Calm and Comfort Lavender & Lemongrass Shower Steamers
If you're not a bath person but you still would like to add some novelty and spice to your shower routine then shower steamers (aka shower tabs) are a great option. You can place one of these aroma tabs on the floor of your shower or put it in an organza bag and hang it on your faucet. Shower steamer is going to activate when contacted with water and release essential oil (or fragrance oils) aroma into the air.
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The base of the recipe is similar to a classical bath bomb concoction: baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch (to prolong the fizzing time), essential oil blend (or fragrance oil), menthol crystals, polysorbate 80 (disperses oils and essential oils), and a binder (water or alcohol). You don't have to add any extra oil tr milk powder or foaming agents, however, I used a lightweight oil together with polysorbate 80 in my Menthol Rosemary Shower Steamers because it was easier to bind my mixture this way. Today, I am sharing a recipe that doesn't include any oils and it still works great. Let's see what I've got!
To make this recipe you'll need:
pair of gloves
large mixing bowl
two small measuring cups or containers (for dissolving menthol crystals and measuring essential oils)
digital scale (if you want to weigh your colorant then you need a scale that measures down to 0.01g)
a spoon or a spatula
molds ( you can use halves of your round molds, ice cube trays, 3d bath bomb molds, plastic soap molds, moon cake press molds, etc).
INGREDIENTS
baking soda
citric acid
cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
menthol crystals
lavender essential oil (calming & relaxing properties)
lemongrass essential oil (soothing, refreshing)
menthol crystals
Polysorbate 80
water or 70% alcohol
These shower steamers last about 2 long showers and 2.5-3 short ones.
RECIPE
(makes 8 shower steamers 50-65g each)
280g Baking Soda
50g Cornstarch
6g Kaolin Clay
0.1-0.2g purple mica (optional)
5g 70% alcohol
5g menthol crystals
4g Lavender essential oil
4g Lemongrass essential oil
5g Polysorbate 80
2g water (you can use alcohol)
140g Citric Acid
https://youtu.be/GV6xlSNcYsk
SIMILAR RECIPE
INSTRUCTIONS
Sift your dry ingredients (except citric acid) in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
2. Add your mica. I am going with a purple mica but you can use a different colorant if you want. Mix well. I like to rub the dry mix between my hand to make sure the color is evenly distributed.
3. Dissolve your menthol crystals in alcohol. You can also dissolve menthol crystals in a warm oil.
4. In a small measuring cup or a beaker weigh your essential oils and add Polysorbate 80. Stir to combine.
5. Now add your dissolved menthol crystals and your essential oil blend to your dry mix and mix very well. Make sure there're no oil clumps left.
6. Add 2-3g of water. You might need more or less than I used depending on the climate , weather conditions, humidity.
7. Weigh 140g Citric acid and add it to your shower steamer mixture. Mix well. You will feel immediately how the texture changes from soft and crumbly to a well-sticking, fluffy, consistency. If you feel that your batch is still too dry then add a few spritzes of alcohol or water and mix quickly. If you want to use a moon cake press then your mixture should be a little bit wetter than usual.
8. Fill your molds with shower steamer mixture until it overflows the mold and then push it down with a palm of your hand.
9. Now place the mooncake press on a cutting board layered with some parchment paper, push down very firmly. While pressing on the handle, slowly lift the moon press up to release the shower steamer. If you find that your designs are not coming out as clean as you would like them to you can prep your molds with Cyclomethicone or dust them with cornstarch.
messed up the first one
10. Place your shower steamers in a dry place for 24-48 hours or until they are completely dry. I like to put mine in an airtight container.
INGREDIENTS (INCI Names):
Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric acid, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Kaolin, Menthol, Polysorbate 80, Lavendula angustifolia essential oil, Cymbopogon flexuosus or Cymbopogon citratus essential oil, Aqua (Water), isopropyl alcohol
I've also prepared a bonus formula which is great for sinus relief and includes a higher amount of menthol crystals and a different essential oil blend.
Sinus Relief Shower Steamers RECIPE
280g Baking Soda
6g Kaolin Clay
40g Cornstarch
0.2 peppermint green mica
7g 70% Alcohol
10g menthol crystals
3g Rosemary essential oil
0.5 Eucalyptus essential oil
0.5 Peppermint essential oil
20g Natrasorb (anchors the scent, optional)
5g Polysorbate 80
140g Citric Acid
I hope you have enjoyed this post! Let me know if you have any questions about this recipe and drop your suggestions for the new post in the comment section down below.