Gereanna’s Spearmint Bath Salts. A tutorial ~
I begin with an image of the finished product. These salts are sealed, labeled, tagged, tied-up-in-a-buy-me-kind-of-bow and are ready to be sold in my resale space “Gereanna’s” at Pickers Paradise Mercantile & Auction House in Medford, Oregon.
In 2008, the world as I knew it, came crashing in. My beloved father ceased to resist the changing of form and passed on to the ‘nother places. I paused. . . for more than a year . . . in deep grief. Nothing much interested me for a very long time, until one day, I began reading “How To” articles relating to making bath and cleaning products from items we all have in our homes. I was up, off and running.
Since then, I’ve tried a gazillion different recipes ~ some worked well ~ some did not. Through trial and error, plus a whole lotta research, I’ve created my own formulas. Developed my own products. I’ve developed an in-home training course, and for a while, taught others how to make their own bath/home cleaning products. I’ve sold my products locally and online. Guess what my family and friends often get for birthdays and Christmas? And now . . . I’m blogging about them. It is amazing to me, looking back, how from the depths of despair, a direction is layed down in mostly little-tiny-baby-stepping-stones that lead us to . . . this moment.
The following is the recipe and instructions to make “Gereanna’s Spearmint Bath Salts.” Please note that the same recipe can be used with any scent you choose. However, the scents I find most healing to my mind, body, heart and spirit are; Spearmint, Lavender, Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Citrus & Lemon Grass. For best scent results, always use an all natural, better yet, an organic spearmint oil.
Materials Checklist:
_____ Clean containers with lids
_____ Sea Salt
_____ Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate)
_____ Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
_____ 100% Natural or Organic Spearmint Oil
_____ Food Coloring or Soap Tint
_____ Decorative Ribbon, Label, Ingredient List (All of these are optional)
I’ve purchased restaurant supply baking soda in the interest of saving money.
However, the consistency of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda is better for bath salts.
Epsom salt can be purchased at most grocery & drug stores.
There are many types of sea salts, all claiming therapeutic properties.
However, any type of sea salt will work with this recipe.
Natural or organic spearmint oil can be found at most health food stores.
GEREANNA’S SPEARMINT BATH SALTS RECIPE:
In a large, non-aluminum bowl (there is a school of thought that because baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) contains aluminum, it may cause a little over-kill when mixed with other substances in an all aluminum container. I cannot prove this. However, in the interest of “risk management,” I say, “just don’t.”) . . . mix equal parts baking soda, sea salt & epsom salts. NOTE: 1 cup of each will provide you with a sizable batch.
Remove about a half-cup of the mixture and place into a glass measuring cup. Add approximately 45 drops of spearmint oil. Mix well with a wire whisk. Add and mix tint one-drop-at-a-time, checking the color level through the glass to make sure your salts are not too heavily tinted. The tinting will tint the bath water, therefore shades of blues and greens are appealing. Of course, you can opt to skip the tinting all together!
Add oil/tint mixture back into large bowl and mix all together.
Option: When in season, I add some freshly harvested lavender buds to the mixture before containing.
Fill jars all the way to top, tapping the bottoms to help the salts settle.
It’s easy to design and print your own label or decoration.
Add a decorative accent !
Voila!
Use approximately 1/2 cup in bath water. Sit back. Breathe. Relax.
~Gerean
Your questions and feedback are invited and quite welcome.
GEREANNA'S 