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DIY Pumpkin Spice Bath Salts + Pumpkin Spice Latte Bath Soak

Learn how to make easy DIY pumpkin spice bath salts and a pumpkin spice latte bath soak! These moisturizing bath salts are an indulgent fall treat for your skin. With nourishing natural ingredients like milk powder, pumpkin powder, and a dash of instant coffee, these homemade bath soak recipes will make your bathwater smell like a pumpkin spice latte. A special blend of essential oils creates a warm pumpkin spice scent that’s all natural and delicious.

DIY pumpkin spice bath soak and DIY pumpkin latte bath soak

Love it or hate it, the minute the cool fall weather hits, it’s pumpkin spice everything.

We definitely enjoy the aroma of pumpkin spice but only when the scent is created using essential oils, not headache-inducing synthetic fragrances.

There are two ways to make these bath salt recipes, depending on your personal preference – pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin latte without the spice. The latter recipe may be better suited to those with sensitive skin.

Benefits of Pumpkin Spice Bath Salts

Salt baths have been linked to a more restful sleep because they can help promote relaxation and reduce stress. They can also gently calm inflamed or irritated skin.

Additionally, bath salts can provide some of the minerals that are so often poorly absorbed by our bodies through food sources.

Finally, making your own bath salts is both easy, economical, and eco-friendly because you save on packaging over the long term.

Essential Oil Safety in the Bath

It’s important to note that before using essential oils in bath salts, an emulsifier is needed to safely disperse the oils. Contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t drop essential oils straight into your bathwater. This is especially important when using spice oils like cinnamon and cardamom in bath soak recipes.

Since oil and water don’t mix, without an emulsifier, the essential oils will float on top instead of mixing into the water, creating puddles that can directly contact your skin. These undiluted puddles of oil can cause skin irritation and possibly even skin burns.

Homemade pumpkin spice latte bath soak

There are a variety of emulsifiers you can use to properly disperse essential oils in bathwater. For these bath salt recipes, I used Natrasorb Bath, a natural powdered emulsifier derived from tapioca starch. It’s easy to use and it ensures that your pumpkin spice bath salts will be safe for your skin.

For further information about essential oils and bath safety, you can refer to this article by the Tisserand Institute.

It’s also important to note that while cinnamon oil is often a common ingredient in a pumpkin spice fragrance blend, we didn’t include it in these recipes because cinnamon carries a high risk of skin irritation.

Instead, we combined copaiba and cardamom essential oils for just a hint of spiciness. Both oils are less likely to cause skin irritation when compared to other spice oils.

However, if your skin is very sensitive, you can omit the cardamom oil completely.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Latte Bath Soaks & Pumpkin Spice Bath Salts

Pumpkin powder

It’s no surprise that a key ingredient in pumpkin spice bath salts would be pumpkin. Pumpkin powder is pumpkin that has been dehydrated and ground into a fine powder. Like the pumpkin itself, the resulting powder is rich in antioxidants and vitamins that are great for skin, including vitamins A and C.

Combined with the hydrating milk powder, the pumpkin powder helps moisturize and soften the skin. It also acts as a natural orange colourant for the bath salt crystals in this recipe.

But you don’t have to worry about the smell of the pumpkin powder in this recipe being overpowering. The scent is light and fresh and smells a little like baked pumpkin muffins. In fact, pumpkin powder is so gentle, that we’ve also used it in our gently exfoliating DIY pumpkin face mask.

Homemade pumpkin spice bath soak

Ceara bath salts

We used medium course Ceara salts for these bath salt recipes. They’re naturally white and perfect for coloring, so you end up with a lovely pumpkin orange color for your salts.

Ceara salts are solar evaporated sea salt from Australia – created when salt water is captured in shallow ponds and then allowed to evaporate naturally in the sun.

The resulting crystals are then safely cleaned without processing, which removes the impurities, but doesn’t compromise the purity of the salts.

Ingredients for DIY pumpkin spice bath soak

Milk powder

Milk powder has an abundance of skin benefits. For one, it contains lactic acid, a natural alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). Lactic acid is known for its exfoliating properties, but only when used at a low pH. When added to bathwater, lactic acid acts as a natural humectant which can help to soften and hydrate your skin.

Milk powder is also wonderful for skin is due to its high saturated fatty acid content. The humectants in the milk will help pull moisture into your skin, and the fats will create a barrier to help keep the moisture there.

The combination of lactic acid and fat in the milk powder in these pumpkin spice bath recipes will leave your skin feeling softer and more moisturized.

However, if you’re vegan or allergic to dairy, you can easily substitute the powdered milk for coconut milk powder and make vegan pumpkin spice bath salts instead.

Instant coffee

Coffee is primarily known for its ability to reduce the appearance of cellulite when used in body products. This is why coffee is often a common ingredient in body scrubs and lotions intended for this purpose.

Coffee is also high in antioxidants and is touted as one of the most antioxidant rich beverages, surpassing both green tea and cocoa in antioxidant activity.

Aside from its antioxidant benefits, coffee also adds a natural coffee scent to the pumpkin spice latte bath soak recipe.

You can use regular ground coffee, but if you’d like the coffee to dissolve completely in your bathwater, we recommend instant or microground coffee.

If you’re not a coffee lover, that’s okay! You can also make a pumpkin spice bath soak or simple pumpkin spice bath salts by simply omitting the coffee and coffee essential oil in this recipe.

Pumpkin spice latte bath soak

Natrasorb Bath

Natrasorb Bath is a specially modified tapioca starch. The starch is processed to create “pockets” that have a high affinity for essential oils. Once Natrasorb contacts the bathwater, it immediately disperses the oils.

As an added bonus, it lends a silky quality to bathwater while safely dispersing the essential oils in these pumpkin spice bath salts into your bathtub.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Essential Oil Blend

We included a mixture of vanilla, coffee, copaiba and cardamom essential oils in this recipe to create a sweet and aromatic pumpkin spice latte scent.

We omitted some of the traditional spice essential oils such as cinnamon, clove and nutmeg to make this pumpkin spice bath soak more suitable for sensitive skin. Copaiba and cardamom essential oils still add a hint of spice but with a lesser chance of skin irritation.

Alternatively, you can also use a pre-made pumpkin spice essential oil blend in your bath salts. We love Plant Therapy’s delicious Pumpkin Pie blend, but it’s limited edition and not always available.

Pumpkin spice latte bath soak in bath salt test tubes

Vanilla oleoresin

Vanilla oleoresin not only has a sweet and fragrant aroma, but it possesses anti-inflammatory properties which can help soothe dry or inflamed skin. In aromatherapy, vanilla is known for its calming and mood-boosting properties.

Coffee essential oil

If you’re a coffee lover, this will be your new favourite essential oil. Coffee essential oil adds an even more potent coffee aroma to pumpkin spice latte bath salts.

It has energizing notes that are both uplifting and invigorating. Aside from its aromatherapeutic properties, coffee oil also provides antioxidants that promote skin health.

Copaiba oleoresin

Copaiba oleoresin has potent anti-inflammatory properties and is one of the safest essential oils for topical use. It has a pleasant fragrance that adds a sweet, rich spiciness to the decadent aroma of pumpkin spice bath salts.

As an added benefit, copaiba is known to help reduce muscle pain which is why it’s used in a variety of natural pain relief products.

Cardamom essential oil

Cardamom essential oil is one of the gentlest spice oils. It can be used at higher concentrations than other spice oils such as cinnamon or clove bud since it has a lower capacity for irritation.

Cardamom essential oil adds the “spice” to this pumpkin spice essential oil blend. It also has a warm and robust aroma that is also known to help soothe nausea.

Though cardamom oil is much safer for sensitive skin than cinnamon oil, you will want to omit it if your skin is particularly sensitive or if you suffer from an inflammatory condition, such as eczema.

If this is the case, you can skip the cardamom oil to make a pumpkin latte bath soak without the spice.

DIY pumpkin spice bath soak

DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte Bath Soak

Ingredients

1-3 cups Australian Ceara salts or bath salts of your choice
1 cup milk powder or coconut milk powder
1/4 cup pumpkin powder
1/4 cup instant or microground coffee
1/4 cup Natrasorb Bath
15 drops fractionated coconut oil
10 drops vanilla oleoresin
10 drops coffee essential oil
10 drops copaiba oleoresin
5 drops cardamom essential oil

Supplies

Glass bowls for mixing
Storage containers – glass vials, muslin bath tea bags, or bath salt jars

Directions

To begin, place your bath salts, Natrasorb Bath, coffee grounds, pumpkin powder and milk powder into separate glass bowls. Set aside all bowls except for the bath salts.

Using a dropper, add the fractionated coconut oil to your bowl of bath salts and mix gently.

Ingredients for pumpkin spice bath soak recipe

Once the salts are coated in oil, slow sprinkle a tablespoon (or more) of pumpkin powder to color the bath salts a lovely light orange colour. Stir gently. Repeat until you get your desired colour. If you choose, you can also add a dash of coffee grounds to the salts. Or, you can chose to add the coffee later during the layering process.

Ingredients for pumpkin spice bath salts recipe
Pumpkin spice latte bath salts ingredients

Slowly add the essential oils to the bowl of Natrasorb Bath. Mix gently but thoroughly. Then, add the bowl of milk powder the the bowl of Natrasorb and mix to combine.

Prepare the salts by layering the ingredients in a glass jar (that comes with a lid or cork stopper), such as the one shown in the photos. Alternatively, you can layer the bath salts in glass bath vials, which are also called bath shots, and are also pictured in the photos.

How you display and store your bath salts is up to personal preference. If you wish, you can also choose to mix all of the ingredients together before placing the finished bath soaks in your storage containers. This bath soak recipe can also be placed into muslin bags and turned into a pumpkin spice bath tea.

See the packaging for bath salts section for more bath salt storage ideas.

Recipe notes

If making the pumpkin latte version of this bath soak recipe, omit the cardamom essential oil.

Store the bath salts in a cool, dark cupboard away from UV light and heat.

These homemade bath salts should last approximately one year, but always check the expiry dates on your ingredients for the best guideline.

Packaging for pumpkin spice bath salts

There are a variety of ways to package bath salts. You can layer the bath salts in glass test tubes or bath shot vials, as shown in the photos. We used the same glass test tubes to package our green tea bath salts as it’s a nice way to package bath salts for gifting.

Alternatively, you can use a classic bath salt jar with an attached wooden scoop. You can see an example of this type of container illustrated in the photos.

You can also repurpose an old glass milk container, such as the one we used for our milk and honey floral bath salts.

Finally, you can even use muslin bath tea bags, which some might prefer as they make clean up after your bath a lot easier, especially for bath salt recipes that contain botanicals.

How to use your pumpkin spice bath soak

Whenever you want to indulge in a little self-care, sprinkle the contents of the glass bath salt jar (or one bath salt vial) into a warm bath and swirl the contents around with your hand. If using this salt bath recipe as a pumpkin spice tub tea, place your muslin teabag under the faucet while you run your bath.

Soak in the pumpkin spice bath salts for 20 – 30 minutes to maximize the benefits of a salt bath.

If you crave more pumpkin spice aroma, follow up your bath with our homemade pumpkin spice body butter or this natural store bought option.

And if you’re not a bath person, or don’t have time to take a relaxing bath, you can also make these DIY pumpkin spice shower steamers. They are another homemade way to enjoy the scent of pumpkin spice while bathing. 

Homemade pumpkin spice latte bath soak
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5 from 2 votes

DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte Bath Soak

This layered pumpkin spice latte bath soak is an indulgent fall treat for your skin. Make it in under 10 minutes! Also makes a gorgeous handmade gift for the bath lover in your life.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: DIY Bath and Body
Cuisine: DIY Beauty
Servings: 1 bath
Author: Kim

What You’ll Need

Instructions

  • To begin, place your bath salts, Natrasorb Bath, coffee grounds, pumpkin powder and milk powder into separate glass bowls. Set aside all bowls except for the bath salts.
  • Using a dropper, add the fractionated coconut oil to your bowl of bath salts and mix gently.
  • Once the salts are coated in oil, slow sprinkle a tablespoon (or more) of pumpkin powder to colour the salts a lovely light orange colour. Stir gently. Repeat until you get your desired colour.
    If you choose, you can also add a dash of coffee grounds to the salts. Or, you can chose to add the coffee later during the layering process.
  • Slowly add your essential oils to the bowl of Natrasorb Bath. Mix gently but thoroughly. Then, add your bowl of milk powder the the bowl of Natrasorb and mix to combine.
  • Prepare the soak by layering the ingredients in a glass jar that comes with a lid or cork stopper, such as the one shown in the photos. Alternatively, you can layer the bath soak in glass bath vials, also pictured.
    How you display and store your soak is up to personal preference. If you wish, you can choose to mix all of the ingredients together before placing the soak in your storage containers. This bath soak can also be placed into muslin bags and turned into a pumpkin spice latte bath tea.

Notes

If making the simple pumpkin latte version of this recipe, omit the cardamom essential oil.
Store you bath soak in a cool, dark cupboard. It should last approximately one year.

More DIY beauty recipes for fall

We hope you enjoyed these bath soak recipes. If you did, you may like some of our other fall-themed recipes for bath, body and skincare:

For even more natural DIY bath and body ideas, follow us on PinterestInstagramYouTubeFacebookTikTok, and Twitter.

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Recipe Rating




stac

Wednesday 4th of October 2023

Can anyone tell me how many tubes this recipie would make?

Kim

Thursday 5th of October 2023

Hi Stac, it depends on the size of your bath salt tubes. If you're using a 2.4 oz (7g) bath tube and use 3 cups of Ceara salts or another salt of your choice, the recipe would yield approximately 4.75 cups or 38 oz. So that would make about 15 tubes. If your tubes are smaller, if for instance if you were using 1.5oz tubes, you would use this calculation 38 ÷ 1.5 which would give you around 25 tubes. You can always half the recipe if this is too much. Hope this helps!

Beth

Wednesday 29th of September 2021

Beautiful bath salts! I am wondering about the Natrasorb Bath, is there anything you would recommend replacing it with, when I hit the link it's out of stock.

Beth

Thursday 30th of September 2021

@Kyla, Thank you Kyla for looking and getting back to me! I really appreciate it. I think I'll just keep checking on the one you have linked here and hopefully it will come in stock sometime. Thanks again!

Kyla

Wednesday 29th of September 2021

Hi Beth, I searched for a while, but unfortunately I wasn't able to find a Natrasorb alternative. I did find modified tapioca food starch on Amazon (Natrasorb is modified tapioca starch for cosmetics). I found a review in which someone said they used it in bath bombs, but I'm hesitant to recommend it to you without testing it myself. If I can get my hands on some modified tapioca food starch, I'll test it and get back to you. In the meantime, do you have any soap or cosmetic supply stores in your area? If so, they may carry Natrasorb. I purchase mine from Voyageur in Canada. I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful!

Charlene Rountree

Monday 28th of October 2019

Thank you so much for sharing this! it is very interesting and will try it over the weekend :)

Kim

Monday 28th of October 2019

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, Charlene! I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Cari

Tuesday 15th of October 2019

Lovely recipe and photos! I love that you added copaiba. It doesn't get enough love.

Kim

Tuesday 15th of October 2019

Thanks so much, Cari! And we agree, copaiba is a wonderful EO!

Irena

Saturday 12th of October 2019

Stunning recipe, Kim! Ceara bath salts seem to be an interesting ingredient for bath products and the glass vials make for excellent homemade gifts.

Kim

Sunday 13th of October 2019

Thanks so much, Irena! We stumbled across the Ceara salts at a local soap supply store - they really are lovely for colouring!