Editor’s Picks: 16 of the Best Bath Salts and Soaks to Relax Your Body and Soften Your Skin

For the best bath experience, look for skin-friendly products that meet the following criteria:

• High in salts: The whole point of a bath is to relax—so you want a high salt content, which will encourage the uptake of essential minerals (like magnesium).
• Free of sulfates: Not to be confused with magnesium sulfate (a.k.a. Epsom salt), sodium lauryl sulfate and similar detergents are often present to produce a lather. Unfortunately, they can strip natural oils and dry out your skin.
• Low in fragrance: While our bodies usually have a higher tolerance for fragrance than our faces, it’s still best to limit it if possible (since it’s the number one cause of irritation). Avoid salts and soaks with high levels of synthetic fragrance, and choose products with low amounts of essential oils instead.
• Free of dyes and glitter: It goes without saying that dyes and glitter offer nothing beneficial to your skin, and can be irritating or abrasive.
• Low in PUFAs: Oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are unstable and quick to oxidize (go rancid). I avoid products with PUFA oils in the first five ingredients.

• Description: Herbivore Calm Ylang Ylang + Vanilla Soaking Salts are a relaxing combination of salts, clay and aromatherapeutic essential oils—all packaged in a chic glass bottle to display by your tub. Each jar contains enough for four baths.
• Best for: Calming.
• Key ingredients: Sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, kaolin clay, ylang-ylang, vanilla, vitamin E.
• Editor’s notes: Compared to other bath salts, these may take a little more time to dissolve, but they make up for that with their soothing effects, addictive scent and pretty packaging. 

• Description: Odacité Mood Cleansing Ayurvedic Bath Soak is an Ayurveda-inspired soak that combines an array of salts with softening and fragrant oils. Fun fact: It also has an all-natural blue tint. Each bag contains enough for up to five baths.
• Best for: Mood-lifting.
• Key ingredients: Epsom salt, Dendritic salt, Himalayan sea salt, baking soda, almond oil, grapefruit, lemongrass, neem, aloe, seaweed.
• Editor’s notes: Reach for this soak when you’re feeling low and need an instant pick-me-up. The salts will release stress and tension, while the citrusy scent and luxe blue hue will transform your mood. 

• Description: Goop G.Tox Detox 5 Salt Bath Soak is a creamy blend of activated charcoal, clay and five different salts to help you detox from the stress and pollution of urban life. Each bag contains enough for three baths.
• Best for: Detoxifying.
• Key ingredients: Sea salt, table salt, Epsom salt, sea silt, charcoal, papaya extract, matcha tea, pineapple enzymes, coriander, cardemom, grapefruit.
• Editor’s notes: Creator Gwyneth Paltrow famously takes a bath every single night, so she knows a thing or two about bath soaks. This one not only cleanses your body from impurities and city grime, it also cleanses your mind with expertly blended essential oils.

• Description: Pursoma Digital Detox Bath Soak is a two-ingredient soak that helps to reboot your system after spending too long on digital devices. The salt stimulates circulation and eases sore muscles, while the clay softens your skin and draw out toxins. Each bag is good for one bath.
• Best for: Detoxifying.
• Key ingredients: French green clay, French grey sea salt.
• Editor’s notes: Book a night with this bath on your calendar for a “staycation” to escape digital distractions. Put away your phone, empty the entire contents into your tub, and soak for 30 minutes. (You can also apply some as face mask.) Then, relax under a blanket to continue the detox through perspiration. 

• Description: French Girl Mint Sea Soak Enlivening Bath Salts are a mineral-rich mix of six different salts, infused with an invigorating trio of essential oils. Each jar contains enough for up to 10 baths.
• Best for: Energizing.
• Key ingredients: Himalayan pink salt, French grey sea salt, Epsom salt, Dead Sea salt, Dendritic salt, Pacific sea salt, peppermint, lavender, rosemary.
• Editor’s notes: Unlike most bath salt blends, which are meant to help you wind down, this one is actually refreshing and uplifting. True to the brand’s French heritage, the salts come from the Mediterranean Sea and the salt ponds of France’s Guerande region. 

• Description: This Works Deep Sleep Bath Soak is a soothing soak that works to promote relaxation and prepare you for a deep and restful sleep. The 100% natural blend includes the most tranquil blend of essential oils in a sea salt base. Each jar contains enough for about 14 baths.
• Best for: Encouraging sleep.
• Key ingredients: Sea salt, lavender, patchouli, ho wood, vetiver, chamomile.
• Editor’s notes: If you struggle with sleep and want to establish a better bedtime ritual, look no further than this aromatherapeutic soak. For best results, take your bath about two hours before bedtime.

• Description: Susanne Kaufmann St. John’s Wort Bath is a luxurious soak that is high in St. John’s wort extract to soothe itchy and sensitive skin. It also deposits moisture to prevent skin from drying out. Each jar contains enough for about 19 baths.
• Best for: Calming sensitive skin.
• Key ingredients: Baking soda, corn starch, St. John’s wort, cocoa butter, capric triglycerides, milk protein.
• Editor’s notes: This blend is just the ticket for dehydrated, sunburned or stressed-out skin. It has a base of sodium bicarbonate (a.k.a. baking soda), which is actually a soothing salt—and it creates a cool fizzing effect when you add it to the water.

• Description: Naturopathica Sweet Birch Magnesium Bath Flakes are comprised of magnesium flakes, which are an alternative to Epsom salts, and made from some of the world’s purest natural magnesium chloride. They’re infused with sweet birch oil, which creates a unique warming sensation. Each jar contains enough for 11 baths.
• Best for: Soothing sore muscles.
• Key ingredients: Magnesium flakes, tapioca, sweet birch.
• Editor’s notes: These bath flakes are ideal if you do a lot of working out, yoga or sports. Magnesium is a surefire way to soothe sore muscles, and has been shown to reduce inflammation and pain.

• Description: Dr. Singha’s Mustard Bath is a therapeutic soak that relieves body aches, strains and soreness. The star ingredient is indeed mustard (in powdered form), which supports blood flow and helps eliminate acid waste. Each jar contains enough for four baths.
• Best for: Soothing sore muscles.
• Key ingredients: Sodium carbonate, mustard seed powder, wintergreen, eucalyptus, rosemary, thyme.
• Editor’s notes: A favourite of athletes, this cult classic soak is the creation of the late Dr. Shyam Singha, a London-based acupuncturist, osteopath and homeopath who was considered one of the most sought-after healers in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. It can be used to treat everything from achy joints and strained muscles to swollen feet and back pain.

• Description: Agent Nateur Holi (Bath) Coconut Milk Bath is a luxurious milky soak made from vegan coconut milk. It’s infused with salts, honey and botanical extracts to nourish, soften and soothe. Plus there’s no guessing about how much to add to your bath, since each package is already divided into 10 sachets.
• Best for: Moisturizing.
• Key ingredients: Coconut milk, table salt, calendula, chamomile, honey, baking soda, jasmine, rose, sandalwood.
• Editor’s note: You’re getting a little bit of everything in this one. Moisture-rich coconut milk imparts softness and radiance, minerals de-stress and honey soothes sensitivity.

• Description: Herbivore Coconut Milk Bath Soak creates a milky, moisturizing bath experience with dehydrated coconut milk and baking soda (which is actually a type of soothing salt). Each jar contains enough for up to four baths.
• Best for: Moisturizing.
• Key ingredients: Baking soda, coconut milk, coconut pulp, vanilla.
• Editor’s notes: If you love the scent of natural coconut and vanilla, this one is a must-try—it’ll transport you to a tropical paradise. When you’re done, it leaves your skin so soft that you will probably be able to skip body lotion.

• Description: Vertly CBD Infused Bath Salts are all about easing stress and fatigue. Not only do they contain an all-natural mix of salts and sulfur, they’re also spiked with 100 mg of a hemp-derived cannabinoid extract. Each bag contains enough for two soaks.
• Best for: Relaxing.
• Key ingredients: Epsom salt, Dead Sea salt, table salt, sulfur, baking soda, CBD, sunflower oil, arnica.
• Editor’s notes: If you’re curious about the CBD trend, this is a great way to give it a test-drive. In a bath, CBD won’t make you high, but its anti-inflammatory properties can help to ease sore, achy muscles. 

• Description: Lord Jones High CBD Formula Bath Salts will quickly help you bliss out, thanks to their 240 mg broad-spectrum CBD in a base of mineral-rich salts, arnica and essential oils. Each jar contains enough for about 12 baths.
• Best for: Relaxing.
• Key ingredients: Epsom salt, Himalayan salt, arnica, calendula, CBD, fir, lavindin, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, tonka.
• Editor’s notes: These salts are for anyone who needs some serious TLC. With the highest concentration of CBD in a bath soak, they’ll melt away tension and promote a true sense of calm. 

• Description: Indie Lee I-Recover Body Soak is a two-in-one soak and scrub. In a bath, its multiple salts ease overworked muscles; they also do double-duty to gently buff away dead skin. Each jar contains enough for about three baths.
• Best for: Soothing sore muscles and exfoliating.
• Key ingredients: Epsom salt, capric triglycerides, coconut oil, Dead Sea salt, Himalayan sea salt, rosemary, arnica.
• Editor’s notes: You can either dissolve this product in a bath for a 20-minute soak, or apply it directly to damp skin as an exfoliant (and then rinse off in the shower or tub). Since it’s a salt-in-oil blend, just give it a stir before using it to ensure that it is well-mixed.

• Description: 365 by Whole Foods Market Epsom Salt consist of pure Epsom salt and nothing else. Each bag contains enough for about eight baths.
• Best for: Relaxing, soothing sore muscles.
• Key ingredient: Epsom salt.
• Editor’s notes: If you’re on a budget, you can’t go wrong with a big bag of Epsom salts. You can either enjoy them on their own for a basic, fragrance-free bath, or add your own essential oils to customize your soak. 

• Description: African Botanics Kalahari Desert De-Tox Bath Salts is a luxe bathing experience featuring a rare, mineral-rich type of salt: Kalahari crystal, harvested from the Kalahari Desert in Africa. Not only does it alleviate tension, it’s also bolstered by ingredients that treat cellulite, boost circulation and bind moisture. Each jar contains enough for about 18 baths.
• Best for: Relaxing, moisturizing, reducing cellulite.
• Key ingredients: Kalahari crystal salt, Buchu leaf powder, methyl salicylate, seaweed, caffeine, marula oil.
• Editor’s notes: This splurge-worthy soak is like an all-in-one spa treatment from the comfort of your own tub. Besides helping you to relax, it’s laced with caffeine to break down cellulite and excess fluids, seaweed to oxygenate and buchu to reduce inflammation. It’s the perfect treat after travelling or when you’re suffering from PMS.