When Bath Salts are NOT Bath Salts

The other day, I was listening to NPR and heard this feature story on bath salts.  Beware and shop carefully!  It's probably better to make your own or buy from reputable brands such as Burt's Bees.

"Across the country, packets of white powder with names like Vanilla Sky, Ivory Wave and White Rush are being sold in convenience stores and gas stations. The packets are labeled and sold as "bath salts," but they are actually a drug that produces a meth-like high and sometimes violent behavior in users. Law enforcement has caught on, and Florida recently joined Louisiana in banning the sale of the powders." Read the full article.

I found some photos of these products and have posted them here in case you're wondering about the packaging. 

You can make a basic bath salt for soaking using equal parts of epsom salts, baking soda and sea salt.  Epsom salt reduces swelling, relaxes muscles & is a natural skin softener and exfoliator.  Baking soda relieves itching, washes away oils and perspiration, and softens skin.  Sea salts cleanse pores and soften the water.  You can sub table salt for sea salt, but it has less minerals than the latter.  Of course you can spice it up with dried flowers, essential oils, color, etc.  Enjoy!