A long afternoon at the spa can do wonders for your mindset, but a stressful day seldom ends with enough time for luxury. Bath salts and sugars are simple in-home treatments that can leave you feeling pampered in between trips to the spa.
Finding the right type of salt for a DIY scrub is as simple as looking in the cupboard. Cooking salts like Kosher salt and picking salt are coarse and viable options, but iodized table salt will work in a pinch. And while everyday salts are quick and easy options, there are a handful of specialty products that will take your soaks and scrubs to the next level. Sea salt is extremely therapeutic and rarely contains additives, and exotic options like Himalayan and Hawaiian salts contain unique minerals that help skin achieve a refreshed glow.
Using bath salts offers fragrance and soft skin, but they also stimulate circulation, promote cellular regeneration, and tease toxins out of clogged pores. When infused with various essential oils, bath salts also reduce inflammation and relax muscles. Sugars are equally as effective and beneficial.
Considering sugar contains glycolic acid (an alpha-hydroxy acid that is paramount to keeping skin moisturized) it’s no surprise bath sugars and scrubs continue to rise in popularity. Exfoliating with sugars expels toxins and helps eliminate blemishes, and adding them to a warm bath promotes soft skin and balances oil levels.
For all of their benefits, bath salts and sugars are surprisingly simple to make. All that’s needed are mason jars, your choice of salt and sugar, and a few good recipes.
Bath Salts
Rosemary Lemon Salt Scrub
1 Cup kosher salt
¼ Cup olive oil
2 Teaspoons lemon essential oil (or zest of two lemons)
3 Tablespoons rosemary leaves, finely chopped
Mix all ingredients together and transfer to a mason jar for storage. Use a direct scrub or bath salt.
Exfoliating Coffee Scrub
1 Cup ground organic coffee
1 Cup Sea Salt
½ Cup coconut oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Warm the coconut oil until it is workable (not too hot). Add the coffee, salt, and vanilla and mix together. Store in a mason jar in a cool place.
Bath Sugars
Peppermint Sugar Scrub
2 Cups granulated sugar (white)
¼ Cup coconut oil
1 Teaspoon peppermint essential oil
Slowly mix the coconut oil and the sugar together. If the consistency is a bit dry, add in more oil a few drops at a time. You’re looking for a firm, but spreadable texture. Once the scrub is holding it’s proper form, add in a few drops of organic pomegranate juice for color and mix. Store in a mason jar.
Vanilla Lavender Sugar Scrub
1 ½ Cups granulated sugar (white)
¾ Cup almond oil
1 Teaspoon vitamin E oil
1 Teaspoon lavender essential oil
Mix all of the ingredients, and add a few extra drops of almond oil if necessary. Store in a mason jar and use as a scrub or to enhance your bath.
