These easy DIY pine bath salts are perfect for soaking cold and achy bodies after a hike! Or after a long work day, a long day chasing toddlers… really any excuse is a good excuse to take a hot nourishing bath. Did you know that Pine needles are a natural stress relief?? Pine can help relieve headaches, soothe sore muscles, and lift your mood! You can read more about the health benefits of Pine needles here. And because we have an abundance of pine trees here in NW Montana, I am taking full advantage of their incredible benefits and made some wonderfully smelling bath salts.
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Tree Identification
When identifying a pine tree, I always look at the needles. If the needles are clumped together and growing in groups of 2-5, this usually means it is a pine tree. There are hundreds of species of Pine trees and we have a couple different species in our own backyard and the woods behind our house. The one I used for this recipe was from our Austrian Pine Tree, where there are groups of two needles growing together. It is very important to always triple check your work on identifying a tree or any plant, when using medicinally. There are hundreds of types of conifers and a couple are actually poisonous ! The Yew tree, for example, is poisonous, and the Ponderosa Pine should not be used by pregnant women.
Foraging
I use clippers to trim off smaller branches of the Pine tree and usually have a basket to gather the branches. During the Winter months when there is a couple feet of snow and I haven’t seen anything alive and growing and green, I can feel a bit disconnected with nature. Foraging for conifer needles is a way for me to get outside and reconnect. A quiet walk through the forest gathering pine needles is a perfect time to clear your mind and just enjoy the fresh air around you.
Pine Bath Salts
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 C Epsom salts
- 1 Tbs Vitamin E oil
- 15-20 drops pine essential oil
- 1/2 C dried chopped pine needles
Instructions
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in a large bowl, mix all ingredients together
-
pour into a glass jar with a lid (using a funnel helps!)
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Place 1/2 C of bath salts in a cotton bag and add to your hot bath water
Recipe Notes
Other ingredients you can add into your pine bath salts:
- Juniper berries
- Sea Salt
- Baking Soda
- dried lavender buds and/or essential oil
Epsom salts are an inexpensive ingredient I always keep stocked in my house! Epsom salts help relieve sore muscles and relaxes the body, making it the perfect thing to keep in a large jar right next to my bathtub. Bath soaks are part of my weekly routine that really help me get through the long Montana Winters.
Whatever bath salt concoction I am making, I always like to include some Vitamin E oil, which helps with my dry itchy skin. The one I use is Vitamin E oil plus 5 essential natural oils of almond, apricot, avocado, sunflower and wheat germ. It makes my skin incredibly soft!
Using your bath salts
I run by bath water as hot as I can stand it and add 1/2 C or more of the bath salts to a cotton bath tea bag. The bag prevents your drain from clogging from the pine needles or whatever dried herbs you are using. You can reuse these bags over and over! I just empty them out in the trash when I am done and then hand-wash with dish soap. I soak in the bath salts for at least 20 minutes and always keep a bottle of water next to the tub so I stay hydrated while soaking. Turn off the lights, light a couple candles, and relaaax…
I created a simple gift tag that you can print out and tape onto your glass jar if you decide you want to gift these bath salts ! Click the image below to print.
If you try these DIY pine bath salts, please share a photo on Instagram and tag me ! I would love to know what other ingredients you might add to these bath salts.
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I guess that we should be careful with the wonderfully smelling bath salts we use. The tags are very useful. All you need to do is to turn off the lights, light a candle.