Bath Salts
vs.
Bath Bombs

When working with high quality ingredients and brands you trust, bath salts and bath bombs can both bring a lot of health benefits to your relaxing soak in the tub. Are bath salts better than bath bombs? We explore the ingredients, uses, and benefits of each below. Additionally, we break down what you should look out for when it comes to bath salts and bath bombs, because some places will just throw something together with low quality ingredients that could cause more harm than good to your body. 

Bath Salts vs Bath Bombs

We broke down the different features of bath salts and bath bombs based on their ingredients, how to use them, and their benefits. Here’s how bath salts compare with bath bombs:

Bath Salts

Here is the information on bath salts. 

Ingredients

The main ingredient in bath salts is typically Epsom salt. Epsom salts contain all-natural ingredients, such as magnesium and sulfate, that the body needs. Other ingredients that you may find in your bath salt mixture include essential oils, fragrances, and other natural salts. 

How to use

Dissolve a few cups of the salt (amount is up to you, but typically you don’t need to exceed four cups) into warm bath water before you get into the tub. 

Benefits

Magnesium and sulfate, which are important nutrients for the body, are best absorbed through the skin. This is why taking a bath with bath salts can be so beneficial. Here are some other benefits of bathing with bath salts:

– Boosts circulation
– Promotes relaxation
– Relieves muscle and joint pain
– Removes toxins

Bath Bombs

Bath bombs have a lot of similarities to bath salts, which we further explore below. 

Ingredients

The ingredients in bath bombs could include magnesium, coconut oil, citric acid, baking soda, cocoa butter, olive oil, and sodium bicarbonate, to name a few. 

How to use

Bath bombs put on much more of a show than bath salts. You add a bath bomb to a full tub and watch it dramatically fizz out as it spreads throughout the water. 

Benefits

The key benefits of bath bombs include:

– Increase relaxation
– Good for skin: The oils can help skin feel soft and smooth.
– Soothing scents

What to Look Out For

While high-quality bath salts and bath bombs can be very beneficial for your body and mind, there are a lot of gimmicks and low-quality products that could do more harm than good. 

Below is a list of things to look out for when considering whether or not you should purchase a bath salt or bath bomb product. It’s important to consider the source and make sure it is a place or company that you trust to use quality ingredients. 

Bath bombs are more likely to have some of the following issues, as it is easier to hide bad ingredients in them, so be careful. 

Low Quality Bath Salts and Bath Bombs: What to Watch Out For
Cheap ingredients

These can be abrasive to the skin.

Artificial colors and dyes

These colors and dyes can be harmful when absorbed into your skin, which then passes into your bloodstream.

Synthetic fragrances

These can include harmful chemicals such as phthalates (cause endocrine system issues), benzophenone (carcinogen), and styrene (carcinogen).

Glitter

Glitter is a red flag. It does not biodegrade, so it will simply sit and accumulate in your drain. 


As long as you are diligent and purchase from a reputable source, bath salts and bath bombs can add a variety of health benefits to your time in the tub.