Ah, spring. The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, and flowers are blooming. For girls, spring is one of the most exciting and anticipated seasons due to all the bright colors, floral prints, and sundresses we finally get to wear. And with the onset of new blossoms (and, unfortunately, pollen), we generally find ourselves wanting to be a little more girly than usual. Spring brings the “princess side” out in all of us, and before long, we start looking for cute new nail polish shades and sweet-scented bath bombs.
But as you’ve already learned with makeup, bath products and girly cosmetics all have their fair share of harmful chemical ingredients too. Those seasonal spring bubble baths and shower gels from Bath and Body Works we start stockpiling at the beginning of March are actually very toxic, stuffed with harmful fragrances, parabens, and sulfates. Lotions, sugar scrubs, milk baths—all of these and more can be filled with as many “ugly” ingredients as your makeup. In fact, chemically-charged bath products can be even more harmful than makeup, due to their easy absorption through the skin. Think of how hot and steamy we generally like our baths to be. And what does steam do to pores? Opens them nice and wide to allow toxic ingredients directly into our body.
Photo Credits: Courtney Bailey
So what’s a girl to do when she gets the urge for a spring spa day? Instead of worrying about reading ingredient lists and checking toxicity levels on the Environmental Working Group app, just make your own natural bath products! I have included instructions for creating three easy, simple, and effective floral spa products that I know you’ll love as much as I do. I was inspired by three of my favorite floral scents (rose, lavender, and jasmine), and, of course, by my continually-growing DIY Pinterest board full of multiple recipes and methods for making these products. I’ve sort of blended the things I’ve liked from different recipes into what works best for me, but feel free to change these up any way you see fit.
1. Jasmine Sugar Scrub
You’ll need: 8 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of flax seed oil, about 8-10 drops of jasmine essential oil, and 1 small mason jar or other small container.
Personally, I like to use organic ingredients when possible (organic sugar, organic olive oil, etc.), but non-organic ingredients work just as well too. As you can see from the simple ingredient list, there are absolutely no harmful chemicals or toxins, so having organic ingredients is just icing on the cake! To make this sugar scrub, add all these ingredients to your container (or a mixing bowl first, if you’d rather), and stir them together well, adding in the essential oil last. Try to ensure the sugar is evenly coated by oil, and then voila! You’re ready to use your new luxurious sugar scrub for the next few months.
2. Lavender Milk Bath
You’ll need: 1 ½ cup of powdered milk, ½ cup of cornstarch, about 20-30 drops of lavender essential oil, and a regular-sized mason jar (or other similar container)
Mix the powdered milk and cornstarch together in a large bowl until they are the same consistency and evenly mixed. Add in the essential oil, ensuring each drop lands in a different area in the cornstarch/powdered milk mixture. About halfway through drops, thoroughly mix again and repeat as before. Once the essential oil is evenly spread throughout the cornstarch/powdered milk mixture, transfer the mixture into your mason jar (or other container) and enjoy your relaxing milk bath!
Photo Credits: Courtney Bailey
3. Rose Petal Bath Salts
You’ll need: 1 ½ cups of unscented Epsom salts, ¾ cups of baking soda, 2-3 large petals from 1 rose (dried or fresh), about 15-20 drops of rose essential oil, 5 drops of red/pink food coloring (optional), and 1 regular-sized mason jar (or other similar container)
Mix the baking soda and Epsom salts together in a bowl, adding in the essential oil in different spots, just like with the lavender milk bath. Rose essential oil is fairly strong, so you don’t need to use a lot of drops to get a very pronounced scent. Next, add in the food coloring drops if you like. Red/pink coloring really helps give a “girly feel” to the bath salts, but this is entirely optional. Mix the food coloring until it evenly coats the mixture. Finally, take the rose petals and tear them off into small pieces, sprinkling them throughout the mixture. Stir once more to ensure the petals are evenly distributed throughout and then transfer your mixture to the mason jar (or other container). And there you have it! Now you can start your romantic floral bath soak while listening to “La Vie en Rose” (aka. my favorite spa day song).
Naturally and Beautifully Me 