After a long day that has left you achy, cranky or stressed out, you may want to take some time for yourself, forget your worries and climb into a warm relaxing bath. In the following paragraphs I’ll introduce you to some recipes that will help you make the most of your soothing soak.

Bubble bath is one of the most common choices for a relaxing bath, but many of the products contain harsh detergents that can be harmful to the skin. Making your own bubble bath is simple and you be can assured that the mixture is free from the chemical inducing agents that are often found in commercial bubble bath.

Any of the following formulas can easily become bubble bath by using Castile soap. Castile soap is a natural soap, however, when purchasing it, you may want to check to make sure the base is made of vegetable oil and not animal fat or lard.

The soap can be grated easily, melts quickly and lessens the hardness of water. Although bubbles from Castile soap aren’t as dramatic or as long lasting as most store bought products, it is gentler on the skin.

Essential oils are a great extra for the bath, but some caution should be exercised when using them. If you want to use an essential oil without harsh salts (in its pure form), you first need to place the essential oil in a neutral oil. Doing so serves two purposes. It lessens the chances that the catalyst oils will irritate the skin and it diffuses the potency of the essential oils. Some base oils are Olive, Safflower, Canola, Apricot Kernel, and Coconut.

When using essential oils, allow them to properly diffuse into the bath water so they will easily blend and reduce the chance of skin irritation.

Powdered milk can also be used in the tub to pamper your skin. Milk is reputed to help skin retain its youthful suppleness and acts as a mild astringent. Rich milks can also help reduce, minor skin irritations and rashes.

Bath oil base:
Fill a one once eyedropper bottle 2/3 full of base oil. Then add your desired essential oil. A few drops will do and most will indicate the best ratio on the package.

Bath Recipes:
Some of the following recipes will make enough for more than one bath, be sure to store the remainder in a sealed container or glass bottle.

    In a bowl, blend baking soda, citric acid, powdered sugar or cornstarch and crushed dried herbs on high speed for two minutes.

Then transfer mixture to a bowl, add the oil one-tablespoon at a time until the mixture is crumbly, and shape into ½-inch balls. Or into molds.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 100 degrees for one hour. When cool, check to make sure fizzies are hard and dry to the touch. If not let them air dry for a few hours. . Place the fizzies in the center of the each fabric square, gather the ends together and secure with ribbon bow. Use one fizzie bundle for each bath.