How to Make Bath Salts for Fun and Profit

Who doesn't just love soaking in a warm bath while enjoying the beautiful scent of lavender? It's deeply relaxing!

In this lesson we will make Lavender Bath Salts.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lavender Essential Oil (you may purchase this or make your own. See, "How to Make Lavender Essential Oil at Home" at the bottom of this page under RESOURCES.)
• Box of Epsom Salts
• Box of Baking Soda
• Box of Kosher Salt (found in any grocery store)
• Box of Table Salt
• Blue Food Coloring
• Red Food Coloring
• Large, Clean Glass Jar (about the size of a pickle jar)
• Small, Pretty, wide-mouth Jars (or baseball-card size plastic bags)
• Pretty Purple Ribbon
• Computer with Printer
• Hole-Punch tool if using jars
• Stapler and tape if using bags
• Spoon (or small scoop) to fill the jars or bags
• Craft Scissors (ones that have a wavy edge)
• Scissors to cut ribbon

1. 
    
   Clean Jar

   Make sure your pickle jar is clean and dry (the top must be clean as well).
   
   Fill Jar about 1/4 of the way with the Epsom Salts.
   Add the Kosher Salt until the jar is half-full.
   Add the table salt. Your jar will be 3/4 of the way full.
   Add baking soda, but don't fill jar. You need some space left over.

2. Cap the jar and shake gently--you only want to lightly mix up the ingredients.

3. Open the jar and add drops of the Lavender Essential Oil. Add it according to your own scent preference. Record how many drops you used.
   
   Add 3 drops of blue food coloring and 2 drops of red.

4. Cap the jar and shake the contents until the color is fairly uniform.
   Are you pleased with this color? If so then proceed to the next step.
   
   If not, then uncap and add a drop or two more of food coloring. Shake well and repeat until YOU are happy with the color. Record the number of red drops and the number of blue drops.

5. 
    
   Make it Pretty!

   Using your scoop (or spoon), fill your pretty jars (or bags) with the finished bath salts.
   
   Just cap the jars. For the bags, fold down and tape (or staple) in place.
   
   Make as many batches as you wish--it keeps for a really long time!

6. Print up pretty labels using your computer.
   I call my Lavender Bath Salts, "Relaxation".
   
   Using a pretty font, print them up (all on one sheet) and leave enough room to cut them out and if you are using jars, punch a hole in the top of each label. No holes are necessary for the bags.

7. 
    
   Presentation is KEY!

   Using your craft scissors, cut out each label and punch a hole in the top center.
   
   To place labels on your jars, cut a length of ribbon equal to 3 times the circumference of your jar top. To figure this, just wrap the ribbon around the jar top 3 times and cut it. Cut the rest of your ribbons the same size. Thread the two ends of the ribbon from the back of the label so that the ends are sticking out the front. Place the ribbon just under the jar top and tie in place. Make a pretty bow!
   
   To add the labels to the bags, cut a length of ribbon that you will be comfortable working with (to tie a pretty bow). Hold the label on the bag and place a length of ribbon over the spot you will be stapling. Staple it and tie a pretty bow.

8. 
    
   Soothing!

   To enjoy the bath yourself, just add some to your bath and swish the water to dissolve. Your entire bathroom will be beautifully scented!

Tips & Warnings

• If you accidentally added too much color or scent, just divide the salt mixture and add it to the jar with a fresh batch of ingredients.
• If you plan to sell these salts, you will need to figure out how much it cost you to make them. Add the cost of every ingredient (including the ribbon) used and divide that by the number of jars or bags you made. For example, if you spent $10 to purchase the ingredients and jars (or bags) and you made 30 jars (or bags), your cost per item would be $0.34 per item. 10.00/30=.333 Knowing this number will help you realize a healthy profit margin.
• You can sell the bags for $2.95 each. Here's a smarter idea, sell them for $1.00 and you will make a larger profit because the bags are just one bath. You will have a repeat customer who may decide to purchase your larger jars. Also, people tend to buy more items if they are only $1.00 each and may even pass these on to others, further increasing your customer base.
• For a 16oz jar of Bath Salts, you can charge anywhere from 10-30 dollars.
• Presentation is KEY! Only a loser tries to sell an inferior product in an ugly package. In everything you do, do your best and you can't fail.
• Caution : Do not use lavender within the first three months of pregnancy.

Resources

• How to Make Lavender Essential Oil at Home

[yggdrasill]

on 10/9/2009 This is a great idea.
And the best thing is? The FDA does not make you have a license if you are producing things 'organically'. And the Salt is already approved. So no worrying about selling these, just go for it!

[ana072]

on 2/3/2009 There are some other create things you can make as well as bath salts. That article is somewhat difficult I have a short and simple way of doing this. You can also make your own candles too. They are so cool.

[wookie]

on 11/22/2008 can I sell bath salts at a christmas bazarr? Do I need a license or anything, Please help.

antonia

[ana072]

on 10/21/2008 I have fun making my salts and my soaking oils. I have started making some cleansing waters as well. I have a few close friends that love my products and my sisters say that they are very relaxing.
Have fun with your own energies,
Yolanda

[acole]

on 5/27/2008 Cute idea. Thanks!