Bath salts are a great addition to your relaxation regime. They are wonderful for getting rid of dead skin and moisturizing. Even better, they are cheap and easy to make at home for your own use or to give as gifts

Gather supplies. For a basic batch of bath salts, you will need 1 cup of epsom salt, 1 cup of baking soda, 2 tablespoons liquid glycerin, food coloring (although you may want to avoid the food coloring if you want a natural product) and essential oils (make sure the essential oils are of the highest therapeutic grade). You will also need a mixing bowl, spoon and decorative jar.

Measure the epsom salt and baking soda. Mix well. Add glycerin, about four drops of food coloring and several drops of essential oil (such as peppermint, eucalyptus, or lemon -- or all three). A little color and fragrance go a long way, and you can always add more but you can't take it out once it's there. Mix well to avoid lumps. Add more color or essential oil if desired.

Transfer the salts to a decorative jar. If you plan to give the salts as a gift, you might also want to include a scoop to get the salts out of the jar and a card with the recipe that explains how to use them: Mix two tablespoons in a warm bath

Choose a color for your salts that will coordinate with the bathroom in which the salts will be stored, or a color that goes with the fragrance (pink with rose, green with sage, etc.) Add a 1/2 cup of Sea Salt (can be substituted with table salt) to bath salts. Using food flavoring like peppermint extract also scents bath salts well. If you are going to store this mixture or give it as a gift. Allow the mixture to sit overnight, to dry completely, if not, the mixture will become very hard and you will never get it out of your container. Once the mixture sits overnight, covered in the large mixing bowl, mix it up the next day to remove all lumps. Try adding the salts just before you enter the tub. If you add the salts too early, the heat from the water will evaporate the aroma from the essential oils. Try adding a few tablespoons of dried herbs or flower petals to the mix such as lavender, rosemary or rose petals . .