DIY Holiday Gift~A Muscle Relaxing Bath Salt

Typically I do not make holiday gifts because I am just too busy around the holidays. And quite frankly, other than making and baking food, I’m not much of a do-it-yourself-er. But 2020 is a different year. We all need more nuturing and pampering, not only during the stressful holiday season, but especially this year. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and am making 2 gifts. Today is Gift #1’s reveal and tomorrow you will see the other.

Also, my blogging buddies, Andrea from Design Morsels and Chas from Chas Crazy Creations are sharing their Holiday DIY ideas at the bottom of this post.

I am a big fan of giving a gift that is consumable, or a commodity that can be used up rather quickly. We all have received those white elephant gifts that we either donate, re-gift or take to a gag party. At this stage in our lives, we just have too much anyway.

With the theme of pampering and reducing stress, today’s DIY is an easy, simple, make-in-your-kitchen item. The ingredients can be ordered online and delivered so you don’t even need to go to the store. And I believe it to be timely (at least for me), because I have not exercised as much this year. Now that the gym is open, getting back into it is hard on my muscles.

And with the colder weather coming, there is nothing more relaxing and calming than a nice long bath.

Magnesium Flakes vs. Epsom salts

These Muscle Relaxing Magnesium Bath Salt recipe is from Pinterest and the original author is Laura, from Simply Laura Leigh. What I like about this particular recipe is that the ingredients are simple and clean. I have never used Magnesium Flakes vs. Epsom Salt so I did a little research.

Magnesium is world-renowned for its health benefits such as aiding sleep quality and relieving muscle tension. Epsom salts aren’t actually salt, but magnesium sulphate. They are sourced either from naturally occurring springs, or are created from synthetic materials.

Magnesium Flakes are a magnesium chloride solution which has been heated up then cooled down to create a hard sheet of highly-concentrated magnesium chloride that is then broken in to small pieces to create the ‘flakes’. Magnesium chloride is a naturally occurring compound which can be mined from ancient sea beds or in open-water sources like the Dead Sea.

While the appearance and application may be similar, the ‘unseen’ difference in absorption between Magnesium Flakes and Epsom Salts is what really sets these two compounds apart. The magnesium in magnesium flakes is a type of magnesium that is better absorbed and better processed by your body. The magnesium in Epsom salts is harder for your body to absorb and quickly processed out.

Benefits of Pink Himalayan and Baking Soda

Pink Himalayan sea salt is able to generate negative ions in the air, creating the type of calming effect many people experience on a saltwater beach.

Baking soda is a remarkable ingredient in the bath. Click here for the 10 benefits of baking soda on your skin from Medical News Today.

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Eucalyptus essential oil is my choice for this bath salt mixture, however, you can select any essential oil you want. Not only does eucalyptus oil open your nasal passages but it also eases joint pain.

I have never worked with shea butter before. Because of its moisturizing qualities and high vitamin content, shea butter is a great addition to these salts. So helpful with dry winter skin! I broke the butter up into smaller pieces and mixed it in with the other ingredients.

The Container

Naturally, since these are gifts, I want to present them in a pretty glass container. I found two sizes and styles at World Market, but if you can find them online here.

The Gift Tag or Label

You can either label or tag your gift with the ingredients. Using Avery Business Cards #5377, I am able to create my own design and add my logo. Avery has an easy design format to use online, especially if you use their templates. On the back is the ingredient list.

The Scoop or Spoon

These natural bamboo spoons work well to scoop the bath salts out of the container. Again, I bought these from World Market, but look at the variety of scoops here on Amazon! With this set above, I also have the forks and knives.

The Presentation

What a relaxing and pampering gift to include these muscle relaxing bath salts with other fun items to make a spa basket. Remember the lavender pillows I made (see post here)? Add a candle, a scrub brush and some soaps and you have a wonderful spa gift.

Ingredients and Links

Here are the ingredients you will need:

1 1/2 cup Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Flakes (I bought the 4.4 lb. container but it does come in 1.7 lbs too)

1/2 cup Baking Soda

1/2 cup Pink Himalayan Salt

1 TBSP Unrefined Shea Butter– I bought the 1 lb. bag, but you could do with a lesser quantity

10 drops Eucalyptus Oil

Recipe Directions

Combine the magnesium flats, baking soda, and pink Himalayan salt. Add the Eucalyptus oil (or the essential oil of your choice). Mix. Place in a container and place the shea butter on the top of the ingredients (I chose to mix mine in after I crumbled it into small pieces).

When you are ready to use your Muscle Relaxing Magnesium bath salts, just add it to a hot bath and soak for 30 minutes. Also try dry brushing your body, starting at your ankles and working upward with circular motion.

Drying bushing is a great way to not only shed dead skin cells but it has also been shown to help improve circulation and lymphatic drainage. The Dry Body Brush above is from World Market ($4.99). Others can be found here.

This is a very easy and fun DIY, providing you gifts you can be proud to give. Stay tuned for the 2nd DIY holiday gift idea that I will be sharing tomorrow.

P.S. Just a reminder that any words that are italicized bring you to the source. If it is a product on Amazon, please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you purchase something through my website, I receive a small (very small!) stipend, which doesn’t affect the price you pay at all. My goal is to make sourcing the items easy for you. Thank you for your continued support.

Now for more Holiday DIY gift ideas

Andrea from Design Morsels is creating DIY Healthy Homemade Food Gifts.

Chas from Chas Crazy Creations is making DIY Hand Soap Dispensers

Thank you so much for joining me today! Happy DIY-ing!

Please share to Pinterest too if you enjoyed this post!