How to Make a Salt Scrub With Essential Oils

Adding essential oils to sea salt is one way to make your own natural salt scrub. Peppermint, lavender and eucalyptus all make excellent essential oils to add to bath salts as each contain numerous healing properties.

Peppermint soothes sore muscle liniments and stimulates the mind and body.

Lavender is calming, anti-inflammatory and treats acne and other skin irritations.

Eucalyptus is considered a balancing oil that also relieves sinus and chest congestion.

Sea sea works to detoxify the body while conditioning the skin and bath water. Base oils like sweet almond, grapeseed or apricot kernel are also needed for blending the essential oils as most essential oils--with the exception of lavender--cannot be applied directly to the skin.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups of sea salt
• 1 ounce base oil
• 6 to 8 drops of any combination of the following: lavender, eucalyptus or peppermint essential oils.
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cup

Instructions

1. Measure two cups of sea salt and pour into a mixing bowl.

2. Add 1 ounce of base oil to the bowl and 6 to 8 drops of any combination of lavender, eucalyptus or peppermint essential oils. Crush any drops of oil that clump together in the salt.

3. Stand naked in your bathtub or shower and massage the body gently with the salts. Start with your feet and work upward. Massage skin in a circular, clockwise motion.

4. Pick up any oiled salts that fall to tub and reuse them until the entire body has been massaged, with the exception of the face and neck.

5. Fill tub with warm water and soak in the oiled salts for added relaxation and relief.

Tips & Warnings

• Essential oils and sea-salt combinations also work as bath salts without using a base oil. Add 2 cups of sea salt and 6 to 8 drops of your favorite essential oils to a tub filled with warm water. Make sure salt and oils are well dispersed. Sea salt can also be used to scrub any oily film off your tub.

• If you suffer from asthma, take care when using essential oils. Eucalyptus has a very strong scent and can trigger asthma attacks.

References

• The Essential Oils Book by Colleen K. Dodt
• Salt Works: Making Bath Salts
• Free Beauty Tips: Homemade Salt and Sugar Natural Body Scrub Recipes

Resources

• Garden Guides: Fifty Ways To Use Essential Oils