I tried this bath salt . . .

[Guest EMercier]

I tried this I found on the net.

2 C Epsom Salt

2 Tbsp Water (distiled)

1 Tbsp OIl of Choice (I used 90%S oybean and 10% olive oil)

FO

Color

I mixed everything but the salt. I used Lavendar FO and Purple body safe color. Well, it was purple when I was mixing it, but when I put the salt in, it turned green. I let it dry and it was still green. I was washing out the metal bowl I was using and it felt good to my skin, but what about the color? Anyone know what I did wrong?

[Purple Lilac]

Don't know if this helps but - I made up some lilac bath salts one time - no color added - and the fo turned the salts to a orange color. Imagine orange lilacs.

How about mixing just salt with the purple color and if it stays purple - layer your green scented with the unscented purple.

[Guest EMercier]

But that would look crazy with a gift basket and everything else is purple. I think I'll try it again. I see what happens with the purple and salt.

[CandleFreak]

just add a sprig or two of greenery into the basket as filler...that will then introduce the green into the basket and "tie into the salts...maybe that would make it look better:undecided

[jazzbo848]

what is the reason for adding water to the bath salts?

i make bath salts using epsom salts, dead sea salts, baking soda and dentritic (sp?) salts to hold the fragrance and don't add water at all.

cheryl

[Guest EMercier]

Hmmm, I just wanted to use the epsom salts, because they are readily accessible to me. Can I get dead sea salt at a local store (wal-mart or supermarket)? OK, you lost me with dentritic, what is it? Do you happen to have your receipe? Can I still add color?

[mountainmadness]

I am unclear about the water issue also. I have never incorporated water because then it is prone to bacteria.

[maryann]

I have never heard of water either (I think it'll make the mixture slimey after a week or so.) The detritic salt is new to me too. I read that it retains the scent better than other salts. So I just got my order today and am going to experiment w/ this salt to see if its true for me. As my salts don't retain there smell after a month that well.

As far as the purple I had the same problem, except mine was turning gray. So I use a purple mica and only color the bath salts, not the dead sea salts. I only use FO in the bath salts as well. This solved the color problem and I was having problems w/ the salts turning to slime as well. I thought that leaving the dead sea salts natural would be better as they seem to be "wet" or a different make-up compared to other salts. I would layer the dead sea salt, then the colored scented bath salt. In between the two natural epson (meaning not colored or scented). So your layers would be white and purple -that wouldn't look bad in your basket. I have also mixed the two together and that looks nice. Here's some pics I posted before in the old forum (as an idea) HTH

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[edensong]

Don't use a metal bowl. You have to use glass or plastic. A chemical reaction occurred with the metal.

[Guest EMercier]

Hmmm, I had a plastic bowl, but I thought I read no to use that because of the plastic absorbing the FO. I don't know, that's why I'm here. This was my first time doing this. I didn't try like I said I would, but I'm glad I didn't. I'll have to try with the plastic bowl. I got one from the dollar tree.

[maryann]

The FO could eat through the plastic as well (I've had that happen). I mix using glass or in real small amounts (where I'm adding the FO by a dropper) a plastic sandwich bag. But you don't want to leave in there too long or it could eat through that or the bag could "steal" the scent.

[KBPrims]

I used plastic & a metal bowl but still had issues with the purple color and lilac FO.

[smart tart]

I use empty butter tubs to store salts in - make em up, put on the lid and shake every day for a week or so then put in containers. Never have had a problem with the fo eating through the plastic (knock on wood I guess).....and I have never seen a bath salt recipe with water.....Also, you can buy the salt used for water softeners, sold at home depot, lowes, etc....and it costs under $5......might have to chop it up a bit as it is quite large but hey salt is salt!

[CareBear]

I once had cinnamon oil eat through a margarine container, but that was 30 years ago and plastic technology might have changed. Plus it was the straight oil.

[CareBear]

Also, you can buy the salt used for water softeners, sold at home depot, lowes, etc....and it costs under $5......might have to chop it up a bit as it is quite large but hey salt is salt!

Yea, it's the stuff in the blue bag called Solar Salt. I found it at my local drug store (that also sells lawn and garden stuff, go figure).

[maryann]

IMO it depends on the plastic and how long you have the oil/salt combo sitting in it and how much FO you use. I started saving my spaghetti sauce jars to use for salts and potpourri. I do small batches so it works perfect for me.

I switched to these solar salts recently so I'm going through my testing stages right now. I had to laugh the other day I colored two jars, I put purple B&B colorant in one and the salts turned blue. The other jar I used red colorant and the salts turned a light purple. I have 2 differ suppliers' red, and the other turns the salts pink. There's some kind of reaction that goes on when the dyes and salt come in contact. I'm just glad that the purple colorant doesn't turn gray with the solar salts like they did with the DDS. My goal with these salts are NOT to have them turn to mush after an extended period of time, which has been a HUGE problem for me. I had them in tubes at first then switched to glass and it still didn't help .

I noticed in post #8, I put detritic salt, its spelled Dendritic Salt ~ sorry about that :embarasse :whistle:

[Carrie]

I have some salts that I mixed up before christmas. They are solar salt with lbulgarian lavender EO with a touch of MMS Lavender Fields color. I mixed them up in a ziploc freezer bag and opened them up the other day and they are still good.

BTW, the Lavender Fields makes a nice lavender soap color as well. I haven't had any color morphing with it at all.