Resorts around the world offer "hopped up" spa experiences... but you can do the same at home, with this Homemade Hop Spa Bath Set!
Originally published September 4, 2020. Updated on 7/30/2021
So ... I’ve been on a bath products-creating binge lately.
... so obviously I had to do something with hops!
Hops in the bath isn’t as weird as you might think - there are spas around the world that specialize in hop baths, hop soaks, beer baths, and more.
Benefits of Hop Spas
Hops are prized for their ability to bring flavour and aroma to beer (And food... Ahem... Hedonistic Hops!), but they’re also developing a growing following for numerous health benefits.
Hops have long been known to help with stress, anxiety, and insomnia - and there are hop based herbal supplements out there, to address those issues.
The acids in hops have been known to have anti bacterial properties, and research has been finding them to have anti-cancer properties, as well
Hops are also known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which are both driving people to use them in skincare and related treatments.
Some claim that hops help with dry skin. I’m not sure the mechanism that would be involved there, but I suspect it would also be the acids.
While the studies being done may be new, the information isn’t necessarily new - hops have been used in medicine for centuries. While there’s definitely a background of “old world tradition”, there’s also some emerging science behind it.
While a bath in hops isn’t likely to cure cancer, you might find yourself more relaxed, and/or have smoother skin.
Really, if you’re making or gifting a Hop Spa Bath Set, you or someone you love must like hops in the first place, so I say just enjoy it for what it is - and if you get any extra benefits from it, that’s a bonus!
Gifting This Homemade Hop Spa Bath Set
This Homemade Hop Spa Gift Set - either in its entirety, or just a piece or two - makes a GREAT gift for the beer lover in your life! Birthday gift, Christmas Gift, Father's Day... Mother's day.. whatever!
It’s also a great gift for any trend setter friends who are always looking for unique pampering experiences, beer lover or not. Honestly, I don’t even like beer, but love my Citra bath salts!
Much like with my DIY Mustard Bath Gift Set, this Hop Spa Gift Set is a great option for anyone who is dealing with stress, and could use a little relaxation in their life.
I’ll usually package them up - the Hop Bath Salt and Hopped Malted Milk Bath in Mason jars, the Hop Salt Scrub in a little 8oz jar, and the soap in a shrink wrap plastic bag - then add some ribbon to the packaging, along with a tag or sticker label with ingredients and use instructions, if applicable..
When giving anything like bath products as a gift, it’s important to make a list of the ingredients you use, and label it in some way. This can be a sticker on the bottom/back of your jar or packaging, or printed out on a bit of cardstock and tied on with a ribbon.
Especially when you’re using essential oils, it’s important for the recipient to see what’s in it, and be able to make sure those ingredients will be safe for them.
Base Ingredients
A bit of information about the ingredients that are used in more than one of these Homemade Hop Spa Bath Products....
Epsom Salt
I like to use Epsom salt as the default base for all of my bath salts and milk baths, as it’s cheap, readily available, a neutral colour, and nice to soak in.
Also, as a figure skater... it’s my go-to for soaking in, for muscle relief. So, I guess I’m kind of conditioned for it to be my go-to bath salt option.
You can substitute Coarse Ground Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt for some or all of the Epsom Salt, if you so choose. The pink of the Himalayan salt could actually be really pretty alongside the hops!
Hops
Choosing Hop Variety
If you - or the person you’re gifting to! - has a favourite hop variety, by all means - choose that one!
I like to choose hop varieties that are citrus or tropical fruit-forward on the scent. Cascade, Centennial, and Amarillo are popular choices, but - much like with my Hopped Cheesecake with Citrus Glaze - I like to use Citra hops for these Hop Spa Bath Products.
Obtaining Hops
Hops are available in several forms - Fresh (rarely!), dried whole, dried leaf, and pellets. For the purposes of these recipes, I recommend using dried leaf hops. You can buy them from your local homebrew supply store, order online from a homebrew supply store, or buy them on Amazon.
Dried hops weigh almost nothing, so even the smallest packet you can buy - usually an oz - is more than enough to make the entire set of Homemade Hop Spa Bath Products.
Preparing Hops for Use in these Hop Spa Bath Products
If you’re harvesting your own hops for use in these Hop Spa Bath Products, be sure to dehydrate them before use.
If you’re using dried leaf hops, you’ll want to crush them - to a degree - before adding them to these recipes. I like to use a small spice grinder for it - this is the one I use.
How far down you process them is a matter of personal taste. The bigger leaves look pretty in the packaging, but will need to be rinsed out of the tub after soaking.
I like to process them down into smallish - but distinct - leaves for the Hopped Bath Salt, Hopped Salt Scrub, and Homemade Hop Soap, but to bring them down to a finer powder for the Hopped Malted Milk Bath.
Your mileage, as always, may vary.
Note: Measure your hops before grinding them. ¼ cup of packed leaf hops is a very different amount of hops from ¼ cup of finely ground hops! The measurements in the recipes are for hops BEFORE being ground down!
Fresh hops, on the bine. You will need to dehydrate your hops, if using fresh.
Shoutout to Lady Cone Hop Yard for indulging our weird request to buy a couple feet of hop bine, so we could do these photos!
We appreciate you! <3
Baking Soda
I like to include baking soda in my bath salt and milk bath recipes, as it softens and soothes the skin, and makes the water feel silky. It’s a sensory thing!
Essential Oil
I like to use a pretty basic orange essential oil for this, as I prefer the tropical and citrus hop aromas to other available varieties.
However, you can feel free to play with this. Some of the hops in the pine aroma family - Northern Brewer, Chinook, - could work really well with a Cedarwood Essential Oil, for instance.
I recommend choosing your hops first, then picking an essential oil that compliments the primary aroma notes of the chosen hop variety.
If you’re veering outside of orange or cedarwood, though, be sure to research to see if your choice of oil is appropriate for skin contact.
As an aside, if you ARE going for pine notes, you can always dry and grind up some pine needles to use in your Hop Bath Salt, though I wouldn’t recommend it for the Hopped Malted Milk Bath, Hop Salt Scrub, or Soap. Just make sure to use a bath tea bag if you’re adding pine needles!
Also: Some people are allergic to pine, so keep that in mind. If you react to Christmas trees, don’t bathe with them!
Colouring
Colouring is absolutely optional, but can make a nice accent. I added a very small amount of lime green soap colouring to these Hop Spa Bath Products.
You can use special liquid soap colouring - available in craft supply stores or online - or food colouring.
Base Equipment
A bit of information about the equipment used in more than one of these Homemade Hop Spa Bath Products....
I find that Epsom salt almost always has chunks in it that need to be broken down. For that reason, I like to make the Homemade Hop Bath Salt and Hopped Malted Milk Bath in a plastic baggie.
I measure the ingredients into the bag, push most of the air out, and just sort of massage the bag a bit to work out the clumps, and to properly mix everything. It’s easier than stirring it in a bowl, and makes FAR less of a mess!
Bath tea bags are an option to contain the mess of the flowers in the bathtub, and it’s one I’ve been ALL over, lately. This is the pack I buy, which is the perfect size for my bath soaks.
Just measure a cup of the Homemade Hops Bath Salt into a bath tea bag, pull the strings to gather, and tie a knot close to the gather.
I like to also tightly wrap a couple loops around the bag itself, just under the gather, and knot THAT off. That prevents any of the flowers from escaping out of the opening.
Note: Bath tea bags do not work well with the Homemade Hopped Malted Milk Bath, as the malt powder prevents the flow of water in and out of the bag. No worries - as long as you process the hops down to a fine powder, everything else dissolves completely in the warm bath water!
They are, however, a good way to *package* the Homemade Hopped Malted Milk Bath - pre-portioned! Just add a label instructing to “Empty entire contents of one bag into bath”, or however you want to word it.
Eye droppers - this is the set I use - are great for measuring the essential oils into the mixtures.
I keep a whole set on hand, as some of my bath product recipes - like the Homemade Mustard Bath Gift Set- use more than one essential oil, and I don’t want to mix the flavours in the bottles.
Making Larger Batches
All four of these Homemade Hop Spa Bath recipes can be multiplied to make much larger batches, if so desired.
If you’re making more than a double or triple batch of either the Homemade Hop Bath Salts or Homemade Hopped Malted Milk Bath, you’ll want to do it in a large bowl.
I like to use gloved hands to physically break up any clumps of Epsom salt in the bowl, before adding the other ingredients. It just makes it a lot easier to get a consistent final product.
Disclaimers:
Whenever you’re trying out something new on your skin - especially if you have sensitive skin - you should test it out on a small match of skin, to see if you have any reactions. If you ave any problems, discontinue use.
If you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications that may be affected by any of the ingredients in these products, you should talk to your physician before using them.
This site is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the site to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. While I’ll only ever link to items that I, personally, wholeheartedly recommend, I do need to put that disclosure out there!
Fan of hops? You'll LOVE my cookbook, Hedonistic Hops: A Hop Head's Guide to Kitchen Badassery"!
Hops are prized for their ability to impart varied, complex flavours to beer… but did you know they can also be used culinarily? While hops may seem like a bizarre or exotic item to cook with, it’s the same as using other herbs and spices in your kitchen… you just have to know what to do with them. Appetizers, main dishes, beverages.. even desserts can be uplifted with hops! Even those who are not fans of beer will love the unique flavours that various types of hops can bring to their plate. Floral, earthy, peppery, citrusy… Cooking with hops is a great way to expand your seasoning arsenal!
Order your copy directly through this website, through Amazon, or through any major bookseller!
Looking for More Homemade Gift Ideas?
We have a few DIY gift tutorials, with even more coming! For now, be sure to check out:
Booze Bouquet Tutorial.
DIY Citrus and Cedar Bath Set
DIY Cutting Board Tutorial - Colourful Squares
DIY Mustard Bath Gift Set
Homemade Cutting Board Tutorial - Log Cabin
Homemade Peppermint Eucalyptus Spa Set
How to Sew A Cute Makeup / Toiletry Bag Travel Set
Mop Doll Air Freshener Covers
DIY Ugly Christmas Sweater Masks
Share the Love!
Before you give away your set, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you instagram it, be sure to tag me - @OverlordMarie - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!
Also, be sure to subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.
Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
Now, on to those tutorials!
Homemade Hops Bath Salt
This Homemade Hops Bath Salt keeps best in an airtight glass container, kept out of the sunlight. With proper storage, this Homemade Hops Bath Salt should be good for about a year.
Use about 1 cup of Homemade Hops Bath Salt in a hot bath.
If you left the hop leaves pretty large and didn’t use a tea bag, you’ll want to rinse the tub afterwards!
Homemade Hop Bath Salt
Equipment
- Spice Grinder
- 1 Gallon Zipper Bags
- Eye Droppers
- Bath Tea Bags, optional
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Dry Leaf Hops
- 2 cups Epsom Salt
- ½ cup Baking Soda
- 10 Drops Orange Essential Oil
- Food or Soap Colour Optional
Instructions
- Measure the hops into a spice grinder or small food processor, process until it's a finer grind - you can leave them fairly rough, or bring it down to a powder.
- Measure your Epsom salt and baking soda into your plastic baggie. Add the hops to the bag , as well as colouring if you're using it.
- Use an eye dropper to measure your essential oil into the bag of ingredients
- Press most of the air out of the bag, and close the zipper on it.
- Manually crush any clumps in the salt, and work to combine the ingredients.
- Transfer mixture to an airtight container, or measure into bath tea bags - 1 cup per bag. Filled bath tea bags should also be stored in airtight containers.
- To use, measure 1 cup of Homemade Hop Bath Salt - or throw one bath tea bag - into a hot running bath. Rinse after use
Homemade Hopped Malted Milk Bath
A Note on Malt Powder
Malt Powder - or Dried Malt Extract (DME) is malted barley, and is a common ingredient in beer brewing. It’s also what gives the filling of malted milk balls their flavour.
Malt is a popular ingredient in hop and beer themed spas around the world, with various claims made about the benefits. To be honest, I’m adding it for fun. It fits the theme of this hopped bath, it works alongside milk to make the bath feel silky, and just really... why not?
Go big or go home - if you’re going to soak in hops, why NOT add some DME and get that much closer to a beer bath?
As a barley product, it should absolutely be labeled when you’re gifting it, as it can be a problem for some people with gluten allergies.
Use
This Homemade Hopped Malted Milk Bath keeps best in an airtight glass container, kept out of the sunlight. With proper storage, this Hopped Malted Milk Bath should be good for about a year.
If moisture gets into the container, it will clump up - just chip it off and into the tub, if this happens. It will dissolve in the hot water!
Use about 1 cup of Hopped Malted Milk Bath in a hot bath. You may need to rinse the tub afterwards!.
Homemade Hop Malted Milk Bath
Equipment
- Spice Grinder
- 1 Gallon Zipper Bags
- Eye Droppers
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Dry Leaf Hops
- 1 cups Whole Milk Powder
- 1 cup Epsom Salt
- ½ cup Baking Soda
- ½ cup Dried Malt Extract
- 10 drops Orange Essential Oil
- Food or Soap Colour Optional
Instructions
- Measure the dried hops into a spice grinder or small food processor, process until it's a very fine powder.
- Measure your milk powder, Epsom salt , baking soda, malt powder, and hops into your plastic baggie, along with colouring if you're using it
- Use an eye dropper to measure your essential oil into the ingredients baggie.
- Press most of the air out of the bag, and close the zipper on it.
- Manually crush any clumps in the salt, and work to combine the ingredients.
- Transfer mixture to an airtight container.
- To use, measure 1 cup of Hop Malted Milk Bath into a hot running bath. Rinse after use
Homemade Hop Salt Scrub
For something like this, I tend to use Baby Oil. It's cheap, good for the skin, and the other scents in this are strong enough that they mostly overpower the baby oil scent.
If you really hate the smell of baby oil, I recommend using sweet almond oil, but there are other options as well.
Many people use coconut oil when making homemade scrubs... and many people say to never use coconut oil on the skin, as it clogs pores. Some people use olive oil, some use hemp oil, some others even use vegetable oil.
Go with what works for you.
Equipment
Jars
I’ve been using these jars lately, and I love them. They look nice, close tightly, and are the perfect size for 1 batch of this Homemade Hop Salt Scrub recipe!.
Use
Salt scrubs are more harsh than sugar scrubs, and are meant for body use, not on the face. Be sure to not use it on broken or freshly shaved skin.
This scrub should last between 1-3 months, depending on how well it’s cared for.
Keep it in an airtight container, away from sunlight. Shake well before use.
Use a very clean hand - or, better yet, a mini scoop like these - to take a bit of Mustard Bath Salt Scrub out, when using. The more you can protect the contents of the jar from contamination from bacteria or mold, the longer it will last.
Homemade Hop Salt Scrub
Equipment
- Spice Grinder
- 8 oz Scrub Jars
- Mini Scoop
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Dry Leaf Hops
- 1 cup Epsom Salt
- ¼ cup+ Oil of choice Sweet Almond, Olive, Coconut, Baby, etc
- 7 drops Orange Essential Oil
- Food or Soap Colour Optional
Instructions
- Measure the hops into a spice grinder or small food processor, process until it's a finer grind - you can leave them fairly rough, or bring it down to a powder.
- Measure all ingredients into a glass bowl
- Mix until well combined and all ingredients are well distributed.
- Check for consistency - I like it fairly dry, using ¼ cup of oil... but some like a wetter consistency. Add more oil if you like!
- Transfer to an airtight jar.
Notes
Homemade Hop Soap
Melt and Pour Soap
You can use any melt and pour soap base you like - there are many varieties, such as basic clear glycerine, goat milk, hemp, honey, and ... I’m sure there are others.
I like to use a clear base for this, either glycerine or honey. This is the one I tend to default to.
Equipment
Soap Mold
You can use any soap mold you like, I prefer to use silicone molds in general. For this Homemade Hop Soap, I like the nice, clean lines of this rectangular soap mold, which is what I used for the soap in these pics.
Shrink Wrap Baggies
I like to use these Shrink Wrap Baggies for packaging soaps either to give away, or for storage. No sense letting all the goodness in these soaps evaporate!
Appearance
Personally, I wouldn’t bother with adding colouring to this Homemade Hop Soap, as the acids in the hops react with most melt and pour soaps. They change the soap to a beautiful amber colour, as pictured - this soap started out with a very small amount of lime green colouring!
I actually really like the way the hop leaves and amber colour look together. It’s a rich colour!
Note: different soap bases and different hop varieties may react differently with each other. I recommend making a batch with your chosen hops and soap base and letting it sit for a week or two before gifting, just in case anything really weird and/or undesirable happens!
Use
As I mentioned in the equipment section, I like to keep these soaps wrapped up in shrink wrap both for gifting, AND storage. Additionally, I recommend keeping them out of direct sunlight, for the best results.
Homemade Hop Soap
Equipment
- Spice Grinder
- Eye Droppers
- Rectangular Soap Mold
- Shrink Wrap Soap Baggies
Ingredients
- ½ cup Dry Leaf Hops
- 1 lb Clear Melt and Pour Soap Base
- ¾ teaspoon Orange Essential Oil
Instructions
- Measure the hops into a spice grinder or small food processor, process until it's a finer grind - I like to leave them fairly rough, for this soap.
- Chop soap base into small pieces
- Following the recommendations on your choice of melt and pour soap, melt the soap base.
- Gently stir hop leaves into melted soap base.
- Use eye droppers to measure essential oil into melted soap base. Stir well - but gently - to combine
- Pour soap into soap molds
- Allow soap to fully cool and harden, about 1 hour
- Carefully remove soaps from mold. Store in an airtight container, and/or seal in shrink wrap baggies to protect soaps while storing.
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