Learn how to make an herbal bath soak with this easy recipe. It uses dried calendula and dried cornflower for a beautiful blue and yellow color and then packaged in test tubes, so it's ready for gift giving.

How to Make Herbal Bath Salts

If you're thinking ahead to Christmas, these bath salts with dried flowers are an inexpensive but beautiful gift to make.

They are easy to make, and you can make several in an hour to gift to teachers, friends, or anyone who can use some relaxation.

This recipe is in my November Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box. The theme is gift giving, which is one of my favorite boxes of the year.

For more bath salt recipes, check out these posts:

Want more recipes? My printable ebook Bath Salts has 30 easy recipes!

Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box November 2022

This herbal bath salts recipe was in the November Simply Earth recipe box. The recipe box is a monthly subscription box that has 6 bottles of oils plus supplies to make 6 DIY recipes.

This box has:

Focus blend
Frankincense
Ylang ylang
Cassia
Macrame kit
Test tube
Diffuser pack
Serum bottle
Recipe cards
Stickers

You'll use these supplies to make these floral bath salts, roller bottle, reed diffuser, diffuser blend, macrame plant hanger, and a facial serum.

Use code EVERYTHINGPRETTYFREE when you subscribe for a free $45 gift card that you can use on a future purchase. They have single oils, blends, and a nice selection of supplies to choose from.

What are Floral Bath Salts?

Floral bath salts, sometimes called herbal bath salts, are a bath salt made with Epsom salt or sea salt with dried flowers or herbs added.

This is a very easy way to use herbs or flowers for their properties, and it's the perfect recipe for beginners.

What Do Bath Salts Actually Do?

Herbal bath salts recipes have different benefits depending on the type of salt that you use and the herbs or flowers that you use. No matter which ones you use, homemade herbal bath salts will smell good thanks to the essential oils.

Bath salts are also said to promote wellness by relieving symptoms of minor muscle pain, stiff joints, anxiety, stress, and minor skin conditions like dry skin or eczema.

What is the Difference Between Bath Salt and Epsom Salt?

Sea salt is high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium to promote skin health. It can help reduce body acne and reduce inflammation.

Sea salt is also said to boost circulation to reduce muscle and joint pain. It can also cleanse and detox the skin.

Epsom salt is often used to detox the body through the skin. It's said to pull toxins from the body. The magnesium can also help reduce muscle or joint pain.

I used Epsom salt for my herbal bath salts recipe, but you can use sea salt if you prefer.

Can You Put Dried Herbs in Bath Salts?

Yes, you can use dried herbs to make an herbal bath soak. Since there's no water in this recipe, the herbs (or flowers) won't grow moldy.

Can You Use Fresh Herbs in Bath Salts?

You can make herbal bath salts recipes with fresh herbs, but they should be used right away. Do not store any leftovers because the fresh herbs can rot.

What Dried Flowers or Herbs Can You Use in Herbal Bath Salts?

I used calendula and cornflower for my homemade herbal bath salts. To be honest, I picked them because they are so pretty together and both have skin benefits.

Here are more dried herbs for bath salts ideas to use:

Roses
Chamomile flowers
Calendula
Comfrey
Lavender buds
Lemon balm leaf
Peppermint leaf
Violet leaf
Rosemary leaf
Passionflower
Cornflower
Raspberry leaf
Rosehips

I buy my dried herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs, Starwest Botanicals, or Grassroot Herb Supply. Mountain Rose Herbs has better prices, but you can get smaller quantities at Grassroot. Starwest has free shipping at $75.

How Do You Use Bath Salts With Flowers?

The calendula and cornflower in this floral bath salts are small, so you can dump the salts right into the water and soak.

However, if you use larger herbs or flowers like chamomile or lavender, then they may clog your pipes. In that case, I recommend using a large tea bag or organza bag.

Put the salts into the bag and then place the bag into the water as you fill the tub.

How Long Are Homemade Bath Salts Good For?

These bath salts with dried flowers are good for about 3 to 6 months after you make them. The oil used for the essential oils can cause clumping, so keep that in mind.

Do I Need a Preservative in Bath Salts?

No, you do not need a preservative for herbal bath salts. There's no water in the recipe, so mold and bacteria won't grow.

It's important to only use dried herbs and flowers because fresh plant matter will decay and rot.

If water gets into the bath salts, use them immediately or toss them.

Essential Oils for Herbal Bath Salts Recipe

I used ylang ylang and frankincense essential oils to make my floral bath salts. Ylang ylang is said to boost your mood, and it smells wonderful.

Frankincense is said to reduce anxiety in aromatherapy, and it also has skin benefits.

Since I used essential oils, I used fractionated coconut oil as a carrier oil. This is a light oil that soaks into the skin quickly.

If you don't use essential oils, then you can omit the carrier oil. You can also replace it with another carrier oil. Learn about carrier oils and their benefits.

Floral Bath Salts Recipe Ingredients

You will need the following to make 1 test tube or 3 tablespoons of calendula bath salts. You can multiply as needed to make a larger batch.

I suggest filling a test tube or your desired container with plain Epsom salts. Then measure how much it holds in tablespoons. That will give you an idea of how much to use.

2 tablespoons Epsom salt
1 tablespoon dried flowers or herbs (I used calendula and cornflower)
1 tablespoon fractionated coconut oil
2 drops ylang ylang essential oil
1 drops Frankincense essential oil
test tube container or other container