DIY Lavender Shower Steamers for Aromatherapy

Create an aromatherapy spa at home with these DIY lavender shower steamers! Like bath bombs for your shower, these relaxing shower bombs release a fragrant lavender vapor that helps you relax and wash away tension. Place one in your bedtime shower for restful sleep, or use in the morning to start your day with calm.

In today’s fast-paced world, relaxation is one of the hardest pillars of a healthy life to master.

We’re all short on time. So, it’s important to find a way to fit in some form of stress relief during your daily activities.

And what’s one of the easiest ways to combine self-care with something you do every day? Shower aromatherapy.

Your daily shower is the perfect time to incorporate relaxation, and that’s where this easy lavender shower steamers recipe comes in.

DIY shower aromatherapy

No matter how short you are on time, these powerful aromatherapy tablets can help turn your shower into a relaxing oasis.

You can use one during your bedtime shower to set the stage for sleep. Or, place one in your morning shower to start your day with a little less frenetic energy.

So if you’re ready to relax, read on to learn how to make lavender aromatherapy shower steamers.

You can make them with lavender essential oil or a lavender blend – I’ve included 6 shower bomb essential oil blends for relaxation, sleep aid, stress relief, meditation, and more.

What are shower steamers?

Shower melts have become increasingly popular lately, so you likely have some idea of how they work. But if you don’t, here’s a simple explanation. 

Shower steamers go by many names. Whether you call them shower bombs, shower melts, shower fizzies, or shower soothers, the goal is always the same: to pack a serious dose of aromatherapy.

These lavender shower fizzies are no different. Once activated by water, they begin to fizz and dissolve, releasing their relaxing essential oil blend into the air.

You could say they turn your shower into one big essential oil diffuser – only without the hassle of bringing your diffuser into the bathroom.

So how do you use a shower steamer? It’s easy – just place it somewhere in your shower where it’ll come into contact with the stream, and enjoy the aromatherapy.

Benefits of lavender shower steamers for relaxation

When it comes to calming essential oils, lavender is likely one of the first oils that comes to mind. And there’s a reason lavender oil is one of most studied essential oils – it works!

Lavender essential oil is recognized for its ability to help relieve anxiety, improve mood, and induce sleep. Its fragrance works directly on our physiology, quite literally calming down our mind and body¹.

In particular, lavender also improves sleep quality², so it’s one of the best essential oils for a DIY pillow spray or a magnesium lotion for sleep.

But lavender essential oil shower bombs aren’t just for sleep — they can offer relaxation any time of the day.

So you can just as easily pop one into your morning shower for a meditative morning shower experience. And why not take an uplifting afternoon rinse for midday stress relief!

And while lavender is one of the most well-known essential oils for relaxation, it’s by no means the only one. See also: rose shower steamers for relaxation and allergy soothing shower bombs.

What are shower steamers made of?

Typically, shower steamers are made out of:

• A generous dose of essential oils for aromatherapy
• Dry ingredients to hold the essential oils (such as corn starch, arrowroot, clay or Epsom salt)
• Baking soda and citric acid to make the shower fizzies fizz
• A small amount of liquid (typically alcohol, water or witch hazel) to hold it all together

Once the liquid dries, you’re left with a hardened aromatherapy tablet that’s activated by the water in your shower.

There’s a little more to it than this, but that’s the basic homemade shower bombs formulation.

So, let’s get into what you’ll need to make them.

Ingredients for DIY lavender shower bombs

These relaxing shower tablets are easy to make with simple ingredients you likely already have on hand.

Anyone can make them – simply mix your ingredients, place into molds, and let dry. It’s virtually foolproof, even for beginners, and I’ll also share tips and tricks for making the best lavender shower steamers below.

Baking soda and citric acid

There’s a reason they’re called shower fizzies or shower bombs. Just like homemade bath bombs, baking soda and citric acid create the fizzing reaction that makes these lavender shower steamers work. Once activated by water, the force of the reaction shoots the essential oils into the air.

White kaolin clay

Baking soda and citric acid dissolve quickly in water, which is great for fast-acting aromatherapy. Unfortunately, it also means your lavender shower bomb may disappear before you finished lathering up.

Using kaolin clay in the mixture helps slow down the fizzing reaction, ensuring your shower melts last longer, and actually stick around for the duration of your shower.

Essential oils

Of course the most important part of making aromatherapy shower steamers is the essential oils. 150 drops may seem like a lot, but keep in mind it’s only 12 drops per tablet.

Below, I’ve included several lavender essential oil blends for shower bombs, many of which came with this month’s Simply Earth essential oil box.

Lavender flowers

You can also adorn your shower melts with real dried lavender. Sprinkle them with lavender buds, or add a lavender sprig or two for a minimal decoration. This is optional, but adds a touch of beauty that’s especially lovely if you’ll be giving shower steamer gifts. 

Natural colorant

You can also color your DIY shower bombs for a lovely lavender hue. We made two varieties using different colorants, and each will create a slightly different hue of lavender purple. More on this below.

Alcohol

Finally, you’ll need a small amount of alcohol to moisten the shower fizzies mixture before packing it into your mold. That way, you can actually form it into tablets.

I typically use vodka. Some prefer to use water or witch hazel, but I find they tend to make the shower bombs too wet, and they end up fizzing in the mold.

This is just my experience, so if water or witch hazel works well for you, keep using it. But if you find your shower bombs are expanding, you may want to try using alcohol.

How to color lavender shower steamers

We used a couple ingredients to color these shower steamers: mica and purple clay, which we will compare below.

This is by no means necessary, but there’s no denying that colored shower bombs are much prettier.

They’re also especially lovely for homemade gifts – there’s something special about gifting a lavender shower melt to help your recipient relax and unwind, with a beautiful lavender color to match.

For more ways to decorate and color your shower tablets, see our ultimate guide to making DIY shower steamers.

Purple mica

One way to color shower steamers is to use mica, a popular colorant for many types of bath and body products.

Mica is not 100% natural, but when it comes to mica, natural is not necessarily better. Unfortunately the mica industry is highly corrupt, which is why sourcing ethical mica is so important.

Because mica comes in so many different colors, using it gives you more control over the exact shade of lavender you end up with.

The lavender shower melts in the photos with the brighter, more cool toned shade of purple were colored with purple mica.

Purple Brazilian clay

True to its name, Brazilian purple clay (also known as purple kaolin clay) is a cosmetic clay hailing from Brazil with a beautiful purple hue.

Its high magnesium content is what gives purple clay its characteristic lavender shade.

We received a bag of Brazilian purple clay in our essential oil subscription box this month, and we thought it would make the perfect colorant for a lavender shower melts recipe.

You will see in the photos that the shower bombs colored with lavender clay have a more reddish, soft purple hue. So it’s up to you which tone of purple you prefer. I like both colorants, but I especially like the fact that the Brazilian purple clay is all natural.

And any leftover clay can be put to good use – you can use it in fizzy lavender bath scoops and lavender bath salts, two recipes also included in Simply Earth’s August box.

As I mentioned earlier, clay helps shower steamers last longer. So as an added bonus, using purple clay also helps make your shower bombs more long lasting!

DIY Lavender Shower Steamers Recipe

1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup citric acid
1/4 cup white kaolin clay
150 drops lavender essential oil or lavender essential oil blend (see blends below)
1/2 tsp purple mica or 1 tsp Brazilian purple clay
Dried lavender buds or lavender sprigs

Equipment

Silicone shower steamer mold
Non-metallic mixing bowl
Vodka or alcohol to moisten mixture
Spray bottle, spoon, or beaker for alcohol
Sieve for a uniform texture
Whisk for mixing
Nitrile gloves to protect hands

How to make lavender shower steamers

1. Prepare your mold. Before you start, arrange your decorative lavender sprigs or buds at the bottom of each mold cavity. Use scissors to cut the sprigs to your desired length.
   
   Tip: place your shower melt mold on a large plate for easy transport later.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a large non-metallic mixing bowl, combine baking soda, citric acid, kaolin clay, and lavender mica (or lavender clay). Whisk gently to combine.
   
   Tip: for best results and to remove any clumps, put all ingredients through a sieve.
   
   
3. Add the essential oils. Add your lavender essential oil or lavender oil blend. To reduce clumping, do your best to evenly disperse the essential oils over the mixture. Then, whisk to incorporate.
   
   Tip: see the lavender shower steamer blends below.
4. Add liquid. Don your nitrile gloves and prepare to work quickly, because once you add the liquid to your shower bombs, you’ll want to mix as fast as possible to stop them from fizzing too quickly. Slowly drizzle or spritz a small amount of water, alcohol or witch hazel into the mixture. Knead quickly using your hands to disperse the liquid throughout.
   
   Tip: it’s up to you whether you use a spray bottle or a spoon to add your liquid. See tips section.
   
   
5. Refine texture. Grab a handful of the shower melts mixture and squeeze to assess its texture. If it sticks together like lightly damp sand, it’s ready to mold. If it falls apart easily, mix in a bit more liquid and try again. Repeat this process until you get the right texture.
   
   Tip: be careful not to add too much moisture – see the tips and tricks section for help.
6. Mold. Now, it’s time to mold your lavender shower melts. Pack the mixture into your silicone molds. Be gentle at first as to not to disturb the lavender pattern you created earlier. If you pack too hard and too quickly, you might end up burying your lavender inside the tablet instead.
   
   Tip: If at any point the mixture starts to dry out too much, simply spritz or drizzle a bit more liquid until it sticks together again.
   
   
7. Leave to dry. Once you’re finished, gently smooth out the tops and leave your shower bombs to dry overnight. You’ll know they’re ready when they feel dry and hard to the touch. This may take anywhere from 10-24 hours depending on humidity.
   
   
8. Remove from mold. Once dry, carefully remove your shower steamers from the mold. Gently peel back the silicone and push on the base of the tablet – it should pop out easily.
9. Finished! Your shower bombs are now ready to use. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Lavender shower steamer essential oil blends

Below I have included 5 calming essential oil blends for your DIY lavender shower steamers.

Many of the essential oils used in these blends came with the August 2021 Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box. And it’s only fitting that this box’s theme is stress relief!

The Stress Relief box includes 4 full-size essential oils for shower bombs:

• Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
• Sage Essential Oil
• Peace & Quiet Essential Oil Blend
• Peppermint Essential Oil

Aside from the oils, the box also includes a Lava Rock Shower Diffuser, 6 essential oil recipes for relaxation, and the supplies to make each one. You can see the full box contents here.

For more information, check our our full, in-depth Simply Earth essential oils review.

If you’d like to give them a try, new subscribers get a free Bonus Box. You can also use our code ALIFEADJACENTFREE to get a $40 gift card with your box.

Pure Lavender

150 drops lavender 40/42 essential oil (or Bulgarian lavender essential oil)

Keep it simple! A lavender essential oil blend offers a multidimensional fragrance, but you can make simple essential oil shower steamers with only lavender oil. These are the perfect lavender shower steamers for sleep.

Lavender Peppermint

• 75 drops of lavender essential oil
• 75 drops of peppermint essential oil

Lavender peppermint shower bombs combine the calming properties of lavender with the energizing, decongestant properties of peppermint oil. It’s the perfect blend for an uplifting morning shower or if you’re feeling a little bit stuffy.

See also our DIY shower melts for colds and eucalyptus shower steamers recipe.

Lavender Sage

• 75 drops lavender essential oil
• 75 drops sage essential oil

This simple blend combines lavender’s calming quality with the stimulating and uplifting fragrance of sage essential oil. This makes for lovely calming shower steamers – perfect for a morning shower to start the day with focused relaxation.

Peace & Quiet

• 70 drops lavender essential oil
• 75 drops Peace & Quiet essential oil blend

These relaxation shower steamers provides a calm and peaceful shower experience at any time of the day.

Peace & Quiet is a blend of sweet orange, cedarwood, frankincense and lime that pairs beautifully with lavender essential oil.

The pre-bottled blend is lovely and affordable, but you can also use:

• 20 drops sweet orange essential oil
• 20 drops frankincense essential oil
• 20 drops cedarwood essential oil
• 15 drops lime essential oil

Lush Sleepy

• 40 drops ylang-ylang extra essential oil
• 40 drops lavender essential oil
• 40 drops tonka bean absolute
• 30 drops benzoin resinoid

Inspired by the intoxicating fragrance of the popular Lush Sleepy Shower Bomb, this beautiful essential oil blend combines lavender with warm tonka bean, fragrant ylang ylang, and bubbly, soda-like benzoin resin.

The Lush shower bombs are meant to be used as body cleansers, so this blend is not quite a Lush dupe, but it’s close. It makes for lovely DIY sleepy shower bombs!

Sleepy Time

150 drops Sleepy essential oil blend

Perfect for a bedtime shower, these sleepy time shower fizzies will help lull you to sleep.

Its hint of citrus mellows out the floral lavender, and ho wood adds a grounding earthiness. Ho wood is also a fixative, which means it can help your shower steamer’s fragrance last longer.

See also: DIY shower bombs for sleep.

If you don’t have the Sleepy blend, you can use:

• 60 drops lavender essential oil
• 40 drops ho wood essential oil
• 25 drops bergamot essential oil
• 25 drops grapefruit essential oil

Meditation

• 60 drops lavender essential oil
• 60 drops Homebody essential oil blend

This relaxing shower bombs blend is perfect for shower meditation. It combines lavender with Simply Earth’s Homebody blend, which was designed to be safe for kids and the whole family.

Homebody is a calming blend of amyris (woody and vanilla-like), copaiba (honey-like), ho wood (floral and woody) and vetiver (smokey and earthy).

Tips for making shower bombs

Making your own shower steamers isn’t difficult, but it takes a bit of practice. Especially since there are many variables that can affect the look, consistency, and drying time of your batch.

Even with the best recipe, you might need a couple tries to get it right. It may be a good idea to make a small tester batch to see how they are affected by your home’s temperature and humidity levels.

But even if they don’t turn out 100% perfectly, most of the time, they will still work just fine!

That said, here are a few tips for making the best lavender shower steamers.

• Use clay. After making shower bombs with corn starch, I realized that they’re more likely to clump. Corn starch absorbs a lot of moisture, which can make them get wet and doughy. So I made these lavender shower melts with kaolin clay instead. 
  
  You can use a mixture of starch and clay, or clay only. Either way, I think the addition of clay makes things easier to work with, so this is a good shower steamers recipe for beginners.
  
  The downside of clay is that you must be extremely careful, as even small amounts can clog your pipes. So please place your shower bomb in its own soap dish for use (I use these ones, as they’re deep). That way, the clay won’t make its way down your drain.
  
  Another option is to place it in a muslin bag and hang it somewhere near the showerhead. The closer the essential oils are to your head, the stronger the aromatherapy!
  
  See also: 4 more showers steamers recipes using clay.

• Use alcohol. Like I mentioned earlier, in my experience, making shower steamers with witch hazel or water tends to make them too wet. This is a problem because moisture activates the baking soda and citric acid. So with too much moisture, the tablets end up fizzing and expanding in the mold instead of your shower!
  
  Alcohol evaporates more quickly, which makes it less likely you’ll end up with soggy shower melts. I prefer vodka as it’s non-toxic, but you can also use rubbing alcohol if that’s all you have. Just be sure to work in a well ventilated area and take proper safety precautions.
  
  When it comes to adding the alcohol, you can use a spray bottle, small spoon, or even a small lab beaker. The key is to just add slowly and mix quickly before the mixture has a chance to fizz too much.
  
  Also, please note that dry clay and baking soda particles can become airborne when you spray the mixture with alcohol, so you might want to wear a mask or open a window.

More aromatherapy shower steamers recipes

Shower melts aren’t just for relaxation and sleep – we also have several other kinds:

• Aromatherapy Shower Steamers
• DIY Shower Melts for Colds
• DIY Wake Up Shower Melts
• Allergy Relief Shower Bombs

For more recipes with essential oils, follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.

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