h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I thought this would be an interesting topic to share. Anyone wanting to contribute recipes, tips or links to good suppliers for aromatherapy products post away! Below is a copy of a recipe I posted to a forum on homemade gifts (edited and added to for this new post:

Bath Salts are one of the easiest (albeit smelliest) things to make. Make sure you do this in a well ventilated area. You'll need the following:

Epsom Salts
Baking Soda
Essential Oils
Food Color (if you want to oh say dye your bath Tidy Bowl Blue!)
Rubber Gloves (I just buy the medical "turn your head and cough" type)

The base mixture for bath salts is equal parts Epsom Salts and Baking Soda. To about a cup of base mixture you add first your coloring (if you want colors) a few drops at a time, blending it with your hands (making the gloves a moral imperative) until the color is uniform (or not). Then do the same with the essential oils. The total amount of scent needed will vary based on the oils used as some are more potent than others. You can try your hand at blending the oils for different scents, which is often fun and sometimes nose deadening. A couple of good combinations are patchouli/sandalwood/vanilla, rosemary/peppermint (easy on this one unless you don't particularly like that friend). You can also buy already blended scents. Aura Cacia has some wonderful blends (Tranquility is my favorite) and the Body Shop does sell perfume oils (differnt quality than essential oils) in their various blends.

You can also make "bath bombs". You know, those fizzy bathtub alka seltzer type balls. All you do is add citric acid to the bath salt base (or straight baking soda) at 4 parts base to 1 part citric acid (any more citric acid and it's only good for giving to people you want to never call you again or wouldn't mind seeing in court). Then after you have finished the above simply use an unscented base oil (bath or massage blends are fine as long as they are unscented) and add a few drops at a time until the stuff will hold a shape. You can mold it with your hands or stuff it into oiled molds. Make each "bomb" using about 1/4 cup of the stuff. Then just let them dry for a week or so. Make sure you take them out of the mold to dry. Otherwise be prepared to drop it mold and all into the tub later...

Another quick and easy thing to make is for people who abuse their hands alot at work or whatever you can make a hand softener using sea salt, base oil and essential oils. Just add the oil to the salt a bit at a time until it turns into a sort of granular mess that is not at all "liquid" then add essential oil (only a few drops) if you want. To use they just rub this stuff into their hands and rinse off.

Enjoy!

links:
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Aura Cacia:
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I'm a big fan of lavender and frankensence, possibly with a little grapefruit thrown in as well - lovely!

Batty, thanks for the welcome message. I'm on the other side of the pond to you but it feels as if you're right here... hang on, who IS that in the kitchen? I'll get back to you later.

I hope you're enjoying the site, Roostar.. we're a strange lot but we have fun..