanting bag (optional)

Method
1. Fill one bottle at a time
2. Put your bowl on the scales and set to 'tare'
3. Fill bowl with 40g of pink salt (fine) then 40g pink salt (course) to make 80g
4. Tare and add 200g Epsom salts
5. Add a small handful of lavender flowers
6. Roll a pink of malva flowers between your hands and sprinkle over everything
7. Mix all ingredients well
8. Add 7 drops of lavender to the mix
9. Make a paper funnel and decant your sales bit by bit into the bottle using the decanting cup

For more natural home and beauty recipes, see our online course and kit -