Fizzy Lavender Bath Salts

Every Christmas, we make a big batch of John’s family recipe eggnog. We save some A LOT for ourselves but also pack plenty up to give as gifts to local friends, along with a few kinds of homemade cookies and cranberry granola. One of my goals this year was to make a few homemade gifts that aren’t food-related, and this weekend, I got started with simple Fizzy Lavender Bath Salts. A sea salt bath is beneficial to improve skin hydration, texture and tone, as well as reduce muscle pain and stiffness. Lavender is widely known to be calming but also has antiviral, bacterial, and anti-inflammatory benefits. And besides therapeutic purposes, a hot bath just feels wonderful. Who wouldn’t want to receive the gift of relaxation?

Full disclosure: I had a little kit from Herban Crafts that contained the ingredients to make the bath salts, but it was so easy that I’ll definitely make it again. We have tons of lavender growing in our yard so next year, I’ll try to harvest the buds. I also did a quick online search and I found the other ingredients at Amazon! Here’s what you need:

• 5 ounces lavender buds
• 8 ounces sea salt
• 2 ounces baking soda
• 2 ounces citric acid
• Jars and labels

Using our little mortar and pestle, I ground up half of the lavender buds as much as possible. You could also pop them into a small food processor for a few pulses. I added them to a bowl full of the sea salts.

I used a sieve to remove any clumps in the baking soda and citric acid, which went right into the bowl, too. The combination of these items makes the FIZZ!

Last, I added the leftover whole lavender buds and stirred the mixture well. That’s it! The kitchen smelled like a luxurious spa as I used a funnel to fill some 4-ounce jars with the bath salts. I love that you can see the lavender buds in the jar.

I had some labels on hand that fit the little jars perfectly and wrote “Fizzy Lavender Bath Salts” on them. You could design labels and print them, but I think the handwritten label makes the recipient know that this is a homemade gift full of love.

My little kit made 2 little containers (with some leftover for me!), but if you purchase the ingredients in bulk, it would be super simple to make a bigger batch for more gifts. You could use different dried herbs and add essential oils for fragrance, like vanilla, citrus, or mint. These bath salts make a perfect little stocking stuffer! I’ll dress them up with a fancy ribbon. You could also pop one of the jars into a cellophane bag, add a scented candle and a small container of yummy lotion, and jazz it up with bows for a relaxation-themed Secret Santa gift or a token for a sweet neighbor.

Let the holiday fun commence!

Here’s where to buy the ingredients.

Lavender Buds  ~  Sea Salt  ~  Citric Acid  ~  Jars and Labels

My favorite holiday treat to make for others (or myself): Espresso Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies