Rose and Herb Bath Tablets - Bath Blend of the Month

Time for another Bath Blend of the Month.  This recipe also makes a great gift.  You can choose any herbs you want to make the recipe, but I suggest roses or a combination with roses because these help soften and and soothe skin, especially if you have been outside in fall or winter wind.

Honey, the main ingredient in these tablets is a humectant meaning it brings moisture to the skin. So enjoy a calming and relaxing bath and rejuvenate your skin as well. 

Honey Bath Tablets

1/2 cups fine grain see salt

1 Tbls white clay

1/2 Tbls dried herb (I suggest either dried rose petals, or a combination of roses, rosemary and lavender)

1/2 cup pure honey

Combine class, herbs and sea salt in a bowl.  Warm honey to 300 degrees use a thermometer to be sure. Pour hot honey over mixture in bowl and stir to combine. Spoon into candy molds, pressing down with back of spoon. Cool completely. Unmold onto plastic wrap.  Individually wrap the tables and store in an air tight container. (makes 6 to 8 Tablets.)

TO USE: Place one tablet in your bath as you are filling to tub and allow to dissolve.  Slip in and unjoy with a cup of tea sweetened with honey.

Bubble Bath Cookies - Bath Blend of the Month

 As we get into the holiday cookie baking season I thought I would share a cookie you can use in the bath instead of to increase your calorie intake.  They also make great gifts if you package a bunch of cookies in a box or clear bag.  Just make sure you label them "not for human consumption," because no one wants their mouth washed out with soap!

Bubble Bath Cookie

1 cup Baking Soda

1/2 cup citric acid

1 Tablespoon lavender buds or crushed peppermint candies

2 oz. liquid castile soap

1 oz cocoa butter, melted

1 oz shea butter, melted

few drops of essential oil

Directions: 

Melt your Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter over water in a sauce pan or double boiler.  Once they are melted, remove from heat and add the castile soap.  Stir to keep everything liquid. Combine all of your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour your Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter into your dry mixture, if you want this scented you can add a few drops of essential oil in any scent you desire. Mix until well combined. You want your mixture to hold its shape when pressed into a ball about 1 inch in diameter. Press the balls into a rounded flat cookie shape on wax paper or press into a silicone mold as tightly as you can. Allow to set overnight. Remove from molds and continue to dry for another 24 hours.  Decorate with lavender flowers, rose petals and sugar. Wrap for later use.

TO USE: Place one cookie in bath and allow to dissolve.  Enjoy a nice relaxing fizzing bubble bath.

Bath Cookies - Bath Blend of the Month

I usually share a cookie recipe in December, but I decided not to wait on this one, because a bubbly bath in January will chase away the chills and give you a chance to relax after all that holiday hoopla.  This blend has an ingredient I have just recently discovered -SLSA, or Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate.  If you make bath bombs or other bubbling bath items, you'll love SLSA. It creates amazing bubbles in the water. You can also use it for solid bubble bath, bath truffles, and bath salts. This product is derived from coconut and palm oil, so it's 100 percent natural.

Bath Cookies

1 cup Baking Soda

1/2 cup Citric Acid

½ cup SLSA (or increase baking soda and/or citric acid by ½ cup to make up for the volume)

2 oz Melted Cocoa Butter

1 oz Melted Shea Butter

1 oz Essential oil of your choice (Lavender to relax, Peppermint to wake up, or Lemon to increase happy thoughts)

Directions: 

Melt your Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter. Combine all of your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour your Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter into your dry mixture and add your essential oil. Mix until well combined. You want your mixture to hold its shape when pressed into a ball, so experiment that it has enough stickiness to stay together and not crumble, by making a ball in your hands to test it. Once it is firm enough and not crumbly, press your mixture into a silicone mold as tightly as you can. Allow to set over night. Remove from molds and enjoy a nice relaxing fizzing bubble bath.

TO USE: Drop a single bath bomb into the bath water and watch the fizz!

How Tuesday Citrus Bath Bomb - Monthly Bath Recipe

Thought I would make this months bath recipe a how to, both because it is a Tuesday, but also it is getting close to gifting season and you can make these to give as gifts this fall.  They are great for a hostess, a family member, friend, teacher or anyone else who works hard for you (including you!)

To make them gift-able, wrap in colored cellophane or package in a glass jar.

How to - Citrus Bath Bombs

Mix together 1 cup baking soda,1/2 cup citric acid (I get mine through the mail - Etsy, Amazon, Mountain Rose Herbs, etc) 1/2 cup corn starch in a large bowl. Work out the clumps with your hands or a wooden spoon.

Now add in the 1/2 cup Epson salts and mix to combine.

You will need to use your hands to work in the Vitamin E as it easily clumps in the powdered ingredients.  This is a skin enricher and makes the bath bomb soothing to your skin.

Add some fragrance if you choose.  100% pure essential oil is best, add it by the drop and mix in carefully so it does not clump all in one place. You need to add at least 60 drops, but can add up to 120 drops depending on how strong you want the scent.

Here are a few choices and the benefits so you can decide what works for you:
     Grapefruit - anti-inflammatory and stress-fighter
     Eucalyptus - reduces inflammation, helps respiratory issues
     Lavender - anti-inflammatory, relaxing, reduces anxiety, improve brain function
     Lemon - rejuvenate energy, improve skin
     Lemon Balm - anti-inflammatory, skin health promoting, antibiotic
     Lemon Grass - reduces inflammation, repels bugs, fights bacteria
     Orange - decreasing wrinkles, easing anxiety, increasing circulation
     Rosemary - anti-oxidant, improves memory
     Thyme - increases circulation, balances hormones, kills germs

Now comes the tricky park.  You want to bombs to stick together, but if you add water they will fizz now and not later when you add them to the bath. So instead you use a spray bottle filled with Witch Hazel.  Spritz the mixture in the bowl a couple of times, then mix with your hands to get the moisture worked into the dry ingredients.

Spritz again.  Mix again.  Continue this process until the mixture clumps in your fist.  

Now it is ready to be pressed into the molds.  

Allow to dry in the mold for 24 to 48 hours depending on humidity, then unmold.  Store in a tightly sealed jar to hold back moisture.



TO USE: Add one bomb to bath water after tub is full.  Slip into the water and enjoy the fizzy joy and aroma.




Bath Bomb Recipe

 1 Cup Baking Soda
 1/2 Cup Citric Acid
 1/2 Cup Corn Starch
 1/2 Cup Coarse Epsom Salt
 1 1/2 Tablespoons Vitamin E Oil (3 droppers full)
 5 to 7 mL Essential oil of your choice (Skin safe fragrance)
 Witch Hazel as needed

Directions:
1. Measure out the Baking Soda, Citric Acid and Corn Starch and pour into the bowl. Work the powders to remove any clumps.
2. Add the Coarse Epsom Salt to the powders and mix until combined.
3. Add the Vitamin E Oil to the dry ingredients and mix using your hands until there are no more clumps.
4. Add Essential Oil and mix until well incorporated.
5. Spray the mix with Witch Hazel (between 10 and 15 sprays, 2 at a time.) Mix in with your hands until the mixture clumps in your fist.
6. Press your mixture into a silicone mold as tightly as you can. 
7. Allow to set over night.
8. Remove from molds and enjoy a nice relaxing fizzing bath.