Valentine’s Day is next week, and while I’ve got the guys covered with my DIY beard balm recipe, what about gifts for your ladies? Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time to make these quick rose bath salts.

 

Making these rose bath salts will take you about the same time it takes to recite this poem:

Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
If you bathe in flowers,
You’ll smell like one too.

Even if you don’t get around to making these rose bath salts before Valentine’s Day, if someone happens to get you roses for the holiday (or you get them for yourself!), you can dry the rose petals after the flowers have faded (see directions below), and enjoy them even longer. There are a lot of intriguing-sounding ways to use them (but if you’re eating them, make sure that they’ve been grown without pesticides). Throw them in honey for a few weeks to make rose-infused honey, use them to make tea, sprinkle them on cakes or cookies, use them as scented confetti, or just use them for potpourri or drawer sachets.

Not into roses? You can substitute lavender oil and dried lavender flowers, or another scent entirely. Rosemary? Mint? Lemon? It’s up to you!

A lot of people consider baths “girly,” but my husband Steven is the one who takes baths, and I rarely do, so he’ll probably be the one enjoying these bath salts. And I guess you could make these with a “manlier” scent like cedar or pine, but Steven really likes rose-scented products, so screw the stereotypes, and don’t be afraid to make these for a man who might enjoy them. When you think about it, a stereotype about the correct gender for enjoying a soak in hot water is just silly!

P.S. These rose bath salts would make a perfect Valentine’s Day set with these fun heart-shaped bath bombs I made a couple of years ago!

DIY Rose Bath Salts

Materials

1 1/2 cups Epsom salts
1/4 cup pink Himalayan sea salt (or regular coarse sea salt)
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1/4 cup dried rose buds & petals – See note below about drying your own.
10 drops rose essential oil – You can also use rosewater concentrate, which tends to be less expensive.

Tools

Bowl
Spoon
Jars – You can wash and re-use empty condiment jars, or small Mason jars work well.

Steps

1. Note: I used store-bought dried roses, but if you want to dry your own rose petals, you can do it in a microwave or oven.
For either method, remove the petals from roses, making sure that there are no bugs.
Oven: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and arrange the rose petals in a single layer. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, then bake the rose petals for 10 minutes. If they’re not yet crisp, bake in additional 2 minute increments until the petals are completely dry and break when bent.
Microwave: Spread the rose petals in a single layer on a paper towel lining a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a second paper towel and microwave for 30 to 60 second increments until the rose petals are crisp and completely dry.

2. Stir together the Epsom salts, sea salt, and baking soda.

3. Add drops of rose essential oil, stirring after every 5 drops.

4. Stir in the dried rose buds and petals.

5. Spoon into jars.

To use, sprinkle a few spoonfuls into a hot bath, and enjoy the soak!