These DIY lavender bath salts are so simple to make, and might inspire you to get creative and make your own blends. Not only is this an inexpensive recipe, the ingredients are so healthy…

There's something about the simple pleasure of bathing that we all recognize as one of the foundational self-care practices to go to first. In fact, baths have recently become sort of the “basic bitch” of the wellness world – a Thought Catalog piece headlined, “This is What Self Care Really Means Because It's Not All Salt Baths and Chocolate Cake” springs to mind. They're right, of course. We should all take care to be super conscious about our self care habits so that we don't need to resort to self rescue coping mechanisms instead.

Salt baths have place. I'm comforted by every aspect. Consider:

the ritual behind preparing a bath can be a powerful mindset and/or intentional practice if you want it to be
you can choose to include specific herbs and oils to address your personal health + emotional concerns
bathing itself is relaxing and soothing for sore joints, muscles, and other types of pain
we have the opportunity to replace magnesium, a mineral most of us are deficient in

Ingredients You'll Need

1 cup epsom salt
1 tablespoon of baking soda
6 drops of Lavender essential Oil

Directions

Combine Epsom salt, baking soda and essential oil in glass bowl. Mix well. Store in glass container with lid. Use ½ cup of mixture in your bath. Yes, it's that easy!

You can also add dried herbs to your bath salts, but if you do, you should use a muslin bag to add them to your bath so that they don't damage your plumbing. Just put the salts in the bag and put in your bath, yes, like a giant mug of tea. The salts will dissolve into the water just fine.

Why This Works

Epsom salts serve as a much-needed source of magnesium, which most of our population is deficient in. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include muscle soreness, fatigue, loss of memory or “brain fog,” among other problems.

Baking soda added to a bath can help alleviate certain skin conditions, specifically those associated with yeast. It's also been shown to have a positive effect on vaginal pH. According to Healthline.com, “A 2014 study found that baking soda killed Candida cells that lead to yeast infections. Baking soda has also been found to have general antifungal affects.”

Because both minerals can be drying, it's recommended that you drink plenty of water before bathing with salts.

Lavender is a beloved herbal “jill-of-all-trades” that promotes rest, positive mood, and healthy skin.