At Collegium I learned how to make bath salts and bath oils. Bath oils are more like massage oils, and bath salts were used in the middle ages more as exfoliant scrubs (not dissolved in the bathwater like we do today). Maybe sometime I'll tell you all about medieval bathhouses and how people weren't nasty dirty all the time.
For bath salts.
1 cup salt (as natural as you can get it, or at least non-iodized)
1 cup epsom salts
1 tsp. essential oil (for these it's best to just go with one flavor rather than mixing them)
3 drops vitamin E oil
1-3 drops of food coloring
Mix the salt together first, then mix in the oils, then mix in the food coloring. Vitamin E oil keeps the essential oil from going rancid.
For bath oils.
about 1 oz. carrier oil (olive, canola, walnut, almond, jojoba, etc)
20 drops essential oil (you can mix them)
3 drops vitamin E oil
Just mix them together.
For both of these it's best to use glass containers, as plastic will absorb the scent of the essential oils. Store the oils in a cool, dark place. Heat and light will destroy the antioxidants in the oil.
How to get salt out of natural salt water.
1. Collect the natural salt water.
2. Strain it though a muslin or cheesecloth several times, to get out the gross stuff.
3. Boil it. Skim the remaining gross stuff off the top. Let boil/simmer for several hours until it starts sounding like popping popcorn.
4. Spread it out onto cloth and let dry in the sunlight.
"At Collegium I learned..." sounds like you've been commuting to ancient Italy.
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ReplyDeleteThere's one you shared on BB long long ago that I was meaning to ask you about last week and now that you've started sharing some of your recipes I hope you do that one because I can no longer remember what it was I so really really meant to ask you.....
Th.- It was probably this.
ReplyDeleteLogan- Where else am I going to learn about medieval bathing?
Collegia are pretty badass.
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