These are a nice, pampering treat to both give and receive (great fillers to tuck into gift baskets ^[1]).

Ingredients are varied and I included a few different ideas to inspire some creativity (round balls, heart shaped, cupcakes and multi-colored examples).

There’s also a video tutorial at the bottom and another recipe.

First, here are a few tips:

• Tint them any color desired by adding drops of liquid food coloring.
• If wishing to make them multi-colored, mix in separate batches and then pack individually (in layers or swirls). If colors are mixed together before packing, you’ll liking get an odd solid color instead.
• If they fall apart or crumble too easily, they’re likely not being packed hard enough in the molds. It could also be that there’s not enough water.
• If they’re cracking, it’s likely that too much water has been added.
• Dry them overnight before moving or packing them then store in an airtight container.

marthastewart.com

Snowballs ^[2]: Made with epsom salts, EO, a drop of food coloring.

With Witch Hazel ^[3]: Ingredients include citric acid, baking soda, witch hazel, coloring, fragrance or EO. Use a shaped or dome mold to shape them.

handcraftedsoap.blogspot.ca

petitelefant.com

Cookie Scoop Method ^[4]: Ingredients include epsom salt, cornstarch, bicarb, citric acid, EO and olive oil. A cookie scoop or plastic easter egg half is used to shape the bombs.

Milk & Honey Hearts ^[5]: Yields about 6 large ones made in the form of hearts.

naturalbeautyworkshop.com

makeandtakes.com

Royal Icing Cupcakes ^[6]: Sweet craft project made in paper cupcake liners and frosted with real sugar (Royal Icing).

Frosted Cupcakes ^[7]: Made in silicone cupcake molds, also topped with a real sugar frosting.

thecraftychica.blogspot.ca

soap-queen.blogspot.ca

Mondo ^[8]: Ingredients used are citric acid, bicarb, pink grapefruit fragrance, witch hazel and red mica (so they’re pink).

Cubes ^[9]: Packed in flexible silicone ice cube trays. Display in glass jars once the cubes are hardened.

marthastewart.com

pipii.co.uk

Simple ^[10]: Basic supplies needed: Corn flour (cornstarch), bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), citric acid, EO, food coloring (optional) and water. Use cookie cutters are used for the creative shapes.

Beach Shells ^[11]: Made with bicarb, citric acid, ground kelp, EO blend and packed into shells.

beyondagarden.blogspot.ca

thecoterieblog.com

Soothing For Colds ^[12]: Use eucalyptus EO (to help sooth coughs/colds) or chamomile/lavender to help relax.

Here’s a good step-by-step tutorial in video format. It’s a bit long at over 7 minutes, but it moves along quickly (includes some fun bloopers at the end)…

Summary:

• These soften the skin, they are an emollient and they’re lots of fun–they start to fizz when they hit the water.

Supplies Needed:

1 cup baking soda
3/4 cup citric acid (causes the fizzing)
2 TBS white kaolin clay ^[13]
1 TBS grapeseed oil
2 tsp Polysorbate 80 ^[14] (or jojoba oil)
little bit of Vitamin E oil
1/4 tsp gel colorant
1/4 tsp Borax
1 tsp Fragrance oil
12 squirts of rubbing alcohol (mixed in 3 squirts at a time)

Quick Tips:

• Wear gloves when mixing.
• Mixture should be the consistency of damp sand before packing it.
• For something different, place candy hearts on the inside of the molds before packing in the mixture. Hearts will be seen on the outside of the finished product.
• Add dead sea salts to the extra powder mixture after making them (say you didn’t have enough left to fill another mold), seal in a ziploc bag and mix. Let the powder dry and then a nice fizzing bath salt is the result.

*First published January 18, 2008 and moved to this page for better organization

This is an interesting recipe, first cook a batch of bath cookies then add them to the tub after they’ve cooled.

The batch yields 24 which is enough for about 12 soaks (if using 2 at a time).

My hard copy looks like a photocopy of a newspaper clipping, but I’m not sure which newspaper or who the author is.

Supplies Needed:

2 cups finely ground sea salt
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 TBS light oil
1 tsp vitamin E oil
2 eggs
5 drops EO (choice)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Mix all items together.
• Gently roll dough into balls (approx 1″ in diameter, about 1 tsp).
• Place each on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes until lightly browned.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

To Use: Drop 1 or 2 cookies into a warm tub and allow to dissolve.

Yield: 24 cookies

Also check out these these DIY Salts & Soaks ^[15].