BATH SALTS OR CRYSTALS RECIPE

A simple recipe for mixing your own bath crystals at home

YOU'LL NEED.....
1) A large mixing bowl
2) Kitchen scales
3) Large tub or lidded bucket (to hold all of the mixture)
4) A clean, empty bottle/jar (for decanting as required)

INGREDIENTS
1 part *Epsom Salts or, if you wish. *Sodium Sesquicarbonate.
3 parts Coarse or Extra Coarse Sea Salt.
2% essential oil/s or fragrance.
Colour as required.

Important... Using extra coarse sea salt will give the product a look of bath crystals. It is important to remember that coarser granules don't take colour so well, so the colour will be mainly carried in the epsom salts or sodium sesquicarbonate.

HOW TO.....
Measure out the *epsom salts and sea salt into the tub or bucket.

Calculating the total weight of the mixture, measure out 2% in weight of your chosen essential oil/s or fragrance into the mixture and stir in thoroughly. (It is worth remembering that the volume and weight of *epsom salts and coarse sea salt correspond quite closely, so 200g of the mixture will also fill nearly exactly 200ml in volume, so for every 100g of mixture, use 2ml of essential oil/s or fragrance).

Next, if desired, colour can be added. Colours that work well in this mixture are ultramarines and oxides, so you have an immediate choice of pink, blue, green or purple. These are added a little at a time as powder and mixed thoroughly until the desired shade is achieved. Other colours that work well are Amaranth red, FCF blue, Tartrazine yellow and Sunset yellow, which come as powders but should be diluted in a little water and added a little at a time, mixing thoroughly, until the desired shade is achieved. When using diluted colours, be careful to minimise the water content as too much will make the salts 'wet'.

Leave the mixture to stand, covered, for at least a day for the fragrance to thoroughly permeate all the salts.

Using a large funnel or suitable utensil, you can now decant a little at a time into a suitable bottle or jar for using as you please.

For adding a little effervescence, mix together a little sodium bicarbonate and granular citric acid (50/50) and replace some of the sea salt weight-for-weight.

For all your ingredients, visit our on-line catalogue. Everything you need right here..........