A homemade foot bath is a wonderful DIY spa experience! You can set up a foot bath in preparation for a mani-pedi, to soothe swollen feet on a hot summer day, or to soften foot calluses and corns.

Homemade foot bath

The base of this homemade foot bath is made with Epsom salt, a magnesium sulfate compound known to reduce inflammation, relieve pain and eliminate odour. Dried milk powder and moisturizing sweet almond oil act as emulsifiers to disperse the essential oils in the water.

Tea tree oil helps to soften calluses, while peppermint oil and rosemary soothe cracked, dry skin. The citrus essential oils and lemon peel will leave your feet smelling wonderfully fresh and clean. And now onto smooth feet!

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For gift giving, I like to fill this homemade foot bath into small organza or cotton bags and decorate each bag with our printable labels, which you can download and print out after the recipe.

Homemade Foot Bath Recipe

Yield: 1 1/4 cup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Difficulty: easy

A homemade foot bath is a wonderful DIY spa experience! You can set up a foot bath in preparation for a mani-pedi, to soothe swollen feet on a hot summer day, or to soften foot calluses and corns. If you want to use the foot bath right away, prepare the recipe with fresh herbs and lemon zest. Use dried rosemary, peppermint, and citrus peel if you want to gift the homemade.

Materials

225 g (1 cup) Epsom salt
30 g (1/4 cup) whole milk powder
the finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed organic lemon
1 tsp dried peppermint leaves, crushed
1 tsp rosemary needles, crushed
1 tsp sweet almond oil
15 drops tea tree essential oil
15 drops peppermint essential oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil
10 drops lime essential oil

Instructions

Mix the bath salt. Add all ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir well to combine.
Package the foot bath. Using a spoon, transfer the bath salt into an organza or cotton bag, tie up and decorate with ribbon and a printable label. The recipe is enough to fill 3 organza gift bags.

Notes

How to use the homemade foot bath

There are 2 ways to use the foot bath:

Make a refreshing cold foot bath

A cooling foot bath helps to relax swollen, sore feet. To make it, fill a bowl large enough for your feet with cool water (15°C / 60°F). Add1/3 cup of the foot bath mixture and stir. Let your feet soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and dry your feet afterwards.

Set up a relaxing warm foot bath

A warm water foot bath relaxes and can help to ease foot cramps. To set it up, pour warm water (37°C / 98°F) into a bowl large enough to put your feet in. Add a bag and place the feet in the bath for 20 to 30 minutes.

Who can use a foot bath?

Foot baths may not be suitable if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, varicose or blood flow disorders. Please note that this isn’t medical advice and you should consult with a physician or doctor to address any questions or concerns about using a foot bath.

Print the label

Print the label on A4 or letter photo paper or cardstock, cut out along the grey lines and use a single-hole puncher to cut a hole for threading a ribbon.