Make aromatherapy shower steamers with baking soda, water, and essential oil, no citric acid required. This quick kitchen DIY turns a regular shower into a scented reset when a full bath is not practical.
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I love bath soaking salts, but baths just aren’t always practical, especially in the mornings before heading into the office. Then it’s just showers, which typically aren’t that leisurely. But an aromatherapy shower disc is an easy way to make a shower more relaxing.
And they are super easy to make in the kitchen using just three ingredients! You can customize the scent, and baking the discs dries them out enough to be handled.
Why skip citric acid
Yes! And these don’t include citric acid. The ingredient list has only three ingredients, and the body of the shower steamers are made with baking soda. Just a heads up that citric acid is what gives bath bombs and a lot of shower steamers that “fizzy” effect, so not using citric acid means no fun fizz.
That’s okay, though—if you’re using them more for the lovely smell, ditching the citric acid is fine. And it means you probably already have the ingredients you need to make these in your kitchen!
- 1 cup baking soda, which is an excellent binder, and water
- 15-20 drops of essential oil. I used eucalyptus essential oil to add a lovely, relaxing scent.
- Mixing bowl, spoon, oven, and cupcake mold (I love this silicone mold! We got two for Christmas from my parents. Nothing sticks and it’s super easy to clean).
(Don’t use any ingredients you’re allergic to, and always spot test new ingredients to make sure you don’t have a reaction to them. Do not use any homemade products without consulting with an appropriate medical professional first.)
How to mix and shape the steamers
First I mixed the baking soda and eucalyptus essential oil, adding a few drops at a time and stirring as I went. Don’t go overboard on the essential oils; remember that you can always add more when you make another batch in the future. I used 15-20 drops because I wanted a pretty strong scent.
Once thoroughly mixed, I began adding just about a tablespoon or two of water at a time. The goal here is to get the consistency of wet sand. Eventually I ditched the spoon to knead and mix with my fingers…this is the easiest way to work out the last of the stubborn crumbles.
Obviously no pics here because my hands were caked with baking soda. But you get the idea!
Prefer a soak instead? Try my homemade bath salts or this lavender bath soak.
Bake, cool, and store
I pressed the mixture into the bottom of the silicone mold using a spoon. Instead of filling the whole mold, I filled only the bottom quarter to half of each mold. I baked for approximately 5 minutes on low heat at 170 degrees.
This dries out and solidifies the shower discs. They might rise just a bit as they bake, much like cupcake batter does. Once they’ve cooled, I popped them out of the molds and saved them in air-tight containers.
Recipe at a glance
- Ingredients: 1 cup baking soda, 15–20 drops essential oil (I used eucalyptus), and water added 1–2 tablespoons at a time
- Texture to aim for: wet sand
- Mold: silicone cupcake mold, filled a quarter to half full
- Bake: about 5 minutes on low heat (170 degrees)
- Store: in an airtight container once cool
A note on essential oils
Essential oils are concentrated, so start at the low end of the drop count if you’re sensitive to strong scents, keep the steamers out of reach of children and pets, and stop using them if your skin or eyes feel irritated.
Love DIY skincare too? Try my lemon and baking soda scrub or my eucalyptus salt scrub with lavender.
For another shower-friendly scent project, see the lavender bath soak and the absolute best homemade bath salts.