Turns out DIY shower steamers for natural winter wellness and aromatherapy are easy to make! This recipe for homemade shower steamer tablets includes a video along with a step-by-step tutorial on how to make the best essential oil shower steamers for relieving congestion and turning your shower into it’s own natural wellness spa.
For another how-to tutorial for making winter goodies using essential oils, check out this DIY Soothing Winter Hand Scrub for soft, hydrated hands.
Whether you’re still feeling the impacts of winter wellness or spring is in the air (I can see it literally floating in the air, achoo!) I have a DIY idea to help support respiration– Homemade Shower Steamer Disks infused with eucalyptus essential oil! I whipped up a batch of these last week and we’ve been l-o-v-i-n-g them as a way to soothe and support respiration. Plus they make your bathroom smell like a spa, which is pretty darn delightful if I do say so myself.
What I love about these steamer disks is I can add essential oils as needed. Sometimes I’ll use eucalyptus, and sometimes I’ll mix it up with Rosemary essential oil or another respiratory support blend such as Raven or R.C. Maybe I need to wake up a bit, so I’ll add some Lemon or Citrus Fresh oil. Or at night if I want a calming scent, Lavender does the trick.
The ingredients are natural and are the same ones used to make bath bombs, so my kids jumped in and helped out. With all the scary chemicals out there, I’m so thankful to have a natural way to support health and wellness in my home.
If you’ve never made bath bombs before, there’s a bit of a learning curve because the ingredients react differently depending on the weather, humidity, etc. But don’t let that deter you! On my first attempt, the disks overfilled the molds a bit but it didn’t impact their effectiveness. See the Troubleshooting Tips at the end for ways to solve common issues.
Can you put essential oils in the bath or shower?
Yes, you can! But it’s best to do it in a way that the steam is infused with the oils so they don’t wash down the drain. Also, oil and water don’t mix so if taking a bath you don’t want to drop them directly in the water. That’s why it’s best to have a way to get the oils and water to work together, such as by mixing essential oils with bath salts, or adding to bath bombs or shower steamer disks.
What are some tips for making shower steamers with essential oils?
- Most of these ingredients can be found in the grocery store and/or Amazon.
- You can use cornstarch or arrowroot in this recipe; I chose arrowroot because I have a sensitivity to corn.
- A spray bottle helps disperse the water so it doesn’t react with the mixture while you’re mixing, but isn’t a ‘must’ so don’t let that keep you from making the recipe.
- This silicone mold was super helpful because I could just push them right out, but you could use a muffin tin with liners as well
- I like to add the oils just before using the disks so the scent is fresh and I can customize them
- I only use pure, therapeutic grade essential oils since many brands are cut with carrier oils or chemicals (here’s the only brand I trust!)
How do you make soothing shower steamers with essential oils?
Here’s a video tutorial on how to make the shower steamers; keep scrolling for the step by step instructions:
DIY Shower Steamer Disks with Essential Oils
Ingredients:
2 c. baking soda
1 c. citric acid
1 c. arrowroot powder or cornstarch
about 3 or 4 TB filtered water in a spray bottle- only use as much as needed! (see below)
essential oils (see below for recommended oils)
Directions:
Step One: Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
Step Two: Gently mist with water from the spray bottle a little at a time. If it starts fizzing, you are using too much. Be sure to mix frequently so the water doesn’t react with the mixture. When it starts to form a loose ‘snowball’ type consistency, you’re ready for Step Three. DO NOT OVER WATER!!!!
Step Three: Pack the mixture into the silicone mold and place in a dry area for 12-24 hours. Once dry, pop them out of the mold.
Step Four: When ready to use, add 3-5 few drops of the desired oils and place in warm shower. I like to keep mine right at the water line so they don’t disintegrate too quickly but still react enough to release their scent throughout the shower.
Step Five: Store in a dry place or closed container.
Troubleshooting Tips
Rainy days and humid climates can make this recipe a bit fussy! Use less water in these situations, and remember to add it slowly. Try to find an extra dry spot in your home for drying them to help reduce moisture.
If your mixture fizzes, you are using too much water– be sure to stir thoroughly, and add water slowly!
If your disks break apart when you are unmolding them, you might have used too little water. The pieces will still work, they just aren’t as pretty. Adjust the water level next time. You might also not be using a silicone mold. The silicone mold makes it easy to push them out without breaking them, so it’s a good investment if you plan to make these often.
If your disks overflow the top of the mold or aren’t drying, you’ve used too much water. Adjust for this next time. This happened the first time I made them but they still worked!
What are the best essential oils to use in the shower?
For Respiratory Support:
Eucalyptus, Rosemary, RC, Raven, Peppermint, Ravintsara or Snifflease (for kids)
For Waking Up and/or Mood Boosting:
Citrus oils such as Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit, or Citrus Fresh; Peppermint
For Calming Down:
Lavender, Cedarwood (I’d mix with another oil like Lavender), Roman Chamomile, Peace & Calming
To make it easy, here’s a few of the products mentioned to make these disks:
Ahhhhh… a spa-like shower that supports respiration. I’m so thankful to have these on hand– especially when it’s time to get stubborn kids to take a shower, they love choosing which kid-friendly oils to add to their steamer disks!
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