December, 21st 2020 · Stephanie Mary

Homemade Winter Spiced Bath Salts

Name: Homemade Winter Spiced Bath Salts
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 7
Ingredients: 3 Cups of epsom salt; 1/2 Cup of processed pine needles; 1/2 Cup of processed cedar leaves; 1/2 Cup of processed, dried orange peel; 1/2 Cup of processed dried or rosemary; 1/2 Cup of olive oil; 2 tbsp baking soda; 2-4 tbsp of juniper berries; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp of clove; 1/4 tsp of vanilla bean powder (optional); 10 - 20 drops of grand fir essential oil; 10 - 20 drops of scotch pine essential oil; 10 - 20 drops of black spruce essential oil; 10 - 20 drops of cardamom essential oil

I absolutely love creating homemade skincare and self-care items! With the holiday season approaching, I’ve been busy creating magic in the kitchen, creating all sorts of sustainable gifts! Nothing is better than giving a handcrafted self-care item to a close loved one. After a day of making, I was running a bath, and drinking spiced tea when the idea for homemade winter spiced bath salts came to me.

This isn’t the first time I’ve created a homemade bath salt blend! I absolutely love making homemade bath salts, but really focused on making one that’s full of warming spices to soothe the soul during the winter months. This winter spiced bath salts blend is designed to do just that! The aromatherapy is enchanting, and your skin will thank you!

‘Tis the season to get cozy

These homemade winter spiced bath salts were made to get warm and cozy! As someone who is originally from the Midwest, getting festive and enjoying the winter season, runs deep in my blood. When I was running a bath this idea popped into my head. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a bath salt blend with all of my favorite things?!

Alright, let’s set the mood. Stay with me here… Imagine you are drinking a cup of spiced cider while floating in a tub in an enchanted magical forest. You gaze up at the starry night and forest fairies are flying about. The smell of the whispering pines hit your nose. You feel at one with nature and the forest. The cool winter air melts away as your body is warmed by the bath and the herbs from the winter spices of the bath salts. Sound magical? That’s where my mind went when creating these magical bath salts!

Let’s clear up a few questions before we get to the good stuff!

Is it safe to add pine to my bath?

Yes, using pine or cedar is very safe to use in your bath. Here are a few tips though:

Make sure that if you are foraging your own ingredients, you know exactly what you are getting.
If you are purchasing your own cedar, make sure it comes from a good source. You don’t want to soak in anything unexpected!

What if my skin is sensitive?

If your skin is sensitive, I would cut the cloves in half. This recipe doesn’t call for a lot of cloves, but just to be safe, use your own judgment. for some people, clove can be irritating, especially to those with sensitive skin. The goal of these winter spiced bath salts is to warm and calm the skin, helping you to enjoy a relaxing treat during the winter.

So, what are the benefits of the spices?

The magic is in the spices and salts! When using bath salts, you can expect to get a relaxing, soothing experience. I came up with this recipe to be warming and invigorating for the winter months. Each spice is designed to do just that. Pine has warming qualities that enhance circulation which is perfect to use for the colder winter months.

I also added Cedar. Cedar is great as an anti-inflammatory which helps relieve some of the pain of the cold winter months. Using the orange peel is a common ayurvedic practice. The aromatics of the orange peel enhance the calming effects of the bath. It’s also wonderful for the skin, leaving it soft and comfortable.

Finally, we have cardamom which is great for grounding. I know during the winter months, especially the holiday season, life can get a little out of control. It’s great to come back to the center with a warming bath. With these bath salts, you will not only be warmed, but also grounded from the healing properties of cardamom.

What if I don’t have all of the ingredients?

If you don’t have specific essential oils or spices, you can swap them out for what do you have on hand. For example, if you don’t have fresh pine but you have a pine essential oil, use that instead! Or if you don’t have cardamom essential oil but you have ground cardamom in your spice drawer use that instead! The ingredients are easy to substitute if you have the essential oil or spice on hand.

Let’s Mix!

One of the best parts about making homemade bath salts is not only how creative you can get with the ingredients, but the simplicity of creating the recipe. I’ve made a variety of salves, body oils, and bath bombs which all have a few steps or have to infuse for a while. With the bath salts, all you need is the herbs and spices, salts, and a huge bowl to mix them together in! And you can enjoy them right away!

With this recipe, we used pine (or cedar) needles. You will need to grind those down to mix into the bath salts. For this, you could use a food processor or coffee grinder. Quick life hack if you are a hobby DIYer & using a coffee grinder: Buy a used coffee grinder and keep it just for your homemade crafting/witchy projects. (FYI: you don’t have to be a witch to make this).

Once you have everything, throw them into a bowl and mix until every ingredient is evenly distributed. You are now ready to use! This recipe does make a lot of salts. You can place them in large vials for storage and/or gifting, or in a mason jar.

A few handy tips

Since there are herbs in the bath salts, they do take on some of the water from the bath. You don’t want these going down the drain! I use a tea bag or other breathable bag such as a cotton muslin bag to infuse the bath salts into the water. You can also use a strainer near the drain so none of the herbs make it down the drain.

Escape to an enchanted forest

Once it’s all mixed together, it’s time to escape into an enchanted forest! To use, fill up a warm bath. Put about 1 cup of the salts into your bath and let the aroma fill the air! Your bath is now ready for you to escape and soothe away the stress of the day!

Let me know how you enjoy these bath salts! Tag me on Instagram (@mytinylagunakitchen), I’d love to see what you create and help if you need it! If you are looking for a one-stop shop to purchase all the ingredients at Mountain Rose Herbs is my go-to, as they have sustainable, organic products.