Homemade Shower Soothers
I hate it when my kids get sick. I hate it for all the usual reasons, but I also hate it because I know it won’t be long before I get it too. Â And, I can only hope that by the time I get it, the kiddos are feeling 100% again. Â But 9 times out of 10, that doesn’t happen. Â Most the times it results in sick Mommy taking care of sick kiddos.
The life of a mom. Â Such glamour.
A few weeks ago, my middle child got sick with a nasty cold. Â And it slowly went down the line. Â First her, then my oldest, followed by me, and then my toddler. Â Everyone except my husband got it. Â Lucky duck. Â
A few days before the first child started getting stuffy, I had whipped up a batch of my homemade vapor rub along with a batch of these shower soothers. Â Perfect timing, huh? Â Or maybe it was nature’s way of playing a joke on me. Â Either way, I had my little arsenal of homemade cold fighting remedies ready for launch.
I first read about making homemade shower soothers on Pinterest, and I had to give it a shot. Â I wasn’t too impressed with the original recipe though. Â It was crumbly, gave off barely any scent, and evaporated in a matter of seconds. Â Boo.Â
I really wanted these to work, so I couldn’t just give up. Â So, I tried a few different things (and a few different google searches) and came up with a final product I was really happy with. They aren’t very crumbly, the scent is perfect, and they last for my entire shower too.
The ingredient list here is pretty simple. Â Baking soda, water, and a few essential oils – rosemary, eucalyptus, & lavender. Â If you want yours extra strong, you could add peppermint essential oil as well – or even substitute one of the other oils for it too. You will still have tons of essential oils left over in the bottle if you’ve never used these oils before – they go a LONG way and have so many uses!
These are the exact same essential oils that I use in my homemade vicks vapor rub…. so make both! 🙂
Stir together the baking soda & water into a thick paste. Â About 1 cup of baking soda to 1/3 of a cup of water. I really recommend using silicone muffin liners or a silicone muffin pan for these – or even the aluminum foil muffin liners. I tried paper ones my first try, and the paper stuck to them like crazy. Â With the silicone muffin liners, they pop right out with ease. Â (I’ve had my silicone muffin liners for at least 7 years now, and they are still going strong! I love them for everyday baking as well).
Fill each muffin cup halfway. Â Add a few generous drops of each of the essential oils. Then fill each muffin cup up with the rest of the ‘cold batter’.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Let cool completely before removing them from the pan/liners. Â Once cooled, add a few more generous drops of each essential oil to both the top & the bottom of the soothers. Â Also, for maximum scent output, you can just store them as is – and then add the essential oil to both sides about 5 minutes before using them.
Store them in an airtight container or a ziploc bag.  When ready to use, put the disc in the bottom of the shower infront of your toes in your hot shower.  I usually set mine on my shower shelf while my shower warms up the bathroom and makes it all steamy for a few minutes, and then I put the disc in the bottom of the shower.  Somehow, I like that better.  But, I’m a tad on the weird side.  😉
Props to my husband for standing beside the shower to take a picture of my feet & the shower soother….although he did try to cop a feel. While I was sick at that. Â And he still didn’t get sick.
Next time you get the sniffles or the stuffies – make up a batch of these shower soothers – and don’t forget about my homemade vapor rub either!
Shower Soothers
Ingredients
- 1 cup baking soda
- â…“ cup + 2 tablespoons water
- several drops of rosemary essential oil
- several drops of eucalyptus essential oil
- several drops of lavender essential oil
- You can also add peppermint essential oil or substitute another of the oils for it
Instructions
- Combine the baking soda & water together with a spoon. Fill a silicone muffin liner or pan halfway with the mixture. Add a few drops of each of the essential oils, and then fill the rest of the way with the baking soda mixture. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Once cooled, add a few more generous drops of each essential oil to both the top & the bottom of each disc. Or, for maximum scent power - store the discs as is, and add the essential oils to both sides shortly before using. Store the discs in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 6 months.
Why isn’t the oil just mixed into the baking soda mixture?
I tried it like that…and the scent wasn’t as strong for some reason. I’m not sure why…but you’re welcome to try it if you’d like ::)
because sometimes the high heat breaks down the effectiveness of the essential oils. which is why its best to just add more oil to the disc after the oven.
Thanks a million for sharing this!! I’ve wanted something with eucalyptus in it and this will be perfect. Going to look for the vaporub now. 🙂 I hope that everyone is feeling better!
Wow, this is a fantastic idea. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
I am going to have to try this!
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Can I just say, your muffin tins are rad!
i know right!
Thanks!! An inexpensive alternative to inhalers, cough drops, etc that add up over the seasons; especially for those of us suffering from allergies. What’s the shelf life?
“Props to my husband for standing beside the shower to take a picture of my feet & the shower soother….although he did try to cop a feel. While I was sick at that. And he still didn’t get sick.” LOL!!! I really did laugh out loud, love your sense of humor. I am going to make some of these right now, and pass a couple on to friends and see how they work for them as well. =)
I’d be willing to bet that you could use different scents to make personalized (vapor) bath/shower bombs. I remember a company making citrus ones to wake you up in the morning. Would you mind experimenting with waking up, calming down, stress/tension relief, muscle aches, etc. You definitely got the clearing up one covered! Great ideas.
I make an “awake and invigorate”‘blend with grapefruit, neroli, sandalwood, and sweet orange, a “romantic reprieve” with sandalwood, vanilla, ylang-ylang, and Jasmine, and a “Sleepytime” with lavender, chamomile, bergamot, and patchouli. In addition to the one provided above. They are a huge hit for clients that have no bath tubs! Also, we often hang fresh herbs from our shower head for the ultimate “aromatherapy shower”!!!
I will be making these in a few minutes but had to laugh and say he’s remembering his vows, is all – “in sickness and in health” 😉
Thanks for sharing and I agree that your muffin pans are awesome! 🙂 My shower disks were crumbly…. Any tips?
They should be a little bit crumbly around the edges, but still hold it’s shape. Make sure you don’t put any extra water in the batter too. If it’s too wet, it will be crumbly all the way through.
Omg I was just going to do the same thing Bridget did.
“Props to my husband for standing beside the shower to take a picture of
my feet & the shower soother….although he did try to cop a feel.
While I was sick at that. And he still didn’t get sick.”
Thought that was pretty hilarious too! Boys will be boys…
I was recently sick, wishing there was SOMETHING I could do for the shower to make me feel better. This is perfect! Thank you!!
Did your oven smell like the oils after you baked the discs? Did the smell transfer to other foods?
No – neither of those happened to me.
I woke up this morning feeling a bit blah and congested! I have everything but the rosemary oil…on my way to get it and make these! Is there a combination that would maybe helps with acheyness too?
Grrr… I cannot locate silicone pans anywhere….can you use a regular pan??
Try Bed Bath & Beyond. That’s where I bought some silicone liners.
I used a regular pan an silicone liners 🙂
I use medium silicone molds bought on Amazon.
Look for chocolate or soap molds.
I just made my first batch….they are completly cooled but seem soft. Did I do something wrong?
is there a mixture of oils we can try for migraines or headaches? if you know of any please let me know??
I use lavender, peppermint, and chamomile-seems to do the trick-even rubbing the oils (in small amounts) on the soles of your feet works!
This just popped in my head after researching homemade body products for days now. So aren’t you making washing soda by baking the baking soda in the oven? Maybe it’s not turning into washing soda since you aren’t cooking it on 400 like a few sources have explained in the directions for making washing soda. What do you think?
Where did you buy your essential oils from. that is one thing I’m not sure where to begin looking other than online.
I get mine from Amazon as it’s the cheapest option I’ve found. You can also purchase them in local health stores or places like Whole Foods.
Good quality oils will make for a more aromatic and healthy product. I purchase mine from lunaroma.com or mountainroseherbs.com so i know my stuff is good quality
I sell DoTerra oils. You can email me @ [email protected] and I can give you an oil list/price list
How many does this recipe make??
sounds exactly like my life, thanks for letting me laugh at it! especially the cop a feel bit. SO true. =) can’t wait to try these.
Question for you….Are they supposed to be soft after then come out of the oven?
They could be a tad soft, but will harden as they cool. However, if they are still soft after baking – it sounds like you may have added a bit much water, which can be very easy to do.
I’ve made these before with a different recipe and didn’t care for it but I LOVE your recipe for these! I just made some this morning for my son and I! Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear that, thank you for coming back and sharing!
And my whole house smells so good while making these!
I diffuse eucalyptus, lemon, cinnamon, rosemary, and clove oil in a small pan of water and grape seed oil on the stove-sometimes adding a small amount of peppermint or lavender, and we haven’t been sick in a couple of years….it keeps everything clear. If I feel stuffy, I add more eucalyptus, and breath it in over the stove….so far so good! I keep eucalyptus branches in our shower (they do this in Europe also). The scent is soothing and clears up sinuses nicely!
Great tip – thanks!!
That’s the blend for Four Thieves Oil – loaded with immune-boosting and antiseptic qualities. I use this blend every winter with soap. I love it!
I made these last night and used one this morning. I think it really worked- my sinuses were clear during my shower! But the disk (or whatever you call it) dissolved within just a minute or two. Fine with me since they’re cheap to make and it did work to clear me up but I’m wondering why yours was only 1/3 gone and mine was gone within a very short time. Am I doing something wrong?
Okay I might have mixed your blog up with another one that said her bath soother was only 1/3 gone by the end of her shower. But are they supposed to dissolve so fast? The other blog used basically the same recipe.
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Have you ever tried making them with something other than water to hold them together? Baking soda and water mixed has a super short shelf life…I was thinking I could maybe try it with witch hazel???
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My oil floated when I made them. Maybe my cups are too big? I put some goop in, then some oil, then some more goop. 3 drops each of 3 scents, maybe too much oil? They are cooking now, so I will see what happens when I use one tomorrow.
I find adding the essential oils AFTER baking works better as the scent tends to dissipate in the baking process but the oven retains the scent which isn’t the best for other cooking. When they are baked hard just make sure to douse them fairly well with the oils of choice.
The only silicone pans I had were for mini ones…would I still bake for 20mins? And if they’re all crumbly, would it be because they weren’t in the oven long enough?
What would you use to replace the rosemary if one is allergic?
I would increase the other oils to make up for it instead.
lol good for your husband; great idea on the shower soothers
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Hi!! I know most of these posts are older so i hope you respond! Im looking to make these for Christmas! I have a little one so things like the scrubs etc that make the tub slippery are not a good idea for us right now, but I LOVE this!! We take showers instead of baths so I found your recipe to be more of what I’m looking for verses the other Bath Bombs recipes out there right now. (Yours is only one i have seen like this!!) Im wondering how long they last? Also, the standard bath bomb recipe uses witch hazel and non- water food coloring, as it starts reacting. Yours is just baking soda, water and oil. Have you tried other bath bomb recipes? Would spraying yours with witch hazel or alcohol help with crumbliness??
Sorry for the post since this was so long ago, but roughly how many drops were in each soother?
Hmmm, I’m not sure about each one – I’m sure you could divide the total drops used by how many each batch makes though and figure it out! 🙂
Are these mini muffin size or regular muffin size?
Regular size, but I’m sure you could make them in mini muffin pans too.
You say 1/3 c in one spot in the recipe and then list it as 1/3 +2 Tbsp water too. Which one is it?
It’s up to you – I start off with 1/3 cup & add a little more water if I need to in order to get the right consistency.
I absolutely love your muffin tin!
This recipe sounds awesome. I have to ask, what kind of muffin pan is that and where did you find it?! I love it!!!
It’s from a line called Temp-tations – it’s sold on QVC! 🙂
I knew these were Temp-tations!! I have some myself! (and I live 10 mins from QVC – and we have a QVC outlet) 🙂
I tried making a recipe very similar to this today except for it used a tablespoon of cornstarch as well. I baked mine in foil cupcake liners for 25 to 30 minutes and the tops started to get a little brown so I took them out now 5 hours later I broke one open and it still dance in the hole inside except for maybe an eighth of an inch around the whole outer edge. Do I need to bake longer, fill them less full, or try to let them air dry overnight? Any help would be appreciated
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Has anyone had an issue with these not releasing any vapor/smell…did I not use enough oil? When I put or in the shower it dissolved and that was it.Any suggestions would be appreciated, I’d really like to use these!
If you’re not getting the smell, then you definitely should be adding more oil. Some of us have stronger smell senses than others so while the amounts I use are great for me, they may not be enough for you – so definitely add more if need be.
I made a double batch and plopped blobs of the mixture on parchment paper and baked it like recipe said too. I added some blue and green food coloring just for fun.
I just made these…they were simple…now I’m waiting for them to cool so I can try them…I used a silicone shaped snowflake mold…can’t wait to try
Please post a warning that these are not safe oils to use with children under 10! Eucalyptus and Rosemary in particular and Peppermint is not recommended for kids under 6. It can cause serious breathing issues and is not to be taken lightly!
I love your muffin pan. Is it like pottery like?
I will give this advice to my daughter. Thankyou i will try this recipe too thankyou
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