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Relaxing shower melts diy recipe
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DIY Relaxing Shower Melts Recipe with Essential Oils!

Practice self care and relax with these relaxing shower melts made with a relaxing essential oil blend. These turn your shower into an aromatherapy spa with lavender, clary sage, and lemon to help you relax and boost your mood.

DIY shower melts recipe with essential oils

When you just need a few moments to relax and unwind, try these relaxing shower melts made with a fun and great smelling essential oil blend.

I combined lavender, lemon, and clary sage for a fun scent that can help reduce stress and anxiety and promote relaxation.

Bath melts are like a bath bomb for the shower. As they dissolve in the water, they release essential oils and turn your shower into an aromatherapy spa.

Shower melts are easier to make than bath bombs I think. They have fewer ingredients and aren’t as fickle to work with because you don’t have to press them into circles with a special mold.

Related:

What Are Shower Melts?

lavender shower melts

Shower melts are similar to bath bombs. They have the same base ingredients and have essential oils. As they melt, they release the essential oils and turn your shower into a huge diffuser.

It’s important to note that shower melts have a higher concentration of essential oils than bath bombs do, so you shouldn’t use them as bath bombs.

Since you sit in the water in a bath, the higher concentration of essential oils could cause skin irritation.

And because they have a higher concentration of essential oils, be sure to wear gloves when you make these.

Stirring them and packing them into the molds can cause skin irritation because of the high concentration of oils.

Ingredients for Relaxing Shower Melts DIY Recipe

DIY shower melts recipe ingredients

Dry Ingredients

I used baking soda, citric acid, and cornstarch for the dry ingredients. When baking soda and citric acid get wet, they have a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide gas.

This is what causes the bubbling action that everyone loves in shower melts and bath bombs.

The cornstarch serves an important function. It binds with both the citric acid and the baking soda. This helps slow down the reaction when the water hits the dry ingredients.

Without cornstarch, these would melt right away. With cornstarch, they melt slowly and slowly release the essential oils over several minutes.

Essential Oils

I wanted to use a relaxing essential oil blend. Shower time is me time and one of the few times I’m able to relax and think.

I used lavender essential oil, clary sage essential oil, and lemon essential oil. They smell amazing together with an uplifting, fun scent.

Lavender is probably the best known relaxing essential oil, so I used that in a higher concentration and because it smells amazing.

Clary sage blends well with lavender. It’s also relaxing and promote mental clarity. It’s also said to reduce anxiety and stress.

I also added lemon essential oil. It smells great with the other two oils. It’s also a good oil to use for aromatherapy to reduce stress and boost your mood.

If you want to use another essential oil blend, just use the same amount of essential oils, 35 drops, to make this recipe.

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Shower Melts with Essential Oils

Shower melts with essential oils

I think shower melts are easier to make than bath bombs are. They have fewer ingredients, and they are easier to pack into the molds than using a circle bath bomb mold.

When baking soda and citric acid combine with water, it causes a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide. This is what makes the fizzing that we all love with bath bombs and shower melts.

When you add the essential oils and water, drizzle it slowly all around the powdered ingredients. I usually drizzle it with one hand while I stir with the other hand. You want to stir it quickly to stop the reaction.

Add half of the water and then test by getting a handful of powder and making a fist. If it holds its shape, it’s ready to pack into the molds. Otherwise, add more water slowly and keep stirring and testing.

If you’ve added the entire tablespoon of water and it’s still not holding its shape, you can add more water or spray with rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol evaporates, so it won’t stay in the shower melts.

The amount of water you’ll need to add depends on the humidity. In the summer, I usually add about ¾ of the tablespoon because of the moisture in the air.

For this batch, I add 1 tablespoon of water and then sprayed some rubbing alcohol because the air is very dry.

You can use any mold to make shower melts, but I don’t recommend silicone. I love silicone for soaps and other things that you pour, but they have too much give for shower melts.

Let them dry completely before unmolding them. If you unmold too soon, they will crack and fall apart.

How to Make Shower Melts with Essential Oils

How to make shower melts

Ingredients

Directions

Measure and place the baking soda, citric acid, and cornstarch in a medium sized bowl. Stir well to remove any lumps. Make a well in the center with a spoon.

Add the essential oils to the well in the center. Try to drop them in throughout the circle so they don’t all go in the same spot.

Slowly drizzle the water over the mixture as you stir. It will start to bubble, but keep stirring. It is moist enough when you can grab a handful and squeeze and it holds its shape. Add more water as needed.

Pack into the mini muffin tin. Press down firmly.

Let dry for 24 hours. Unmold and let dry completely on a cooling rack.

Store these relaxing shower melts in a mason jar or other container until you’re ready to use them.

To use, place one on the floor of the shower so it won’t get hit directly by the water. As it melts, it releases essential oils and creates an aromatherapy spa.

Relaxing shower melts diy recipe

DIY Relaxing Shower Melts Recipe with Essential Oils

Yield: 8 Mini Muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Active Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 1 days
Total Time: 1 days 45 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Estimated Cost: $10

A simple relaxing shower melts DIY recipe with essential oils that will turn your shower into an aromatherapy spa and help you relax as well as boost your mood.

Instructions

    1. Measure and place the baking soda, citric acid, and cornstarch in a medium sized bowl.  Stir well to remove any lumps. Make a well in the center with a spoon
    2. Add the essential oils to the well in the center. Try to drop them in throughout the circle so they don’t all go in the same spot.
    3. Slowly drizzle the water over the mixture as you stir.  It will start to bubble, but keep stirring.  It is moist enough when you can grab a handful and squeeze and it holds its shape.  Add more water as needed.  
    4. Pack into the mini muffin tin.  Press down
      firmly.  
    5. Let dry for 24 hours.  Unmold and let dry completely on a cooling
      rack

Safety First When Using Essential Oils

If you have never used a certain essential oil it is important to do a skin patch test prior to topically using! See my sections on topical use and other essential oil safety concerns:

Now go ahead and give yourself some self care with this DIY relaxing shower melts recipe.

Relaxing shower melts diy recipe

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not intend to diagnose or treat any disease. It is always recommended that you seek the advise of your private medical doctor.

Comments

  1. Irena says:

    Great shower steamers, Carol! Clary sage is such a useful EO and I love that you included it in this recipe.

  2. What a lovely way to take time out for self care!

  3. Shay Marcia says:

    One of my New year’s Resolution was to save money and after realizing how much I spend on Lush bath bombs decided that’s one of the things I can cut out but after reading this I am excited to try to make my own, it will save a lot without cutting into my moments for self-care.

  4. Jaclyn says:

    Do you think you could add food coloring in place of some water to make them pink or blue for baby shower door prizes?

    • D'Ann Reese says:

      Since food coloring seems to work in bath bombs it probably would work with this recipe. I would be careful and add just a few drops at a time until you get the color you want. Let me know how it goes! D’Ann

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