I love to give and receive homemade presents. Normally it’s in the form of food, but these natural beauty products are good enough to eat! They are so simple to make, you may not want to buy expensive shop bought versions again.

Himalayan salt is an amazing product, its unprocessed and rich in naturally occurring trace minerals which support optimum functioning of the  human body. This is my salt of choice when it comes to food and also beauty products too. You can simply add some to your bath, or you can turn it into these beautiful bath treats and facial scrub.

Epsom salts are made from naturally occuring minerals, magnesium and sulphate. Adding them to a bath is a traditional remedy for soothing tired, aching muscles and is great for stress. The magnesium is absorbed through the skin, bi-passing the gut. Sulphate supports the detoxification process in the body and magnesium is known as the relaxation mineral. It literally helps our muscles to relax. It is essential to our health as it’s required for over 300 chemical reactions in the body. These include energy production and DNA synthesis. It’s essential for heart function and also for our adrenal glands – which help the body cope with stress. Magnesium deficiency is common, if you suffer from restless legs, muscle cramps, high blood pressure, insomnia, headaches, or a heart arrythmia, it might be that you are low in this mineral.  Adding it to your bath is a safe and effective way to take it.

Rose and Lavender Moisturising Bath Bombs

Ingredients:

2 cups bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate)

1 cup citric acid

1/2 cup epsom salts

3/4 cup himalayan salt

2oz shea butter, melted

30 drops lavender oil

Witch hazel in a spray bottle – around 5-10 sprays

Dried rose petals

Equipment:

Muffin tins or sillicon muffin moulds

Spray bottle (for the witch hazel)

Large bowl

Whisk

Plastic tray

Jam jars

Ribbon

Jam jar labels

Method:

Add all the powders into the bowl.

Drizzle the melted shea butter slowly  mixing with the whisk as you go. You want to retain as much fizziness as possible, so adding it slowly and mixing quickly disperses and reduces the amount of fizz used up in the bowl.

Add the lavendar oil (or your choice of essential oil) and whisk  to mix.

Spray about 3 sprays of witch hazel into the bowl and mix with your hands. You want the mixture to be moist enough to form into a solid shape when you squeeze it and doesn’t fall to pieces straight away. But you also don’t want it to be too wet. Add more sprays if necessary until you get the right texture.

Sprinkle about a tsp of himalayan salt and a tsp of rose petals into the bottom of each muffin tin mould.

Pack about 2 tablespoons of the mix into each mould and pack it down really tightly. The more you compress it the less likely it is to fall apart when its set.

Leave the bath bombs in a dry place overnight. This could be in a cold oven or in a dry, warm room.

The next day, turn the moulds over, and gently press the bottom to release the bath bomb. I use a tray to do this as its messy and this way you can collect any excess salts and use them elsewhere.

Package up your bath bombs. I use coconut oil jam jars which can hold between 5 – 7.

To use: Put 1 or 2 in your bath, and relax for 20 minutes.

If you want to make something a bit quicker but EQUALLY as nice, try this:

Moisturising Bath Snow

Ingredients:

3 cups epsom salts

1 cup himalayan Salt

3oz shea butter, melted

40 drops of lavender oil (or your choice of essential oil)

2 tbsp rose petals (optional but makes it look pretty and smell divine)

Equipment:

Whisk

Jam jars to put your snow in.

Ribbon and a gift tag to decorate

Method:

Combine the salts in a bowl

Add the melted shea butter and mix together with a whisk.

Add the lavendar oil and rose petals  and stir to combine.

Put into large mason jars and decorate with a ribbon if its a gift.

To use: Put 1-2 cups in your bath and relax for 20 minutes to allow the minerals to work their magic!

Honey and Himalayan Salt Scrub

Ingredients:

150g coconut oil (raw, cold pressed is best)

80g himalayan Salt

2 tbsp raw (unpasteurised) Honey or Manuka Honey

2 small jars with lids – Mason jars are good.

Method:

Put the coconut in a bowl with the salt and mash it together so there are no lumps. Add the honey and mix completely. Put into small jars with lids.

To use: take around 1 tsp of the scrub and rub between your fingers, then massage it into the face and neck or on the body. Wash off with warm water, then wipe your face with a wet flannel. Your skin should feel wonderfully smooth and clean!