Make aromatherapy shower steamers with essential oils for a relaxing and aromatic shower experience. This DIY shower steamers recipe helps to relieve stress and promote relaxation. Try my combo of ylang ylang and rose essential oils for this aromatherapeutic bath product, or choose your favorite relaxing essential oil blend (from the ones I’ve provided) to create an at home spa experience.
All of us can use a time out for self care to relax from a long stressful day. Therefore, I’m showing you how to make relaxing shower steamers with essential oils to help ease away stress and promote calm.
I love a good bath bomb. However, I’m really more of a shower person. So once I tackled how to make bath bombs, I learned how to make DIY shower steamers. I love that shower steamers are such an easy, no fuss way to enjoy aromatherapy benefits in the shower.
Aromatherapy Shower Steamers
Aromatherapy shower tablets are an easy DIY to make. Even beginning DIY-ers can make these fun aromatherapeutic products. You don’t need many ingredients to recreate this recipe. Therefore, it’s a great project for beginners who are just getting started making their own essential oil recipes and products.
While most DIY bath and body products are for made to enjoy in the bathtub, this recipe is different. It’s made to be enjoyed only in the shower, where the hot water and steam act as a natural diffuser for the essential oils used to formulate this natural bath product.
I chose a relaxing rose and ylang ylang essential oil blend to make my relaxing aromatherapy shower tablets. Not only do these essential oils smell wonderful together, they are also the perfect blend for a relaxing aromatherapy experience. Shower steamers are similar to bath bombs, however they are made for in shower use only. When they get wet, they start to dissolve. As they dissolve, they release the essential oils to turn your showing into an aromatherapy spa — right inside your home!
This shower steamers recipe is great for solo self care! However, why not share the love? This bath and body recipe also makes great essential oil gifts for friends and teachers, or anyone else who needs to relax after a stressful day.
What is a Shower Steamer?
Shower steamers are like a bath bomb for the shower. They are made with similar ingredients, though skin nourishing ingredients are excluded, as you don’t soak in this type of bath product. These ingredients may include citric acid, baking soda, cream of tartar or Epsom salt and essential oils. Similarly, when shower tablets are activated in water, they dissolve. As they dissolve, the aromatherapy shower steamers release essential oils. The essential oils then turn your shower into a large diffuser because of the steam. This essentially creates a mini spa in your own bathroom.
One difference between bath bombs and shower steamers, however, is that these relaxing shower steamers with essential oils aren’t diluted in a carrier oil. They also contain higher concentrations of essential oil than are considered skin safe. Due to this, you should not use these aromatherapy shower tablets as a bath bomb in your tub, even though they are similar recipes.
How Do Shower Steamers Work?
As previously mentioned, these relaxing shower steamers are similar to a bath bomb. My aromatherapy shower steamers are made using baking soda and Epsom salt as a base. When the water hits the baking soda and Epsom salt, they start to dissolve. This releases the essential oils that then combine with the steam to create an aromatherapy spa in your shower.
Why Are My Shower Steamers Crumbling?
This shower steamers recipe is a fairly easy recipe that’s perfect for beginners. However, the biggest problem that you may face when you make DIY shower steamers is crumbling. Shower steamers may crumble when you do not add enough liquid to the dry ingredients.
However, if you add too much liquid, you can activate your DIY shower steamers. This is especially true if you are using a citric acid and baking soda base, or a recipe with cream of tartar. If shower tablets are too wet and they are activated, they will expand. It’s possible they may also not set up properly. If activated, the essential oils may release before you are ready to use them.
If your aromatherapy shower steamers do crumble, you can still save your recipe. Simply add more liquid to the tablets, then remold them. Alternately, you can place the crumbles into a cup, then set the filled cup in your shower. Be sure to add water to the cup to activate your relaxing shower steamers when you want to use them.
Do You Need Citric Acid For Shower Steamers?
No, you do not need to use citric acid to learn how to make shower steamers. Most DIY shower steamers use citric acid because baking soda and citric acid combined create bubbles when they get wet.
If you are making a bath bomb, you want those bubbles for the fun effect. However, for aromatherapy shower steamers, you do not the fizzing bubbles for them to work.
What Mold Can I Use to Make Shower Steamers?
I used this silicone cylinder mold to make my relaxing shower steamers recipe. The circles are 1.5 inches wide and hold about 20 ml. You can use a similar sized mold to learn how to make shower steamers. One thing to keep in mind is that you want a plain mold and not an intricate mold because you will not see the intricate design on aromatherapy shower tablets.
Why Use Essential Oils to Make Shower Steamers?
I recommend using essential oils to make relaxing shower steamers. Essential oils have aromatherapy benefits that can promote relaxation. I used both rose essential oil and ylang ylang essential oil. Both promote relaxing, and combined they smell amazing. (For other relaxing essential oil blends, be sure to check out my aromatherapeutic essential oil blend recipes below.)
Aromatherapy Benefits of Rose Essential Oil
Rose essential oil smells amazing, and it has several aromatherapy benefits when you use them in DIY shower steamers. There have been studies that show that rose oil can decrease pain levels when it’s inhaled. Researchers think that smelling rose oil may stimulate the brain to release endorphins, which can ease pain.
In another study, rose oil showed that it can reduce anxiety. In the study, participants showed decreased heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels. Another study showed that rose essential oil lowered anxiety in postpartum women.
Rose essential oil is a wonderful oil due to its benefits and its scent, but it is an expensive oil. You can replace rose essential oil with geranium essential oil or palmarosa essential oil. You can also use rose absolute, which I used due to its affordability and true rose fragrance.
Aromatherapy Benefits of Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Ylang ylang essential oil pairs well with rose essential oil. In a study, inhaling ylang ylang can reduce anxiety levels and boost your self esteem. Inhaling ylang ylang in these aromatherapy shower steamers can help reduce anxiety and promote relaxation.
Relaxing Essential Oil Blends for Aromatherapy Shower Steamers
I like to use rose and ylang ylang essential oils for my relaxing shower steamers, but you can use other essential oils as well.
Here are a few relaxing essential oil blends you can buy:
Alternately, you can also make your own relaxing essential oil blends with these recipes:
- Sleepy Time: 3 parts vetiver + 2 parts lavender + 2 parts ylang ylang
- Relaxing Blend: 3 parts lavender + 3 parts bergamot + 2 parts mandarin + 1 part ylang ylang
- Rose & Ylang Ylang: 5 parts rose absolute+ 3 parts ylang ylang
While it is recommended not to use more than 2% of your preferred essential oil blend for bath products, you can use more to make aromatherapy shower tablets, depending on the intensity of the oils used and the recommended maximum usage rates. My recipe calls for just slightly over 3% of the recipe ingredients.
Rather than count out more than a hundred drops of your relaxing essential oil blend, you may instead measure out .25 oz. of essential oil to use in my recipe for essential oil shower steamers. (This translates into 8 mL or 160 drops.)
Relaxing Shower Steamer Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients for your relaxing shower steamers recipe:
- Baking soda
- Epsom salt
- Relaxing Essential Oil Blend (see above)
- Rose hydrosol (or witch hazel extract)
- Dried rose petals (optional)
How to Make Aromatherapy Shower Steamers
Follow these steps to make aromatherapy shower steamers:
- Use a measuring cup to measure out the baking soda and Epsom salt. Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Stir until combined.
- Once the dry ingredients are evenly mixed, add the rose and ylang ylang essential oil blend, or another relaxing essential oil blend of your choice. Stir well.
- Now add one tablespoon of either rose hydrosol or witch hazel in a slow drizzle. With a gloved hand, mix the shower steamers mixture. It should hold its shape when you squeeze it. If it’s too dry, add up to ½ tablespoon of liquid and try again.
- Next, place the dried rose petals in the bottom of nine of the cavities in your silicone mold.
- Then evenly add the shower tablet mixture to each of the nine cavities you filled with rose petals.
- Pack the relaxing shower steamers mixture into the cavities of the mold. Press the shower tablet mixture firmly to pack down.
- Allow the shower steamers with essential oils to set up for 24 to 48 hours. Make sure to keep them in a cool, dry location away from humidity during this process.
- After the allotted time has passed, carefully unmold your aromatherapeutic bath products.
How to Use Shower Steamers
To use your aromatherapy shower steamers, place one or two tablets on the bottom of your shower away from the direct spray of water. They will release the essential oils as they slowly dissolve in the hot water.
How to Store Shower Steamers
Moisture will activate your shower steamers with essential oils. Even moisture from the air, which is common in a bathroom, can activate them. Therefore, you should store leftover shower steamers in a cool dry location inside an airtight container.
If you like my recipe for aromatherapy shower tablets, then you may also like my menthol shower steamers recipe for colds, flu or allergies. This recipe contains eucalyptus essential oil and menthol crystals to help open nasal passages and ease nasal and chest congestion.
Yield: 9 aromatherapy shower tablets Learn how to make DIY shower steamers for relaxation. These aromatherapy shower steamers are made with a relaxing essential oil blend to help relieve stress and calm your mind. Active Time15 minutes Total Time15 minutes Unmold carefully.Relaxing Aromatherapy Shower Steamers Recipe
Materials
Tools
Instructions
Where to Buy Shower Steamers
If you don’t want to make your own shower steamers with essential oils, you can buy shower steamers here:
- Relaxing Shower Bombs with Essential Oils
- Aromatherapy Shower Bombs
- Variety Pack Aromatherapy Shower Tablets
- Fizzy Spa Shower Soothers
- Eucalyptus Shower Steamers
- Aromatherapy Bath and Shower Bomb Steamers
- Morning Citrus Mint Shower Steamers
- Lavender & Chamomile Shower Steamers
More Relaxing Aromatherapeutic Recipes
For more ways to relax and ease stress, try these other essential oil recipes to promote rest and relaxation:
- Sleep Rollerball Recipe
- Aromatherapy Sleep Spray
- Aromatherapy Roll On for Rest and Relaxation
I hope you love my aromatherapy recipe for making aromatherapy shower tablets. You can discover more essential oil recipes by following Soap Deli News onFacebook,Twitter,Pinterest, andInstagram. Orsubscribe to my newsletter.
