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Health and Beauty

How to make lavender bath bombs

Make fizzy treats to scent your bathtime and ease aching muscles

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When you drop a bath bomb in the water, there's a reaction between the citric acid and the alkaline sodium bicarbonate. The reaction produces carbon dioxide which causes the fizzing. Adding Epsom salts adds a touch of feelgood luxury to your bath; they've been used for centuries to ease aching muscles.

You will need

● 3 parts sodium bicarbonate
● 1 part citric acid
● 1 part Epsom salts
● 10ml sweet almond oil with 10 drops of lavender essential oil
● 15 drops of violet colouring (optional)
● dried lavender
● bath bomb mould

How to make

Mix the sodium bicarbonate, citric acid and Epsom salts until powdery.

Add the almond oil, essential oil and colouring slowly until the mixture is still powdery but clumps together when squeezed.

Add the dried lavender to the bottom of your mould halves and start packing the mixture on top to completely fill the moulds, pressing down as you go. Press the two filled halves of the mould together.

Leave to dry for 24 hours on greaseproof paper before wrapping in cellophane.

Tip: Cheap plastic balls, cut in half, make excellent bath bomb moulds.

■ All ingredients from Just A Soap.

Instructions: aromatherapist and reflexologist Janet Lee, 07983 285073