25 Homemade Bath and Body Recipes

Maybe it’s the Valentine’s vibe, but February always makes me feel like pampering myself and my lovely loved ones. I mean, I’m also watching a lot of hockey, selling Girl Scout cookies with my kids, and putting every heart-shaped food item I can find into my mouth, but in between those endeavors, I am all about the bath bombs, body butter, and lip balms.

Below are some of my favorite homemade bath and body recipes. They’re all made from natural ingredients (of course!), and my favorite part is subbing in my favorite essential oils and dried herbs. My second favorite part is molding everything that can be molded into a super cute shape! Find your next favorite recipe here, or combine several for the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift set for your most favorite person.

It’s totally okay if that favorite person is YOU!

Bath Products

bath bombs. Considering how expensive bath bombs can be, these are shockingly easy to make! The versatility for different colors, additives, and little objects hidden inside make this a particularly awesome project for tweens on up.
soap fingerpaints. Beat grated soap, a little bit of water, and washable paint together to make a fun bathtime activity that rinses cleanly away.
bubble bath. Alas, for homemade, natural bubble bath will just never bubble up the way that a cheapo store-bought brand does. But those cheapo store-bought brands don’t contain gentle castile soap and healthy essential oils!
shower bomb. Here’s a great option for those of us who don’t have a bathtub. Turns out that a steamy shower also works for releasing essential oils.

bath salts. Bath salts couldn’t be easier to make! Simply sift together Epsom salts and your favorite essential oil, then pour into a jar and add a homemade label. For extra fun, you can even add dried herbs!
sugar scrub. It’s so sweet and scrubby, and (almost) natural enough to eat!
sinus congestion bath soak. Feeling a little ragged? Eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils in a nice, hot, steamy bath will perk you right up!
bath melts. A friend once explained to me the miracle that is a spoonful of coconut oil in the bath, and my world was shifted. This is the same idea, but with some lovely herbal benefits, too.

Balms, Lotions, and Creams

beeswax lip balm. This recipe makes plenty of natural, honey-scented lip balm, so it’s a great activity for a group or for gift-giving.
tinted lip balm. Mica powder is used in all kinds of bath and body recipes, and it’s a natural way to add a little color to your body products.
mustache and beard conditioning balm. It’s a leave-in conditioner for your beard!
body butter. Somewhere in between a solid lotion and a pumpable lotion, body butter is smooth and creamy without feeling greasy.

solid body lotion. I can tell that this is my absolute favorite lotion for no other reason than I’ve been making this exact recipe for at least nine years without a single change! It’s perfect for dry winter months and other times when I longingly imagine soaking in a lotion-filled vat.
four-ingredient lotion. Okay, let’s say that soaking in a lotion-filled vat is going a little too far for you. I DO have a less… intense handmade lotion option. And this one’s got coconut oil!
shaving cream. This gentle, natural shaving cream doesn’t lather, but I don’t think you’ll miss it.
pumpable lotion. Here’s a homemade lotion that you don’t have to ditch your favorite dispenser to use!

Soaps

cold-process soap. There IS a bit of a learning curve to cold-process soap, but the results are SO worth it!
castile soap. Ever gotten curious about store-bought castile soap, and wondered if you could make it yourself? You can!
soap on a rope. I used to think that soap on a rope was the cheeziest thing, but now I kind of love it. I like to hang it from a hook in the shower and keep the soap dish clean.
citrus soap. Using a melt-and-pour soap base allows you to focus on the funnest part of soapmaking–the add-ins! Here, homemade dried citrus rings embellish melt-and-pour soap, adding to its scrubby and disinfecting power.

foaming hand soap. This should probably be your favorite hand soap! The dispenser part is plastic, and it’s possible to make a non-foaming hand soap without it, but dang I love that foam!
wash cloth soap holder. Here’s a soap project that doesn’t involve soapmaking at all! It’s a great way to use up stash or upcycled terrycloth, however, and a great way to incorporate a handmade-by-you component into a give with purchased handmade soap.
Epsom salt soap. I LOVE a super scrubby soap, and this one is even easier with a melt-and-pour glycerin soap base.
natural soap colorants. Dyeing soap is at least half the fun of making it by hand, and there are so many ways to dye soap naturally!
soap recipe printables. No matter the type of bath and body recipe that you made, you want to remember what’s in it. And if you give it as a gift, you want your recipient to know the ingredients, too! These printables make recording your recipes and notes easy.