Relaxation Bath Salts

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my baths. It’s one of my few luxuries in life.  Since we’ve bought the condo, I’ve had to severely curtail my baths.  First off, the bath tub is small and not that comfortable.  But secondly, our hot water heater isn’t big enough for a long, hot bath.

Despite this, K knows the way to my heart and a couple of years ago he bought me some bath salts to soak in whenever I do feel the need for a bath.

It took awhile, mostly due to the fact that I couldn’t use them for a year while recovering from my open heart surgery, but last month I finally finished the bottle.  It’s a nice, heavy bottle, and I didn’t want to get rid of it, but neither did I want to buy another bottle of bath salts.

You see, I checked out the ingredients on this bottle, and while they contained lots of flower extracts, they also contained propylene glycol.

Ugh, propylene glycol is used in a lot of bath products, because it’s a humectant. A humectant is something that stops things from drying out.  I’m not sure why its needed in my bath salts, especially since the essential oils in them are in a glass container, but there’s a lot of things I don’t understand about many products.

Propylene glycol isn’t only in bath products, you can also find it in anti-freeze, brake and hydraulic fluid, certain paints, floor wax, commercial laundry detergent (not mine!), pet food, and some processed foods.  According to the Cosmetics Database, while it’s practically non-toxic when taken orally (i.e. in food), it’s been found to provoke skin irritation in as little as 2% concentration, when many cosmetics contain up to 50% of the substance.

In addition to propylene glycol, the Bath and Bodyworks bath salts also contain some other ingredients, that, while not bad, aren’t necessary for my enjoyment either.  The less ingredients, the better I feel.

So I decided to make my own bath salts. Easy peasy, as it requires epsom salts, and essential oil. Mix together and bottle.

I didn’t have an vanilla oil, but I do have plenty of lavender oil.  Lavender oil has been used for centuries in aromatherapy as a stress reliever. It’s actually a mild sedative! It’s also known for its skin healing properties.  Seeing as I’m a pretty anxious person naturally, I love the smell of lavender.

After mixing, I poured it into the old bottle, and I’m ready to go!

I’ve already used it once and can report it works just as well as the Bath and Bodyworks bath salts.

 Now, as you can see from my Etsy and Artfire stores, I am selling these bath salts (with liquid glycerin included to help retain moisture and pull oxygen into the skin – I was out when I made the ones in this post). 

But I thought it might also be a good idea to have my first blog giveaway ever – even including Little House on the Great Flats!

Do you also like to take baths?

I am offering one reader a free 16-oz. glass jar of my Relaxation Bath Salts.  Shipping to you will also be free!  When you open up the jar and inhale the lavender scent, you will instantly relax a notch or two.  Pour 4 tbsp (1/2 cup)  worth into a hot, running bath, and transport yourself into luxury for a time.

To enter:

1. Eligibility:

NO PURCHASE FROM MY ONLINE STORES IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS GIVEAWAY. 

Giveaways are open to readers with US shipping addresses only.

2. How to Enter:

Please leave me a blog comment on this post telling me what your favorite thing to do to relax is.

For bonus entries, please leave a separate comment letting me know you’ve done any of these:

1) Tweet about my giveaway linking to this post;

2) Subscribe to my blog through some sort of Reader;

3) Blog about this give away on your blog.

You have one week to enter.  Entries close at midnight on November 18, 2010, at which time a winner will be chosen by random.org 

 Good luck!