Homemade Lavender Bath Salts Recipe + Free Printable Labels

See how to make a homemade lavender bath salts recipe at home in this quick beauty DIY. A lavender bath is excellent for relaxation, stress relief and aching muscles. You only need a few ingredients for this DIY herbal bath soak, which also makes a lovely handmade gift. The step-by-step tutorial includes tips for packaging, storage, and free printable labels.

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Natural + easy DIY lavender bath salts recipe

My love for lavender bath products is no secret on this blog. After lavender lip balm, soap, bath truffles, and sleep spray, I want to you show my homemade lavender bath salts recipe.

This homemade lavender bath salts recipe was originally published in 2017, and the post was republished in 2020 to add updated pictures and useful tips.

Lavender bath salts benefits

What do lavender bath salts do? Salt baths have a wide array of benefits for relaxation and well-being. Enjoying a bath filled with warm water, salt, and fragrant lavender is one of the best ways to restore your mind and body after a long day.

The possible lavender bath salt benefits include:

• improve skin health and hydration
• reduce skin inflammation and dryness
• relieve eczema and itchiness
• promote sleep and stress reduction
• soothe muscle soreness and joint pain

Materials for lavender bath soak

Before showing you how to make DIY bath salts at home, I want to talk about the ingredients in this homemade lavender bath soak. You only need a handful of materials, but it’s worth to take a moment and learn the benefit of each.

If you prefer to go straight to the recipe, feel free to skip this section and scroll down to the how-to box at the end of the post.

Salt

I used a blend of Epsom salt and coarse sea salt in this homemade bath soak. Each salt has a different mineral composition, which complement each other, giving you the best benefits.

Epsom salt releases magnesium and sulfates when dissolved in water. Both minerals are important for many bodily functions.

Sea salt is mostly composed of sodium chloride and trace nutrients, which are essential for the body and may improve several skin issues.

Although the evidence for mineral absorption through the skin is inconclusive, the topical application of salts is beneficial for the skin.

This free bath salt recipe is very customizable, and you can use many kinds of salt. Pink Himalayan or French Clay salt would also make excellent additions.

Dried lavender buds

Dried lavender will infuse the bathwater with the wonderful properties lavender has to offer.

My goal was to create a bath soak recipe that doesn’t solely rely on essential oils. Creating a herbal bath soak with actual plant materials delivers just that.

Although lavender essential oil is touted as being one of the safest and most tolerable EOs, some still react sensitive to it. Using dried lavender allows you to enjoy DIY bath salts without essential oils.

Lavender essential oil

Lavender essential oil takes this easy bath salt recipe to the next level. The oil does a stellar job at balancing the skin’s moisture barrier. It also boosts potent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that soothe itchy, irritated skin.

Furthermore, lavender contains linalool, a compound that produces a sedative effect and seems to interact with the neurotransmitter GABA to help quiet the brain and nervous system activity, reducing agitation, anger, aggression, and restlessness.

We already talked about the lavender bath benefits and for the best lavender bath salts, make sure to buy a high-quality essential oil from a reputable company.

While lavender perfume oils smell lovely, they pack zero aromatherapy benefits and won’t do much for skincare and relaxation.

Carrier oil

To use essential oils safely, they need to be diluted in a carrier oil. Plus, the oil will leave your skin soft and hydrated after the bath.

Feel free to choose whatever liquid oil you like and have available. Fractionated coconut oil, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, or grapeseed oil are all suitable choices for this lavender salt bath.

Emulsifier

Oil and water will never mix unless you add an emulsifying agent. The emulsifier makes it possible that the carrier oil and essential oil become finely dispersed in the bathwater instead of just pooling on the surface.

I used PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate as an emulsifier in this recipe. This product is non-GMO, vegan, and has a wonderful conditioning effect for soft skin.

Another option is sunflower lecithin, which is a liquid, inexpensive and natural emulsifier.

Colouring (optional)

Soap dye, purple mica, or even liquid food colour can be used to colour the relaxing bath salts. I used a natural purple food colour that gave the bath soak a lovely lavender hue. Mica will make the Epsom salt recipe sparkly, which is also stunning.

If you need a completely natural option, try purple yam (ube) powder. The root powder looks a bit pale but turns the bathwater in a stunning purple hue.

Of course, it’s entirely up to you if you want to colour your herbal bath soak or not. Both versions are beautiful as you can see in the pictures.

How to make lavender bath salts

How do you make lavender bath salts? Making relaxing bath salts is very quick and beginner-friendly. Everyone can make spa bath salts recipes, even if you have never tried homemade body care products before.

Here’s a rundown of the steps for how to make DIY lavender bath salts:

1. Mix the liquids. Add the carrier oil, emulsifier, and lavender essential oil into a small mixing bowl. Stir until the liquids are blended.
2. Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, carefully combine the Epsom salt, sea salt and lavender buds.
3. Finish the bath salt. Add the liquid ingredients from step 1 to the salt-lavender mix. Stir until well combined.
4. Color the bath salt. Optionally, add a few drops of purple food colouring or soap colourant to tint the lavender bath soak.
5. Store. Transfer the DIY lavender bath salt into an airtight storage container.

How much does the bath salt recipe make?

The recipe makes approximately 3 cups lavender bath soak.

How to use

Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salt per bath under running water and stir with your hands, so the salt dissolves. A water temperature of 96°F to 100°F /36°C to 38°C is ideal. Bath and relax for 10 to 20 minutes.

The salt will completely dissolve, but the lavender buds will not. I recommend putting a fine-mesh drain cover over the plughole to catch them and avoid clogging the drain.

Packaging ideas + printable labels

The options for packaging your Epsom salt bath soak recipe are nearly endless. Just make sure that the bath salt storage container closes airtight.

I filled my homemade bath soak gifts in adorable milk bottles and flip-top jars. Quilted mason jars, yogurt jars, or these pretty spice jars would also make gorgeous bath salt packaging ideas.

And if you’re interested in packaging your DIY lavender bath salts in test tubes, check out my homemade bath shots tutorial.

Decorated with free printable labels, homemade lavender bath salt is a pretty handmade gift for friends and family. Download the printable bath salt labels at the end of the post.

Variations

You can easily adapt my natural bath salts recipe to suit your skincare needs and personal preferences. Here a few ideas to get you started:

• lemon lavender bath salts: Make the DIY bath soak as instructed, but scent with 15 drops lavender essential oil + 10 drops steam-distilled lemon essential oil. Optionally, also add dried lemon zest. Lemon essential oil is said to regulate oil production provide deep cleansing.
• lavender rose bath salts: Prepare the lavender bath salts recipe with 1/4 cup dried lavender + 1/4 cup dried rose petals + 12 drops lavender essential oil + 12 drops rose absolute. This relaxing bath salt recipe is wonderful to soothe sensitive skin.
• lavender rosemary bath soak: For this floral lavender soak, add 17 drops lavender + 7 drops rosemary essential oil. If you have available, stir in a few tablespoons of dried rosemary. Rosemary lavender bath salts are beneficial for oily and acne-prone skin.
• eucalyptus lavender bath soak: These relax bath salts are made by adding drops 15 lavender essential oil + 10 drops eucalyptus essential oil to homemade bath soak recipe. Eucalyptus is helpful to open clogged airways and relax tired muscles.

Storage instructions

For the best shelf life, follow these tips for how to store bath salts:

• Keep your DIY lavender salts in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
• Heat breaks down essential oils, so ensure the storage container isn’t exposed to sunlight or a heat source (e.g. radiator).
• If you can, store the homemade bath salt recipe out of the bathroom. Due to high humidity, the bathrooms aren’t the best place to store homemade bath salts.

How to keep bath salts form hardening

To prevent bath salts hardening, make sure the bath salt container is tightly closed when not using your DIY scented bath salts. Storing bath salts correctly is especially important if you live in an area with high humidity.

Salt draws moisture from the air, and that moisture causes the salt crystals to melt a little. As a result, the crystals begin to clump together, making DIY bath salts hard and difficult to use.

Shelf life

The shelf life of this homemade lavender bath salt is 2 years. Salt is extremely shelf-stable and doesn’t expire. Lavender essential oil has a long shelf life of about 6 years. Most carrier oils, however, will last only for 1 to 2 years.