There are few better ways to end my day than with a soak in the tub. That’s particularly true when I use these DIY bath salts! Not only do they soothe my aching muscles, but I also love the aromatherapy benefits they provide.

In this blog post, I will show you how to make DIY bath salts with lavender and orange essential oils and explain why these two ingredients work so well together.

So grab your supplies from the kitchen cabinet or natural food store (you’ll need baking soda, Epsom salt, and a few other supplies listed below) then follow along as I walk through each step to create your own batch of homemade bath salts!

Pinterest image for lavender and orange bath salt recipe

DIY Bath Salts: The Benefits

If you’re looking for a few good reasons to indulge in a relaxing soak, then let me share some of the surprising health benefits of bath salts.

DIY bath soak on a cutting board atop of a surface, with a bouquet of lavender to the side.

A warm Epsom salt bath can in so many ways! A few of my favorite benefits include:

Help reduce stress levels and increase your sense of well-being. Did you know that therapists will often prescribe bathing to help their clients relax?
Release toxins from your muscles, allowing for improved circulation. A hot bath coupled with Epsom salt is often the go-to treatment for muscle pain and stiffness caused by arthritis or a long day of physical activity (like chasing children!).
Enhance your mood with feel-good endorphins. Something about taking care of yourself feels really good!
Epsom salt can also help with stiff joints, sunburn, and itchy skin, particularly if it’s due to bug bites or poison ivy.

Of course, with this diy bath salt recipe, you also get to enjoy aromatherapy benefits too! Let’s chat more about those.

Why Lavender and Orange are Great for You and Your Skin

Lavender and orange essential oil are some of the most popular choices for DIY bath salts, and my personal favorite combination whenever I make them! This is because they have a number of benefits that will help you relax, relieve stress, improve your mood, soothe sore muscles, and much more!

Glass dish of homemade bath salt with epsom salt.

Lavender Oil Skin Benefits

Reduces anxiety. This is a HUGE benefit, and one of the main reasons I chose this oil for these DIY bath salts. If you have anxiety or stress, lavender oil will help soothe the tension.
Soothes skin. If you suffer from itchy, dry skin or conditions like eczema, lavender oil is going to be your new BFF! In fact, it’s one of my top essential oils to have on hand to treat dry skin.
Anti-inflammatory. Got a sun burn? You need a soak in these DIY bath salts with lavender!

Orange Oil Skin Benefits

Reduces stress and promotes an uplifting mood. If you are ever feeling a bit down, stop and sniff orange oil – it will perk you right up.
Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal benefits. If you suffer from a fungal condition like athlete’s foot, this oil can help reduce the symptoms.
Helps you get a good night of sleep. Having a hard time getting to bed? Orange oil can help! This study showed that orange oil acted as a mild sedative and could help treat insomnia.

What do you need to make DIY bath salts?

Bath soak filled with essentials oils and real lavender flowers.

Ready to whip up a batch of homemade bath salts? Luckily the supplies are fairly basic. You probably already have a lot of these at home, and what you don’t have can be found easily at the nearest drug or grocery store.

Here’s what to have on hand:

How to Make Bath Salts

Making these bath salts is so easy! Here’s all you need to do:

First, pour the epsom salts into a glass bowl—I always recommend using glass when working with essential oils. Then add in the citric acid and corn starch. Finally, stir in some baking soda and mix well with a whisk.

Mixing bowls of dry ingredients for homemade bath salts.

Very slowly, add the sweet almond oil. Whisk while pouring it in so it doesn’t splash everywhere.

Oil mixture about to be poured into bowl of other homemade bath salt ingredients.

Next, add both the lavender and orange essential oils one at a time. You’ll add 15 drops of orange and 10 of lavender. Continue to whisk to ensure the oils are dispersed evenly throughout the mixture.

Now, you could stop here and enjoy your diy bath salts! BUT, I want to help you take them to the next level with a couple of additional touches.

A whisk, mixing together the ingredients for DIY bath salt.

We are going to add purple and orange mica powder to give a little bit of texture and color to the salts. Simply add them then stir until the color is solid. I was surprised at how pretty the color turned out.

Lastly, add lavender buds and stir. Not only do these look lovely, but they smell nice too!

Dried lavender buds in a small glass bowl.

And there you have it! You have officially made your own bath salts! Now you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Square shaped dish of DIY lavender orange bath salts.

How to Use the DIY Bath Salts

I keep my bath salts in a jar in the bathroom cabinet, along with a tablespoon. When I want to use them, I run a hot bath and add a few tablespoons of the salts. Make sure to add it while the water is on and running so it dissolves.