Homemade Shower Steamers
The craze of bath bombs has been going strong over the last few years, but I know not everyone is a “bath person” — I don’t really understand why, I mean have you ever taken a bath?? Bath > Shower any day in my opinion, but of course showers are a quicker, more practical experience. And because we are all about beautifying and celebrating the little everyday moments over here at Entertain the Idea, what better way than to give yourself a spa-like moment during your next shower.
Shower steamers are essentially the bath bomb of the shower world. These fizzy bars give off aromatherapy scents the same way your other bath products would. They are designed to activate from the moisture in your shower steam to fill your bathroom with a relaxing or invigorating scent. They’re super simple to make, I’ll show you everything you need below!
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You will need:
1/2 cup Baking Soda
1/4 cup Citric Acid - I bought mine here
2 tablespoons Corn Starch
Essential oils (I used lemon, eucalyptus, and orange)
Witch hazel (& spray bottle)
Soap colorant (I got my peach color in a pack at Michaels)
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Gloves
STEP 1: Measure out and mix together your dry ingredients in your bowl — 1/2 Cup Baking Soda, 1/4 Cup Citric Acid, 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch. I just mixed these together with my gloved hands making sure to loosen any clumps.
STEP 2: Add in your essential oil blend of choice! I chose to go with an invigorating blend of Lemon, Eucalyptus, and Orange. I used about 10 drops of each oil but my steamers turned out to be a fairly light smell so I would recommend adding 20 drops each if you like a stronger scent.
STEP 3: Add in drops of your colorant. I used about 10 drops of this peach soap colorant to get the light pink/peachy color that my steamers turned out. If you want a more vibrant color add more drops, but I would recommend adding a few drops in at a time then use your gloved hands to mix the colorant into the mixture. Then add a few more and mix again. And so on.
STEP 4: Transfer your witch hazel to a small spray bottle so you can evenly mist your dry mixture. You are looking to create a damp texture but you do not want too much liquid at a time otherwise the fizzing reaction will occur between the citric acid and the baking soda.
Start by covering the mixture with a few light sprays then use your other hand to mix around the liquid. Keep doing this until your mixture reaches a damp sand consistency that can be packed together and keep its shape.
STEP 5: Once the mixture is packable, start grabbing handfuls and packing it into the silicone mold tray. Try to fill all corners of the mold evenly. Push down lightly to make sure the mixture completely packs into the bottom of the mold. I wanted my shower steamers to be thin and flat in shape (to sit on my shower floor) so I only filled my mold half way high.
**TIP! This amount of mixture filled about four of my heart molds half way. If you want to create more than this amount, I would recommend doing these steps again from the beginning with a new batch instead of increasing the ingredients. The first time I tried doing about double the mixture and I found it very difficult to reach the correct dampness needed to pack the molds while also keeping the mixture from fizzing. It is a bit easier to work with this more manageable amount in my opinion!
STEP 6: Allow the mixture to cool in the mold overnight. Then carefully pop the hardened shower steamers from the mold.
Now that you have completed the shower steamers, they’re ready to use in your next shower! Place them on the floor of the shower (away from direct water pressure), on a shelf, or even hang them from your shower head in a mesh bag for a stronger scent experience. I love that you can customize these steamers with different colors, different mold shapes, and different essential oil blends. My next batch I want to do some kind of relaxing lavender mix!
This lovely handmade gift would also be a great Valentine or Galentine for anyone in your life (I mean who doesn’t take showers??), if you try out this DIY let me know by tagging me on instagram @entertainidea! Make sure you save at least one for yourself and enjoy a little self care spa-like moment in the comfort of your own home. You deserve it :)
xo Rachael
