If you have ever visited a designer bath and body boutique, you have doubtlessly seen Dead Sea bath salt on the shelves. Made from salt from the Dead Sea area, Dead Sea bath salt has special healing properties for those suffering from painful skin conditions such as psoriasis and ezcema. This has been proven in a number of clinical studies. As well, if you are suffering from general aches, pains or bruising, a nice long hot bath with a generous amount of Dead Sea bath salt will ease your pains. A very high price tag is another distinguishing feature of Dead Sea bath salt, but luckily you will not have to pay it. Making your own Dead Sea bath salt is easy, affordable and fun.
Why is Dead Sea bath salt so special? The answer is that the Dead Sea salt it is made from is packed with so many wonderful healing minerals. The Dead Sea is located in the Middle East, and encompasses regions of Jordan, the West Bank and Israel. The Dead Sea is actually not a sea at all, it is a salt water lake. The Dead Sea is the lowest geographic area on Earth, and the mineral content of its waters are extremely high. The waters of the Dead Sea are six times saltier than the ocean, and contain large quantities of magnesium chloride, calcium chloride and potassium chloride. Because of the low elevation of the area, the water cannot drain off, and the only way water leaves the Dead Sea is through evaporation, thus creating the extremely high mineral content.
The Dead Sea bath salt that you can purchase in stores is likely marked up 600% from what it cost to make it. But you can make your own so easily, and be laughing all the way to the bank. Here are the ingredients you need to make Dead Sea bath salt:
3 cups Epsom salt–you can use 100% Dead Sea salt if you choose
2 cups Dead Sea salt
1 cup baking soda
1/2 oil essential or fragrance oil of your choice
3 tbsp glycerin
Coloring agent–add drop by drop until desired shade is reached.
Note: an optional, but very beneficial ingredient to add is a 1/4 cup dendritic salt. This salt has a special star-shaped molecular structure that “grabs on” to your fragrance or essential oil molecules and keeps them from being oxidized by the magnesium in the salts. This makes for a longer shelf life for your Dead Sea bath salt and makes the fragrance stay true longer.
There are certain essential oils that you should stay away from in your Dead Sea bath salt. Black Pepper, Basil, and Cloves essential oils are among those that should never be used while bathing as they may sting sensitive skin. Consult a good guide for essential oil before adding to your Dead Sea bath salt.
An easy way to add your colorant and fragrance is to pour some of your newly created Dead Sea bath salt into a ziplock bag, add your colorant and fragrance and knead them together inside the bag.
A fun way to create pretty layered Dead Sea bath salt that you can give as a gift is to take some of your bath salt and tint it as described above, then do another batch a different color. Scoop each layer into a pretty jar, and you will get a pleasing striped effect. Leaving some uncolored will make a nice white layer in your jar.
See how easy it is to make your own Dead Sea bath salt? You can make this for mere pennies compared to the cost of buying it in the stores, and it should take not much more than 15-20 minutes to make a batch if you are using colorant. As well, you know exactly what has gone into your Dead Sea bath salt and not have to worry about being exposed to a bunch of chemicals you can’t pronounce. So save money, and make your own Dead Sea bath salt at home!
