Homemade Bath Salts

The Naiads, Gioacchino Pagliei, 1881.

Nottingham City Museums and Galleries (Nottingham Castle)/Bridgeman Images

A FEW SCALLOP SHELLS OF THESE DELICIOUS SALTS ARE perfect for a soothing bath. The salts also double as a body scrub: Standing in a full tub, gently exfoliate your dampened skin. Then sit down, relax, and watch the salts melt away.

MATERIALS

• 1 cup dry nonfat milk
• 1 cup baking soda
• ½ cup sea salt
• A few drops of a favorite essential oil
• Medium-size glass or ceramic bowl
• Airtight glass jar, sea blue or brown
• Small scallop shell, as a scoop

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the nonfat milk, baking soda, salt, and essential oil together in the bowl. Transfer to an airtight glass jar, preferably sea blue or brown, to protect the oils against oxidation.
2. A small scallop shell makes a perfect scoop, and you can store it inside the jar with the salts. This mixture keeps for up to one year if stored in a cool, dry place.