Table of Contents
- Why Make Your Own Bath Bombs?
- What Are Epsom Salts and How Do They Help Pain?
- Bath Bomb Recipe to Ease Pain
- Tips for Customizing Bath Bombs
- Experimenting With Bath Bombs Is Fun
There’s very little a good soak in the tub can’t cure! If you’re a bath fan, you already know about the stress-relieving effects of a bubble bath. However, you may be tired of using bath products filled with artificial fragrances and other potentially harmful chemicals. That’s where a DIY bath bomb comes in. Read along to get a recipe for DIY bath bombs for pain relief and relaxation.
Why Make Your Own Bath Bombs?
A homemade bath bomb recipe for sore muscles and aches and pains offers a way to customize your bath experience. The truth is that most powders and bombs for bubble baths are full of chemicals, dyes, and filler ingredients. They can also contain artificial fragrances that may cause headaches or irritate your skin. While soaking in a tub is relaxing, commercial bath products offer little to support actual pain relief or wellness.
DIY bath bombs are great, even if you have found an organic bath brand you like. Let’s be honest about the fact that these products are often pretty expensive. By making bath bombs in bulk at home using your own custom, high-quality ingredients, you can typically produce each bath bomb for just a few cents. Once made, bath bombs are easy to store until you use them. They also make great gifts.
What Are Epsom Salts and How Do They Help Pain?
Epsom salt is one of the best things to add to a bath bomb. You may already be familiar with Epsom salt baths for their pain-relieving and recovery benefits. In fact, Epsom salt’s benefits for pain relief are so highly regarded that studies have shown that Epsom salt with hot water effectively reduces pain and may enhance function in arthritis patients.
An Epsom salt bomb provides an easy way to measure out the perfect amount of salt with less mess. Additionally, you can dress up an easy Epsom salt bath bomb recipe to include essential oil bath bombs for muscle pain. Just imagine the amazing natural scent that will envelop you in the tub!
Bath Bomb Recipe to Ease Pain (Featuring Epsom Salt and Magnesium)
This is an easy Epsom salt bath bomb recipe for DIY bath bombs for pain relief if you’re looking to get started. We call it the “Sweet and Salty DIY Bath Bomb for Pain” because of the mix of salt and vanilla. The magnesium in this recipe adds to its relaxation-inducing power to make it a perfect option for winding down before bed. We’ve also designed this vanilla-infused bath bomb to be free of dyes, reducing artificial ingredients and lowering costs.
Materials
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Large metal spoon
- Bath bomb molds (sheet or single balls)
Ingredients
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup citric acid
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup Epsom salt
- 1/4 cup magnesium flakes
- 2 tablespoons of carrier oil (coconut, grapeseed, almond, jojoba, or your preference)
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 40 drops of vanilla bean essential oil
- 1/3 cup chopped dried vanilla beans (optional)
Step-by-step instructions
To start, combine your baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch, magnesium flakes, and Epsom salt in a large bowl and stir them together well. In a separate small bowl, combine your carrier oil and essential oil of vanilla bean. Once both wet and dry ingredients are thoroughly blended separately, add the oils to the dry mixture. Slowly and gently work the ingredients together with your hands until you have a crumbly, clay-sand consistency.
If you’re adding dried vanilla beans, chop long pieces into smaller slivers. You can now add those slivers to the bowl.
Next, add the water to the mixture. Gently mix everything with your hands. The mixture should stay firm in your hands without crumbling or coming apart when you squeeze it. Again, the consistency should be like damp clay sand in your hands. Add a drop more of water if the mixture feels crumbly.
Add your mixture to your silicone molds. Pack mixture in firmly to alleviate air gaps. Turn the molds over onto a flat table or countertop to release the packed-in mixture. Bath bombs should be left to set for 48 hours. This recipe yields 24 ounces (enough for a dozen mini bombs or half a dozen 4-ounce bombs).
Tips for Customizing Your DIY Bath Bombs
If you don’t want to purchase molds just to try DIY bath bombs for pain relief for the first time, you can improvise with non-rounded bombs using muffin tins or ice trays. While this recipe emphasizes “sweet and salty” using vanilla bean essential oil, you can substitute it with any scent you prefer. If you want to keep things sweet while creating zestier essential oil bath bombs for muscle pain, consider using citronella or orange essential oils. Dried lemon peels, honeysuckle petals, or chamomile flowers can also be used as a substitute for vanilla bean slivers. It can even be fun to add invigorating peppermint essential oil for the holidays. Use your bath bomb nightly as part of a pre-bedtime ritual to help alleviate pain and unwind.
Homemade bath bombs should be kept in an airtight container away from moisture and natural light. Consider purchasing a plastic container with a lid that you can keep in a cabinet or pantry. The shelf life of a stored bath bomb is generally six to nine months.
Experimenting With Natural Pain Relief Bath Bombs Is Fun and Rewarding
It takes just minutes to create boutique-level bath bombs that cost just a few cents each at home. Epsom salt is the key ingredient that turns an ordinary bath bomb into a natural pain relief bath bomb. With that in mind, you can substitute everything from your carrier oil to your essential oil as long as you keep the salt in.