Milk Bath & Bath Salts

Life is good. While I walk/jog, do Pilates, and exercise religiously, my friend can down two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream (1420 calories), after eating a pound of pasta alfredo. He’s tall and lean, and never exercises.

I’ve been experimenting with fragrance combinations recently. I love rose, light citrus, and spicy scents, and wondered if a combination of all three would work. I combined Rose Absolute, Lime Essential Oil, and Allspice Fragrant Oil in a 3:2:1 ratio, and it was wonderful! I added this to milk bath and bath salts, and my bathroom smelled like a tropical resort!

I add my essential oils to dendritic salt first, as this helps prevent the oils from spoiling, and helps the fragrance last longer. I need to add a lot more fragrance to milk bath and bath salts than I do to a batch of soap…after all, the milk bath and bath salts will be diluted in a tub of water!

I wasn’t able to find dendritic salt locally, but I did find it and other great products, prices, and service at Arkieannie. Arkieannie has most of the basics I need to make bath and body products, including Kaolin and Bentonite clays. I purchase essential oils at New Directions Aromatics but of course there are many suppliers out there. Dendritic salt is about 5% of my recipe, and I add the oils and fragrances to this first.

Milk Bath:

2 cups non-fat dry milk; 1 cup cornstarch; 1/2 cup baking soda

Bath Salts:

2 cups Epsom salts; 1/2 cup sea salt; 3 TBL baking soda

I combine ingredients in a large stainless steel bowl, mixing well. (I do this in a clean, safe, designated area of my workshop, and I wear disposable vinyl gloves and a headcover). I measure and take out the amount I want to color and scent, and put this in one of those plastic self-locking containers with a lid. I add powdered, FDA-approved soap colorant, and shake until the color is evenly dispersed. I then add my scented dendritic salt, and shake well.

I package my Milk Bath and Bath Salts in the plastic candy “treat bags” I buy at my local craft store in the candy-making section. I label it according to FDA specifications, seal it using a sealer, and add raffia or ribbon. Ready as a gift or an item to sell!

You can see more at DesertSal.etsy.com