What are bath salts?
Bath salts are a designer drug of abuse with reports of dangerous intoxication from emergency departments across the US. "Bath salts" are not a hygiene product used for bathing, as the name might imply, but are dangerous synthetic ("man-made") cathinones. Cathinones are stimulants found in the khat plant, grown in East Africa and southern Arabia.These mind-altering drugs are strong central nervous system stimulants that inhibit the dopamine-norepinephrine reuptake system (neurotransmitters in the brain).
Balt salts can lead to serious, and even fatal adverse reactions. The drug effect is a high or "rush" that is similar to methamphetamine (speed). They are often sold on the street as cheap substitutes for other stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine.
How to Make Homemade Herbal Bath Salts
Herbal bath salts are usually a combination of different salts, herbs, clays, and essential oils. This recipe is for a basic bath salt combination where you choose the herbs and essential oils based on what you wish the end results to be.
Equipment Needed to Make DIY Bath Salts
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Spoon for Mixing
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Measuring Cups
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Medium Mixing Bowl
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Pint Sized Mason Jar ( or another container for storage)
Ingredients to Make Homemade Herbal Bath Salts
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1 Cup Epsom Salt
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½ Cup Himalayan or Dead Sea salt
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¼ Cup Baking Soda
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¼ Cup Dried Herbs
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10-20 Drops Essential Oil(s) (optional)*
*Note on essential oils: make sure you look up safety info on your selected essential oils before adding them to your bath salts. Essential oils are strong and you want to be sure to add only skin-safe essential oils to your bath.
Instructions on How to Make Herbal Bath Salts
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In a bowl, add Epsom salt, your choice of Himalayan or Dead Sea Salt, and baking soda. Mix them well.
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Once the salt and baking soda are combined add your dry herbs and mix again.
Finally, add the (optional) desired amount of essential oils.
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When all the ingredients have been combined, transfer your homemade herbal bath salts to your pint jar.
To use your homemade bath salt recipe, fill your tub with warm water and add a few tablespoons of your herbal salt mixture. When the salt appears to be mostly dissolved, start your relaxing soak.
If you don’t like bathing with loose herbs (it can be a hassle to clean up), you can also fill a good-quality muslin bag/sachet with your ingredients and toss it into your bath.