There are few things more pleasurable on a chilly evening than plunging into a warm bath, especially when its is packed full of nourishing ingredients to moisturise that winter skin. This is a great recipe for making home-made gifts as it is really easy to scale up, so why not knock up a big bowl to gift to all your friends!
Beloved of Cleopatra, milk baths are particularly beneficial to dry bodies as the lactic acid acts as a natural exfoliant. Other ingredients can be mixed and matched depending on what you have in the cupboard, and although I have used lavender and frankincense essential oils, please feel free to play with your fragrance! Just remember not to exceed the recommended dose of drops and only use skin-safe oils; neroli, geranium, ylang ylang and chamomile all have both fabulous scents and skin-care benefits.
Usually I like my oats in a porridge format, but they are also well known for their moisturising properties and have long been used as a treatment for eczema and itchy skin. Other additions can include bicarbonate of soda which is naturally antiseptic and softening, while cornflour adds a delightful silkiness to the water; rose petals are the final touch (as I had some left over from other projects) and add a pretty pink texture to the mix.
One of the issues of a bath filled with petals or other additions is that they can lead to a clogged plug hole; as we don’t want to undo all that dreamy bath time relaxation by having to go and find a sink plunger afterwards, the rose petals and oats are whizzed in a food processor to minimise tedious clean-up). I keep pretty jam jars all year round then make a big batch to fill them as gifts; add half to one cupful to a warm bath, sink back and relax! 
Ingredients
1 cup dried full fat milk powder (coconut milk powder makes a great alternative)
1 cup porridge oats
½ cup baking soda
½ cup cornflour
½ cup dried rose petals (about a handful)
15 drops skin-safe essential oils; I used 7 drops frankincense and 8 of lavender (as ever please use caution and don’t use for kids, if you are pregnant etc.)
- Place the rose petals and oats in a blender and whizz until ground.
- Tip the mixture into a large ceramic bowl and add the other dry ingredients.
- Sprinkle over the essential oils and stir thoroughly until fully blended, before packing into glass jars and adding a pretty label.
- Leave for 24 hours for the essential oils to infuse before use.
