DIY Rose and Chamomile Milk Bath

Hello, again! The weather here in London has turned a fair bit chillier in these final days of December and I have a small feeling that we may even see some snow soon. Though I can't claim to be much of a fan of cold weather, I do enjoy those cosy evenings in at home where you can snuggle down with a good book or luxuriate with a relaxing bath. 

In recent years, as I've become more accustomed to the stresses of adult life, I have come to appreciate the power of bath products more. But as much I like buying bath lotions and potions, I like making them even more. They make such adorable gifts too and can easily be customised to suit the tastes of the person. 

This milk bath is perfectly suited for these winter months when lots of us can be afflicted by dry skin. Many of us have heard of the stories of Cleopatra bathing in milk to keep her skin soft and young. This recipe also uses rose and chamomile, both of which have soothing properties. They are known in particular for calming skin which is sensitive or inflamed by conditions such as eczema or acne. Rose especially is a very popular ingredient in home beauty regimes from the Indian sub-continent. Also in this recipe, I have added epsom salt, which is naturally high in magnesium, and great for flushing out toxins and easing muscle pain.

I made this bath milk using ingredients that I already had around the home, and they are all pretty cheap ingredients anyway. The preserving jar in the pictures was purchased from Wilko for 75p, which I thought was a great bargain! So whether you make this for yourself or share it as a gift, you can create a luxury looking product for a fraction of the price.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk powder
• 1/2 cup epsom salt
• 3 tablespoons cornflour
• 2 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 2 chamomile tea bags
• 1/4 cup dried rose
• 2-3 drops of essential oil of choice (optional)

Method:

• Pour the milk powder into a mixing bowl. Add the epsom salt, bicarbonate of soda and cornflour and mix. Tear open the chamomile tea bags and add to mixture. Add dried rose petals and your essential oil (I used lavender). Mix one final time.

And that's it! In all honesty, I had to stretch out the instructions because it's that easy. You can make this milk bath it in about 5 minutes.

You can also customise this to your own tastes. I used lavender essential oil because it was all I had at home, but other essential oils would work just as well. Similarly, instead of chamomile tea bags you could use green or jasmine tea.

Just don't make the mistake I did the first time and try adding rosewater, otherwise you will get a sludgy mess!

Happy DIYing all!