For many centuries people have bathed in mineral-rich, scented baths for health, beauty and relaxation. These minerals help overworked and tired muscles to relax, soothe dry, irritated skin and help to flush toxins from the body.
Moon Cake Press Salt Cubes are quite easy to perfect, low cost to make, and make beautiful gifts for friends and family.
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You’ll make two batches of approximately 730g Epsom Salt blend with this kit.
Ingredients:
- 500g Epsom Salts
- 180g Bicarbonate of Soda
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon Mica or 4 - 10 drops Liquid Dye (we used Tangelo Mica in this recipe)
- 7 - 10g/ml Fragrance Oil or Essential Oil
- 2 teaspoons (8.5g) Polysorbate 80* (Optional)
- 35g/ml Distilled Water
Equipment:
- Moon Cake Press, assembled with preferred pattern disc
- Large mixing bowl or jug
- Sieve – to remove lumps from the Bicarbonate of Soda
- Spoon or spatula for mixing
- Digital Scales - helpful but optional
- Baking tray lined with waxed paper or baking parchment
- Coffee grinder – optional, if you want detail to show on the cubes
Hints and Tips
- We’ve included Polysorbate 80 in this recipe. This ingredient optional, however Polysorbate 80 helps the colourant disperse and rinse away cleanly from the bath.
- To make the process super easy for beginners, these cubes contain a lot more moisture than a regular bath bomb or fizzy recipe, so they’ll require additional drying time.
- When pressed out on the paper to dry, DO NOT TOUCH for 48 hours.
- Place the tray into to a warm oven or cupboard to dry out and harden completely.
- If you have some eco glitter on hand, sprinkle a little onto the moon cake press disc before adding the mixture for a sparkly top.
Method:
Set out all your equipment and ingredients, ready to begin.
Grind 500g Epsom Salts in small batches and pour into the large mixing bowl. (This step is optional if you have a coffee grinder. The finer the salts are, the more defined the pattern will be on your soak cubes).
Sieve 180g Bicarbonate of Soda into the mixing bowl.
Use a mixing spoon or spatula to mix thoroughly.
Add ¼ - ½ teaspoon Mica or 4 - 10 drops Liquid Lake Colour and mix through the Epsom Salt and Bicarbonate of Soda.
Add 1% to 1.5% fragrance or essential oil (7 – 10g/ml) to the batch.
Add 2 teaspoons (8.5g) Polysorbate 80 and mix well through the dry mixture until all the lumps are dispersed.
Now slowly add 35g/ml distilled water to moisten the mixture, mixing through as you incorporate the water. Squeeze the mixture in your hand to ensure it is moist enough to hold together well.
Time to form the salt cakes:
Fill the mould cavity with the mixture, press down firmly with the heel of your hand or the back of a spoon so it is well packed.
Now swiftly but gently invert the press and sit onto the paper on the tray.
With two fingers holding the shoulders of the mould in place on the paper, press the handle down firmly to indent the pattern.
To unmould, take care! Gently lift the handle within the mould and then, holding the mould base, tap it once or twice and then give a gentle jiggle of the press. Slowly lift upwards and the salt cube will slide down onto the paper.
Repeat for the rest of the mixture and then leave to set in a warm, dry (no humidity) place for at least 48 hours. Do not touch during this time!
After 48 hours, check the cubes to see if they are hard. If not, a little time in a pre-warmed oven can help.
Finally, bag or package to keep the cubes safe from atmospheric humidity.
Repeat the above steps for the 2nd batch!
