After a long day, nothing is quite as relaxing as a hot bath. This Herb Infused Bath Oil can be added directly into your bath water to create a moisturizing and calming bath experience. Comprised of argan oil, avocado and infused sweet almond, this combination of oils is full of vitamins E, B1, B2 and A. Before combining the bath oils, the sweet almond oil is infused with calendula and chamomile herb to impart extra skin-loving properties into the oil.
Infusing oils is easy and fun. To make this infused sweet almond oil, check out the How to Infuse Oils with a Crock-Pot. If you don’t have a slow cooker handy, you can also infuse your oils with a double boiler, or by using the cold infusion method.
In addition to the skin-loving oils, this recipe contains a small amount of polysorbate 80. The polysorbate 80 helps the oils combine with the water. Below is an example of how oil behaves with and without polysorbate 80. On the left is plain avocado oil. On the right is avocado oil with polysorbate. You will notice that the addition of polysorbate makes the water murky, but the oil is dispersed evenly throughout the water. To help the oil disperse through the bath water even more, pour the oil under the faucet as the bath fills up. When you get out, make sure you have solid footing and a good handhold. That same oil that is so lovely on the skin makes the tub slippery.
What You’ll Need:
8 oz. Chamomile & Calendula Infused Sweet Almond Oil (learn how to make it here)
3 oz. Argan Oil
5 oz. Avocado Oil
.6 oz. Polysorbate 80
1 oz. Vanilla Oak Fragrance Oil
Two 8 oz. Bottles with Pump Cap
Optional: 8 Tbs. Chamomile Herb + 8 Tbs. Calendula Petals
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ONE: In a container, add all the ingredients and mix well with a spoon.
NOTE: The sweet almond oil needs to be infused with the chamomile and calendula before mixing. You can find the instructions for infusing your sweet almond oil here.
TWO: Slowly and carefully, pour the oil mixture into the bottles. Screw on the cap and enjoy! To use, add the oil directly into your bath water. To help the oil mix into the water more thoroughly, pour the oil under the faucet while the bath tub fills up. This recipe is pure oil so your tub will be oily when you get out so take care in exiting the tub.
NOTE: Because this recipe does not contain water, it does not need a preservative. If you’d like to learn more about how to use preservatives in your products, click here.
Do you have a favorite product to add to your bath? I love bath fizzies!
- 8 oz. Chamomile & Calendula Infused Sweet Almond Oil
- 3 oz. Argan Oil
- 5 oz. Avocado Oil
- .6 oz. Polysorbate 80
- 1 oz. Vanilla Oak Fragrance Oil
- Two 8 oz. Bottles with Pump Cap
- In a container, add all the ingredients and mix well with a spoon.
- Slowly and carefully, pour the oil mixture into the bottles. Screw on the cap and enjoy! To use, add the oil directly into your bath water. To help the oil mix into the water more thoroughly, pour the oil under the faucet while the bath tub fills up.
Hi there
My question is this…. if polysorbate 80 is “soluble in water and alcohol BUT insoluble in oil” how do I get it to mix thoroughly in the bath oil without separating and sitting at the bottom of the bottle. This is driving me nuts; puts my customers off; looks horrible; and I can’t seem to find the answer on the internet. Any ideas? Hydrogenated Castor Oil maybe? Has anyone tried this?
The Polysorbate 80 will mix with the oil but not fully dissolve, so there will be some separation. If you’re not a fan of the separation, you can leave the Polysorbate 80 out. You can also include instructions to shake well before each use. That will help the Polysorbate 80 disperse in the oil and in the tub. I will also include instructions in this post to shake before each use to make it more clear.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi! 🙂 I want to make body oil with mica gold shimmer added. Will the polysorbate 80 keep the mica separating from the oil so I won’t have to shake it with every usage? I know I could just do it as a lotion, but I would prefer an oil based one instead.
We haven’t given that a try, so I’m not entirely sure. However, I don’t believe the Polysorbate 80 will help the mica suspend and prevent shaking before each use. You may give it a try just to be sure! It can be used at 1-6% to start. If you notice the mica sinking anyway, you may want to skip it and shake before each use. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Could i add a colorant to this? and if i added i diluted lab color would i need to add a preservative because of the water/oil mixture? how much colorant should i add if i want to color the water?
Hi Beca!
We didn’t try this recipe with color, so I’m not entirely sure!
If you do add LabColors, it wouldn’t need an additional preservative because the LabColors already have a preservative. Read more about preservatives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
Also, because the bath oil water-based, you may need a bit more Polysorbate 80 to help it emulsify completely. The Polysorbate in the recipe is used to help the oil mix into the water, but may not be enough to mix into bath water and emulsify the LabColor and oil.
Also, I’m not entirely sure how much LabColor would color the water! I would recommend staring with 4-5 mL of LabColor. Then, mix it in and test some in the water to see if it colors it. If not, you can add more. Keep in mind if it colors the water, it may also color your tub, so keep a cleaning towel nearby!
After you’re happy with the color, let it sit overnight. If you notice the oil is pooling on the top, add more Polysorbate 80, mix and let it sit again. Repeat that process until it emulsifies nicely. You can add it up to 50%, but I don’t think you’ll need that much. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Polysorbate 80: https://www.brambleberry.com/Polysorbate-80-P4438.aspx
LabColors: https://www.brambleberry.com/LabColors-C171.aspx
Hi, I am thinking of making sold bath melts with these same ingredients, but adding Kokum, Shea or cocoa butter for a solid melt and wonder if the Poly 80 would have the same affect in them? At What rate would you add one of these butters and then how much Poly 80?
Thanks for any help
Hi Tamy!
We didn’t add butter to this recipe, so I’m not entirely sure! I would recommend making a small test batch to see if the Polysorbate 80 helps the solid butters mix with the bath water.
I would recommend starting out with equal amounts of butters and soft oils. If you want it softer or harder, you can add more accordingly. The Polysorbate 80 is about 3.6% of this recipe, so I would keep it around that amount to start with. If you’re finding those oils aren’t mixing well, you can add up to 50% in your recipe. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Can this recipe also be used as a moisturizer, to be applied directly on the skin?
Hi Claudia!
You could definitely apply this directly to your skin if you like! If you do use it as a leave-on product, I would recommend decreasing the fragrance oil. We added 1 ounce of fragrance to this recipe because it’s going to be diluted in a bath tub. However, on skin, that amount may be irritating.
We recommend about .24 ounces of fragrance oil per pound of oil for a strong scent. Find out exactly how much to add using our Fragrance Calculator: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/use-fragrance-calculator/
Just click “Lotion” from the drop-down menu. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry