Homemade bath melts are the perfect way to soothe itchy skin while you soak. Get the easy recipe and rescue your skin with this all-natural bath soak that leaves skin feeling silky soft and supple.
This post uses affiliate links. They don’t cost you a thing and help us bring you natural beauty tutorials. Read more in Policies & Disclosures.
I’m not an exercise buff by any means, but I do love working out in the pool. A friend of mine recently hurt her leg and had to downgrade from her more dangerous sounding boot camp classes to more tame workouts of water cardio and deep water conditioning.
I am happy to follow her into the pool every morning for a few hours of laughter and fitness.
(Fun fact: I found out that I am virtually incapable of standing on a pool noodle while floating in the deep end. You win some, you lose some!)
Pool = Dry Itchy Skin
There is ONE part of me HATES working out in the pool… my skin! It has been dry and prickly since I started my chlorine filled workouts despite layers upon layers of lotion and homemade chlorine neutralizing spray. (Aurgh, winter!)
Skin Rescuing Bath Melts
Have you ever used a bath melt? They are fabulous little bath bombs of moisturizer that melt into the water and hydrate your skin. They turn your bath into a softening sanctuary!
I decided to whip up a batch of bath melts with natural oils and butters to soothe and soften my dry, itchy skin during my evening soak.
Milk and honey bath melts gently hydrate dry, irritated skin with all-natural ingredients including:
- rich mango butter
- sweet almond oil
- organic powdered milk
- luxurious honey
Land of Milk and Honey
The powdered milk and honey in this recipe bring to mind the land of milk and honey… a symbolic reference to the Promised Land, a place of peace where there is comfort and plenty, a heavenly land.
The bathtub is a great place for a little peace and comfort! A decadent bath is a lovely escape from the stress of daily life. PLUS it costs very little, has no calories, and can quiet the mind before bed.
Milk and Honey
Milk and honey are all-natural ingredients that are great for skin care.
Milk baths contain lactic acid which:
- Gently exfoliates away dead skin cells.
- Softens and smooths rough patches.
- Accelerates skin cell renewal.
- Tones and tightens the skin.
Honey is a natural humectant that:
- Attracts moisture and keeps in locked inside.
- Supports the skin's ability to rejuvenate
- Helps promote healing
How to Make Milk and Honey Bath Melts
Ingredients
1/3 cup mango butter or shea butter
1/3 cup almond oil
¼ cup honey
1 cup powdered milk
½ cup powdered milk (for rolling)
Directions
- Melt the mango butter, almond oil and honey together is a glass bowl set into a small saucepan filled with boiling water. Do not get water in the mix.
- Stir in 1 cup of powdered milk. The mixture will be slightly crumbly.
- Measure 2 tablespoons of mix and roll into tight balls.
- Place bath melts onto wax paper or parchment paper to cool.
- Roll bath melts in ½ cup powdered milk for a decorative finish.
*Recipe makes approximately 9-10 bath melts.
How to Use Bath Melts
- Fill the tub 1-2 inches with hot water, place one or two bath melts in and allow to melt. (You can crumble the melts with your hands to speed the process or rub them onto your skin for extra moisturizing.)
- Continue filling tub with water of your desired temperature then soak for 20-30 minutes.
- When exiting the tub be carefully, surfaces can be slippery!
Tip: Rub a bath melt over heels, knees and elbows to deliver extra lactic acid and moisturizer directly to trouble spots. Allow the rest of the bath melt to dissolve in the tub.
More Easy DIY Bath Recipes
These easy all-natural bath products soften skin, promote detox, aid in sleep, and relax tired muscles. Try one today!
- Fresh Snow Moisturizing Detox Bath – This moisturizing bath soak looks like freshly fallen snow. It contains natural oils to soften skin and magnesium rich Epsom salts to help relax your body and mind before bed. You can make and use this easy recipe in minutes!
- Rosemary Chamomile Detox Bath Soak – Detox bath salts help remove toxins and promote peaceful sleep. This all-natural Rosemary Chamomile Detox Bath recipe uses dried herbs and essential oils to create an inexpensive but luxurious detox bath soak.
- Magnesium Rose Natural Detox Bath Salts – These all-natural Magnesium Rose bath salts uses mineral salts, Epsom salt, and essential oils to create a luxurious floral detox bath soak. Epsom salt bath salts help remove toxins for weight loss and relaxation.
Like my natural body care tutorials? Sign up for my newsletter below and never miss a thing!
Bren Did Newsletter Subscribers Get Access!
Jenn
Hi Bren! These look so amazing! I’m wondering how long the shelf life is for them? Also, do you think adding a few drops of an essential oil would be ok? Thanks!
Bren
I have had some sitting on my bathtub ledge for a few months with no problem. They should last quite a long time. Yes, you could add essential oils if you desired. You can also try my magnesium rose detox bath salts and rosemary chamomile relaxation bath salts that use essential oils.
sara
hello. i just tried making these and i am wondering if my mixture became too hot. it looks like a very thick almost cake batter feel to it… i am unsure how to turn this into balls… i am going to let it cool and seee what happens but I am wondering if I did something wrong!? thanks
Bren
Yes, it should be very thick like you are rolling balls from playdough. Good luck.
Steph
Where can you purchase the ingredients needed?
Bren
I buy most of mine on Amazon. There are links in the recipe above. Hope you enjoy!
Bridget
Thank you, Bren! I did want to make these melts for my Mom’s Valentine’s Day because she swims at the Y. I did find powdered milk but it’s not organic. Does that make a difference?
Bren
It should not make a difference. Good luck!
Joni
Hello,
I was wondering if it has to be either avocado butter or Shea butter or could you use coconut oil?
Many Thanks
Bren
I’ve only used mango butter & shea butter to make the bath melts, they are both more solid at room temperature than coconut oil. I think the coconut oil would probably work with a little extra powdered milk, but I can’t guarantee success. If you are adventurous you could give it a try, the worst case scenario would be a mixture that did not form balls… then you could store the mix in a jar and just put a spoonful into your bath.
Melissa
Just came across this post and thought I would answer. Hope it helps if it is still relevant.
Coconut oil has a low melt point which means it melts at 76°. Hard butters like Shea, Mango and Cocoa remain hard at room temp.
Coconut oil can be added in smaller amounts to substitute for a little less of harder butter. Adjust your butter ratio to allow for any coconut oil so your recipe amounts aren’t compromised.
If you are firm on only using coconut oil you would add small amounts a little at a time until you got the desired consistency in order to pack the balls. Work quickly as your body heat will begin to liquify the coconut oil. Once formed store the balls in the fridge until ready to use.
Bren
Thanks for the tips, Melissa!
Joni Kane
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. As its a gift I think I’ll stick with your recipe ????
Bren
Good luck!
Jesserkay
Is there an alternative to almond oil? I’m highly allergic allergic to almonds but want to make these for my husbands itchy skin.
Bren
You can use avocado oil, olive oil, or even fractionated coconut oil.
Jesserkay
Perfect! I’ll give one of those a try!! Thanks!
Roda
for storage purposes is it ok to store it in room temperature or bathroom?
it wouldn’t get spoiled?
Bren
I store them at room temperature. I had a batch in my bathroom for more than 3 months and they did not go bad. Hope you like the bath bombs!
Janal
About how many bath melts do you get per recipe if they were about the size of a golf ball?
Bren
The recipe makes approximately 9-10 bath melts if you use 2 Tbsp of mixture for each melt.
Mary Milner
I have some aragon oil. I was thinking of trying that instead of the sweet almond oil.
Any thoughts?
Bren
Yes, pure aragan oil is great for skin and would work in this recipe.
Jessica
Been, I was wondering what alternative to almond oil you would use? I deal with a food allergy in my home and so anything tree but related is banned from my home
Bren
I am not an expert on allergies so please make sure these are safe with your particular allergy. You can substitute almost any liquid oil for the almond oil in the recipe including argan oil, olive oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, apricot kernel oil, fractionated coconut oil, or sunflower oil. Look for a 100% pure or food-grade oil. Hope this helps!
Carla
so there is no baking soda or citricacid in the milk and honey bath melts?
Bren
Nope, no baking soda or citric acid, just the ingredients listed in the recipe: mango butter or shea butter, almond oil, honey, & powdered milk.
Savanna
how long do i have to leave the bath melts alone until i use them in a bath??
Bren
You can use them immediately, no wait necessary.
Nicole
I would love to make these as gifts, but one of my friends is vegan. Is there an alternative for the milk?
Bren
You could try substituting soy milk powder or cornstarch but I cannot promise it would work. I would probably make vanilla cupcake lotion bon bons, rosemary chamomile bath salts, or magnesium rose bath salts for a vegan.
Amie
Can’t wait to make these for the lovely ladies at work!!
Bren
I hope they love them, Amie!
Josephine
These look wonderful!
I am curious, can I melt the shea butter, oil, and honey in a microwave?
Thanks!
Bren
I’ve never melted shea butter in the microwave, I prefer to use the “double boiler” method. I have heard of people melting it for 5-10 seconds in the microwave. Be very careful if you try this method! Let me know how it goes.
Josephine
Bren, I was able to try this yesterday and it turned out fantastic! I melted the shea butter, olive oil, and honey in the microwave for 1 minute (I doubled your recipe and melted it all at once). It was melted but not too hot. I then stirred in the milk powder and let it set for a few mins to cool. Once cool, I rolled in more milk powder and packaged for a Christmas present. Thank you for sharing this. I will be making this several more times!
Bren
I’m so glad it worked, Josephine! I hope everyone enjoys the gifts!
LeAnn Newton
I made these today, but something went wrong. The mix looked like curdled milk and separated. It was like trying to make a ball out of melted, then cooled cheese. It was an oily mess. Do you have a clue what might have happened? I’m a soap maker who also makes bath bombs, scrubs, body butters etc. Never seen anything like this. I used shea and avocado oil.
Bren
I’m sorry you’re having problem, LeAnn! Did the mixture get too cold and get water mixed in? You can try rewarming the mixture over a double boiler and then shape into bath bombs. You can also add a bit more powdered milk or a bit more shea butter to make it thicker or thinner (add a teaspoon at a time).
Amy
I’m glad you’re still leaving replies on this! 🙂 I just finished making them and was coming to ask the same thing. Second batch went much better because I figured out what the problem was. LeAnn, did you use milk powder from the grocery store, in more of a granular form than in dust form? I did, and I had the same problem. For my second batch, I ground up the milk powder into a much more fine dust and it went better. I used a mortar and pestle, but you could put it in a coffee grinder for a quick whirl and that will work too 🙂
Bren
Thanks for commenting, Amy! The powdered milk I use is very fine, like powdered sugar, so I think you are right… the more granular powdered milk could be the problem! Hope you enjoy the bath melts.
Holly
I think the granular form of powdered milk is instant powdered milk and what is called powdered milk is more flour-like. Sounds like you need to be sure you’re not using instant powdered milk.
Stef
I just made this and am having the exact same problem. I’m staring at it wondering if it can be saved somehow. I dont think it’s the milk…I also used Shea butter and avocado oil. I don’t think those 2 particular ingredients work in this recipe.
Bren
Stef, several people have added extra powdered milk to make the miture more solid. Did you measure the shea butter before it was melted?
Kim Bonner
Hello, I can’t wait to try this recipe! Do you think powdered coconut milk would work? Thank you
Bren
Hi Kim! I’m not familiar with powdered cocout milk but if it melts fully in warm water it should work great! Let me know if you try. -Bren
Hollis
Hey, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your website in Opera, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, awesome
blog!
Bren
Thanks for commenting, Hollis!
Kimberly
Hi – I made these this afternoon and had the same trouble with it separating and being excessively oily. I used all the same ingredients as you recommended so I don’t think the texture of the powdered milk was my issue. Does temperature make a difference? I did remove my bowl from the doubler boiler when I mixed in the milk powder and at first it was very soupy and runny but I stirred more and it did get a bit crumbly but the the oil started to come out. By the time I got to forming the balls I had to squeeze nearly all the oil out to get them to stay formed. Any ideas what I might do for next time? I’m very excited to try them in my bath tonight and am going to be making some of the detox bath salts soon. Thanks so much Kim
Bren
I’m sorry you had trouble, Kimberly. I would leave the bowl over the double boiler while you are shaping the balls. This should keep the mixture warm. You can also try adding a bit less powdered milk or replace some of the almond oil with coconut oil. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Sabrina
I for the life of me cannot find powdered milk in any store locally. I purchased instant milk and it is very grainy and clumps up. I am going to attempt a different brand but can you please let us know what kind of powdered milk you used and where you purchase it from? Thanks!!
Sabrina
Also trying to figure out if you are measuring the shea butter before its melted? 1/3 cup in solid form? I have a huge soupy mess and over a pound of shea butter wasted…
Bren
Sabrina, you should measure the shea butter before it is melted.
Bren
Sabrina, I use this powdered milk other readers have used more granular powdered milk and blended it in the food processor before starting the recipe.
Sue
Bren, Can’t wait to try this! Only question which I’m sure my husband will be questioning me on is..? will this clog up the plumbing as we have a septic system? Thanks in advance.
Bren
Sue, I have had no problem with clogs since there is very little oil per bath. You should do whatever you are comfortable doing. The bath bombs should be fine to use in a septic system, with septic systems you need to use green products that will not kill that bacteria and organisms that breakdown the waste.
Brandee Nolen
Hello! Could you press this mixture into molds? Thanks!
Bren
Hi, Brandee! I haven’t made them in a mold but it should work. I would use a flexible silicon mold or ice cube tray so they are easy to remove. Let me know how it works for you. -Bren
Christena leonard
I attempted to make these and it was a mess.. it separated and had like a hard doughy texture in a soupy mess.. any ideas what happened and how I can fix it as these ingredients are not cheap🤦♀️🙈
Bren
I’m sorry you;re having trouble, Christena. I would reheat the mixture using a fake double boiler (add the mix to a glass bowl that tightly fits over a sauce pan, fill the pan half full of water and heat until swoly boiling, place the bowl over the boiling water, be careful not to get the water in the mixture). Stir until the mixture is warm and smooth, turn off heat but leave over the boiling water, carefully shape into balls. Good luck!
Patricia- Northern Ontario girl
hi a quick question? I have attempted to make these. when I heat the items and then add the powdered milk while still on the heat, it goes crumbly as you mention. however when I go to roll the balls the oil separates from the mixture and I am left with the heated oil mixture in bowl after I have made the balls. I am thinking this is not what is supposed to happen? any suggestions as to what I may be doing wrong. I am using fractioned coconut oil in place of the almond oil
thanks so much
Bren
Sorry you’re having trouble, Patricia. I would reheat the mixture using a fake double boiler (add the mix to a glass bowl that tightly fits over a sauce pan, fill the pan half full of water and heat until slowly boiling, place the bowl over the boiling water, be careful not to get the water in the mixture). Stir until the mixture is warm and smooth, turn off heat but leave over the boiling water, carefully shape into balls.
Also, if you read in the comments above a few people had trouble if their powdered milk was in large granules rather than a powder (like powdered sugar). You can pulse in a blender or food processor to make it more powdery.
Good luck!
Debbie
Could you use powered goats milk
Bren
I’ve never tried it with goats milk but it should work if it is the same consistency as powdered cows milk.
Jolene A
I just made these and after melted everything on double boiler I had to add almost 3 cups of the powdered milk just to get to consistency I could roll the balls – still wasn’t “crumbly” and I could feel the oils on my hands after rolling them. Hoping by letting them sit out to dry it will help them and by rolling in extra powdered milk. Any ideas on why it was still so runny after adding the powdered milk? I used the same brand of ingredients you recommended..
Bren
I’m not sure what happened, Jolene. Was it humid when you made them?
Hannah DeJong
I had the exact same issue! Had to add WAY more powdered milk to get the dough to a thick enough consistency to where I could roll balls out of it. Not sure what happened – followed the recipe to a T!
Bren
Sorry you had problems, Hannah.
Lesley
Me too, had to add wayyyyy more powdered milk to mine and still would not make balls. However I placed them in a mold, they hardened they are just not as pretty as yours in the picture. Took my bath and all was good. Glad to hear I wasn’t the only one.
Bren
I’m glad you found a solution, Lesley!
Melissa
I also had the issue with oil separation and non-forming of “dough”. My only guess is it was because I used NON-FAT milk powder. I didn’t click on your link BEFORE buying the milk powder so I didn’t realize you used “whole milk powder” and since the non-fat milk powder was the only option at all my area grocery stores this is what I used. I kept adding powder until I got a dough I could work with and started forming portions using a mold. Unfortunately, the mixture cooled before I could finish and no matter how I reheated and mixed, I could not get it back to a formable dough. I gave up and will be using them as crumbles instead. Not exactly a pretty looking gift but let me tell you my hands are happily moisturized!
Bren
Sorry you had problems, Melissa. You could keep adding milk powder (maybe use a blender to evenly distribute the oils) until it get powdery and give the mix in a jar as “milk bath” with a directions to add 1/4 cup per bath. It will still work great!