Fizzy Bath Salts

I promised about a week ago on Splitcoast Stampers that I would post my favourite bath salts recipe. Sorry I don't have a photo right now but I am working on some gift packaging so stay tuned.

Ingredients:

1 cup baking soda
3/4 cup citric acid
2 cups salt, this can be any combination you like of: coarse, rock salt, specialty salt like Himilayan or Hawaiian, normal table or Epsom salts. Do NOT use water softener salt! I use half Epsom and half coarse salts.
Scent. I prefer pure essential oils. My favourite combos: lavender and lemon, rose and lavender, lemon/ orange/ grapefruit. I use about 20 drops total.  You can also use synthetic bath grade scents. DO NOT use potpourri or candle making scents or home spray scents. These MUST be for body/ bath products. Small bottles go a long way. They usually recommend on the website or the bottle how much to use, I think I used about 20 drops.
The following are optional.
Colourants: again only use food colouring or soap making colourants. Gel icing colouring apparently works better than liquid food colouring. if you use re-inkers your washcloth, grout and even your may be coloured forever (OK, not your skin)!
Pretty Stuff: dried flower petals or leaves (organic or from your garden with no pesticide, Mike's has some selection in their soap making area), candy hearts (Lush puts these in their bath bombs, just one or two as a surprise) or even those fake petals you throw at weddings. I would wash and dry them first.

Directions:

1. Add colourants to salt. If you are using liquid or gel colourant, allow salt to dry for several hours before continuing. I usually can't be bothered so I leave them white. You can deeply colour only some of the salt if you wish, you just add the coloured salt later and it looks pretty. If you add only a very small amount, you can usually get away with mixing right away.

2. Mix scents with salt, cover immediately or you will lose the scents more quickly. I usually put mine in a Ziploc bag for now.

3. In a very dry bowl, mix citric acid and baking soda. Any moisture will start the reaction, even excess humidity in the air can start the reaction at a level that cannot be seen. You will have less fizzy salts as a result so try to do this on a dry day.

4. Mix salt with baking soda and citric acid. Add 'pretty stuff' if desired.

5. Seal in air tight containers. Leave for two days before using. I use about 1 cup per bath but most people would use about 1/4 cup.

TIP: All ingredients are readily available at health food or bulk food stores, except the bath grade colourants and scents. You can go to Mike's or Google soap making supplies to get tons of hits. Choose a place that sells small quantities.

TIP: I don't recommend buying Epsom salts at the drug store; they are about double the price than if buying bulk.If you are trying to save $, check the prices carefully; some essential oils are quite reasonable, others are VERY expensive, the bottles are so small they are not always labelled.

Enjoy, Rebecca