Itโs that time of year again: bath season (did you think I was going to say the holidays? Yeah, that too.) I donโt know about you but weโre only one month in and already my body is cold and achy, my skinโs parched and Iโm desperate for some R&R outside of all the parties and festive hoopla. All I want is to run a hot bath and toss in some of the amazing-smelling bits and bobs I saw at Lush recently.
Bath soaks, bubble bars and these Christmas tree bath melts are at the top of my list. Iโm not above buying them, but I love making my own since I get to control the ingredients and save a little money in the process.
Plus theyโre perfect for wrapping up and giving as gifts to all the other frazzled ladies on my list. Add a string for some festive charm andโฆ I mean, does it get any cuter than that?
DIY Lush Bath Melts
True to their name, bath melts are butter-based bath products made to dissolve in warm water and coat your skin in a layer of hydrating oil. If thereโs one thing Lush does right, itโs make the most luxurious, skin-nourishing bath oils.
So I took a page from their book and made these bath melts as close to the original as I could, minus the scary-sounding ingredients that you really donโt want anywhere near your or your loved onesโ skin. They contain some easy to find things like cocoa butter, baking soda, shea butter and essential oils as well as some harder to find ingredients like cupuacu butter and carnauba wax.
Since they donโt need to be identical to be amazing, I purchased what I could (cupuacu butter), subbed out what I couldnโt (carnauba wax) and scrapped whatever I didnโt think was necessary. And they came out perfectly.
To make them, all you need to do is combine the melted butters in a small bowl. When the wax cools a little, add your essential oils and pigment for color, then pour it directly into the mold. I created two batches of the butter mix so I could make the Christmas tree a different color than the rest of the bar, but thatโs an optional step you can skip if you want to.
If you go that route, simply pour the colored butter into the tree portion of the mold and wait for it to cool before pouring the rest. Set the whole thing aside to cool overnight, then remove the bars from the mold and create a couple holes for the string (I use a metal nail that I warmed over an open flame for a minute or two).
As for color, I used chlorella I ground into a super fine powder using a coffee grinder. You can use artificial colors or any kind of food-safe dye you can think of, but I like that chlorella adds a dose of skin-soothing nutrients to these bath melts.
Chlorella is loaded with vitamins and minerals like zinc and magnesium, plus it’s a prime source of antioxidants which help soothe skin and keep it looking fresh. Add as much or as little to your bars as you like.
Since thereโs enough oil in each bar to last for a few baths, itโs best to break it into pieces and toss one or two small chunks in the tub. You can also hang the bar over the faucet and let the running water melt some of the oils before setting the rest of the bar aside.
Whatever you do, donโt let the entire bar dissolve in the tub or youโll be left with a slip and slide once the tub drains. And nope, itโs not as fun as it sounds!
Holiday Lush Bath Melts
Equipment
- Christmas tree soap mold (this is the one I used)
- Medium microwave-safe bowl
Materials
- 3/4 cup cocoa butter
- 1/2 cup shea butter
- 1/4 cup cupuacu butter
- 2 tablespoons beeswax
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 20 drops ylang ylang essential oil
- 10 drops grapefruit essential oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chlorella finely ground (for color)
- Kitchen twine or string
Instructions
- Combine the butters and beeswax in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until melted. Stir frequently to prevent hot spots. Once melted, add the baking soda and essential oils. Stir well.
- Pour some of the melted oil into a separate bowl (you'll need about 4 ounces, depending on your mold) and add the ground chlorella for color. Do not add color to the remaining oil mixture.
- Pour the green oil into the tree portion of the mold and let cool completely (if you like, you can put it in the refrigerator to cool faster). Meanwhile, re-heat the non-colored oil so it remains a liquid.
- Pour the remaining oil into the mold and set aside to cool completely.
- Remove the solid bath melts from the mold, using a knife to separate them, if needed.
- Then, take a metal nail and hold it over a candle or open flame. Punch two holes at the top of each bath melt and run a piece of string the holes. Tie in a knot at the top.
Notes
This post was medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Haley, a board-certified dermatologist with extensive experience in medical, cosmetic and surgical dermatology. Learn more about Hello Glowโs medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
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This looks so beautiful, I want to make them peppermint and do some pumpkin flavored! for Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for sharing. Bath melts are a must-have after a rough day, and after this rough 2020, we are all going to need them! Thanks
I found some beautiful molds for thanksgiving on https://bulkapothecary.com
Linalool is naturally occurring in essential oils such as lavender. Please don't spread unnecessary fear.
https://www.edensgarden.com/blogs/news/aaa-what-is-the-importance-of-linalool-in-essential-oils
That's a great point, thank you for clarifying!