Nighty-Night DIY Bath Salt Recipe
You know how when you’re pregnant with your first baby and everyone likes to give you their 2 cents of parenting advice, but you don’t really get it or listen because well, you’ve never had a baby before? I think the one thing out of all of the parenting advice I heard that really stuck in my mind was on the topic of routines.
A friend told me that routines are incredibly important because kids like to know what’s going on. They know that after lunch, it’s naptime. They know that after dinner, it’s whatever routine you have in place. Knowing and sticking to the routine prevents tantrums. And for those of us who have 2-3 year olds or have had them, know that 2-3 year olds are susceptible to tantrums, lots of them.
So far, we’ve had our ups and downs with routines, especially when we moved to California, back to Florida, and then moved out of my inlaws home. Lots of messed up schedules and routines for Andrew and for a while it was really tough to get back into the grove. In fact, it took 6 months after we moved into our own home out of my inlaws for Andrew to fully understand what we do when it’s time to go night-night.
That being said, once we fine tuned our routine, the advice I received prior to Andrew entering this world has held true. Andrew knows that after we eat dinner and play a little, we go potty, brush teeth, read 3 books, and go night-night. Sometimes he takes a shower at night with daddy since Scott showers anyway. It goes relatively smoothly, and on those nights, everyone is at peace.
Happy mommy + happy daddy + happy Andrew = happy life.
But, on those days that don’t go according to plan, or maybe he missed his afternoon nap, or maybe it’s transitioning from being at Grandma’s (aka Disneyland) to coming back home, sometimes a bath is much needed. For those days, I add something extra special to his bath that will calm him down and make him relaxed.
I’ve formulated a nighty-night DIY bath salt recipe that is specifically made to relax little bodies, so they can ease into the night time routine. You may know that I’m not much of a DIY person but this bath salt recipe is so easy to make that even a DIY-illiterate person like myself can make it without messing up. I think that’s partially because the measurements don’t necessarily need to be exact and you can add more/less depending on what consistency you want.
Boom.
This nighty-night bath salt recipe contains magnesium-rich epsom salt (which helps with sleeping), mineral-rich unrefined sea salt (has additional trace minerals and clay which help promote better sleeping), sweet almond oil (which helps for nourishment), and a new kid-safe essential oil blend by Plant Therapy called Nighty-Night to round it all out.
Nighty-Night has the following essential oils: lavender, marjoram, mandarin, cedarwood atlas, patchouli, clary sage, chamomile roman, and blue tansy. This is one of the many new kid safe essential oils that Plant Therapy has created.
If your child is overly cranky and won’t get in the bath, or stands up the whole time he’s in the bath (ahem, this happened yesterday) screaming that he doesn’t want a bath, then at least he’s getting the smell from the water. Or, if you have a diffuser, you can put Nighty-Night into it 30 minutes before bedtime. Heck, you could probably put Nighty-Night in the diffuser before you try and give him a bath — whatever works.
Please note that every child is different and this may or may not work on completely relaxing your little one but at least you know that while he was soaking in the tub, his body was absorbing much needed minerals to promote a healthy body.
- Epsom salt (where to buy)
- Unrefined extra coarse bath salt (I use this Bath Salt Plus)
- Pure sweet almond oil (where to buy)
- 10-15 drops of Nighty-Night essential oil (where to buy)
- Vitamin E, optional (where to buy)
- Grab your desired container (mason jars work amazing for this) and fill it with epsom salt but leave about an inch from the top)
- Pour the Bath Salt Plus in the remaining inch
- Pour the mason jar into a glass bowl, and mix thoroughly
- Add about a tablespoon and a half of almond oil, mix well (the consistency should be a little clumpy)
- Add in the Nighty-Night essential oil; start with 10 drops and see what you think about the smell; add more if necessary
- If you have vitamin E, add about a teaspoon and mix well
- Pour back into your desired jar
- Use ¼ cup of your Nighty-Night bath salt in a bathtub of warm water
Inspired by Scratch Mommy’s ultimate DIY detoxing salt soak and scrub.
This post is sponsored by Plant Therapy. However, the opinions and photos are of my own. Authenticity is important so I would never promote any brand or product that I wholeheartedly don’t believe in.
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I love PT’s Nighty Night! Smells so good! Thank you for this recipe!!
What a great idea. Where do you get those jars with the attached lid like in the photo? Also what are they called exactly? Thanks. 🙂
Thank you! I actually got the bottle at Michaels but of you go to like TJ Maxx, Ross, Home Goods, or any store like that, they should have glass jars with an attached lid of some sort.
LOVE bath salts!!! I love this blend too, such a great combo. Pinned it.
i am just curious if you have any research about children under 6 using Epsom salt? I just bought my first bag last week and noticed there is a do not recommend for under 6…but wanted to look more into it this weekend.
Hi, my son has a severe nut allergy. He can’t even touch them or breath in the dust. So, is there another oil you could recommend using?
Thank you!
You could use Jojoba oil or even olive oil. Be sure to scrub the tub well after the bath to remove the oily film left behind from the oil in your mixture to help prevent slipping.
Also I would mix the carrier oil with the Nighty Night then add to the salt mixture. This will ensure the essential oil is well mixed with the salts.
Thanks for the tip Gail!
I use this recipe quite a bit without the coconut oil addition. The salts are still super effective. I also give jars of bath salts away frequently. Real salt is salt that hasn’t been stripped of the minerals, so the salt adds beneficial minerals to the water.
I love Real Salt!
My favorite side effect is that even if my son doesn’t seem relaxed after bathing with salts, I will probably feel better after giving him a bath! For the commenter above who was wondering about a nut-free oil, you can get pure lavender essential oil from a number of companies (New Directions Aromatics, for example) and not have to worry about a nut allergy.
Isn’t that the truth!
Can i use coconut oil instead of almond oil?
Yes, you can.
How would you alter recipe for adult use?
This looks so good! What a fun gif to make for friends or to enjoy yourself!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
The Bath Salt Plus is now discontinued… What can I use in its place?? I really want to make this for my kids but I am new to DIY and dont know substitutions yet… Thank you