Homemade Shower Vapor Disks with Essential Oils
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Homemade Shower Vapor Disks have been on my must-try list for some time now. When I finally made a batch for my family, I couldn’t believe how easy it was!
We’re talking two simple ingredients, folks: baking soda and water. Mix, bake, cool, and add essential oils. Presto! Soothing respiratory relief in an easy-to-use delivery method.
Click here for my favorite way to purchase essential oils.
When someone at your house is feeling a bit stuffy in the head or the chest, simply place a Homemade Shower Vapor Disk on the shower floor. Breathe deeply during your shower to draw the essential oils into the sinuses and lungs. Feel free to add extra essential oil to the disk just prior to use.
If you’re looking for natural ways to support the immune system, be sure to grab this free printable list of 20 Ways to Support the Immune System with Essential Oils. There’s a version for kids, too: 25 Ways to Keep Kids Healthy with Essential Oils.
Homemade Shower Vapor Disks make a great gift, too! Find a pretty jar and stack the disks inside. Good ol’ mason jars work well. Add a fun label and embellish the jar, if you like.
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Homemade Shower Vapor Disks with Essential Oils
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 6 disks 1x
Description
Soothing respiratory relief in an easy-to-use delivery method.
Ingredients
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/3 cup water
- muffin tin*
- cupcake liners
- essential oils: Eucalyptus, Lavender & Rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Mix baking soda and water to form a paste.
- Spoon the mixture into cupcake liners, filling each liner about halfway.
- Bake 15-20 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely, then add about 3 drops each of Eucalyptus, Lavender & Rosemary essential oils to each disk.
- For gift-giving, stack several vapor disks (with liners) in a pretty glass jar.
- To use, simply place a disk on the shower floor and allow the steam to diffuse the oils as you shower.
Notes
*Silicone muffin tins work best, along with disposable aluminum tins. The liners tend to stick to regular metal muffin tins, making it difficult to remove the disks. If you do use a metal muffin tin, quick preparation is key: transfer your paste to the muffin tins immediately and bake right away.
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Cannot wait to try this- very, very cool!
Enjoy, Leah! 🙂
It sounds something I want to try. Never heard of this. Going to make them. Thank You
Pmz
You will love them, Patricia!
How long do they last in a mason jar ?
That’s a great question! This is my first year to make the disks myself, but last year we received a jar of disks from a friend and they lasted all winter.
Do you store them at room temperature?
Tried them. I think they were a waste of time and my precious oils.. They went right down the drain and I even placed one on a sponge. Good idea bad execution…
Hi Joanne, The disks are supposed to go down the drain. 🙂 If you mean they dissolved quickly, try moving them out of the direct stream of water. I’m also wondering about your water pressure…even when I place my disks directly in the water stream, they still last for an entire 15-minute shower. I actually have to crush them with my foot at the end of my shower to help speed the dissolving process.
Mine melted in ten seconds
Hi! My husband is suffering through a bad cold and I’d love to surprise him with these when he gets home tonight. If I use a silicone mold do I still need to have the liners? Thanks Kathleen!
I’ve never done it that way, Becky, but I think it would work without liners. Liners do make storage easier, in my opinion.
what other scents would go good together i was just wondering?
Any scents you enjoy! More oils good for respiration include: Lemon, Lime, Peppermint, Thyme, Cardamom, & doTERRA’s Breathe blend.
Yes, ma’am.
These worked perfectly for me!!! I used 6 drops of of the oils and used the aluminum liners lined up on a regular baking sheet. Each one lasted thru my entire shower (i made sure it wasnt directly under to shower spray). Thanks for such a great idea!!!
Yay! 🙂
Can’t wait to try these!!
Enjoy, Josie!
I’m struggling here. I tried to make these 2 times and seem to have failed. The 1st time I used a mix of water, baking soda and witch hazel with my EO. I USED a silicone tray and left them out nearly 24hrs to harden. They didn’t. I transferred to a cupcake Tim with liners then baked at 325 for 30min and they hardened but crumbled when I took them out. THEN I re-mixed, using MORE oils, baked in my silicone tray and they just mashed/crumbled. So sad. So much oil wasted…
Hi Melissa, I’m a little confused…this doesn’t even sound like my recipe. There is no witch hazel involved, only water. And the instructions are to bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Also, the essential oils are added after the disks are baked and cooled. I’m wondering if you’ve confused mine with another recipe?
Hi there,
I love the idea of these little things and I happen to be on the brink of a sinus infection so…perfect timing. I followed your recipe to a T, expect I couldn’t find rosemary so I substituted lemon. However while in the shower I couldnt smell them. Do you think its because of the substitution? Should I add more oils? Maybe its just because I am so congested that I couldnt smell it?
Please help, I really want to love these little disks 🙁
Could the essential oils be added into paste as well?
If you are planning to use essential oils the potential of loosing their strength….I would definitely add after baked and cooling of the disks..
Could you do this with vanilla extract instead of essential oils?
I’ve never tried it but I don’t see why not…
Thanks so much for sharing! Just took mine out of the oven and they look perfect (and smell great! I misread and added a few drops before i baked them lol.. Will add a few more once they cool too) can’t wait to use them in the shower! 🙂
Awesome, Serena! Quick tip: if the disks are just for you, we’ve found it actually works best to wait and add the essential oils right before showering. Enjoy! 🙂
Why do you bake yours, and other recipes say to use citric acid and let dry overnight?
The citric acid is more for a bath bomb. It makes them fizz.
Hi there! Do these crumble while packaged? I notice you use baking cups and was wondering if I could maybe use silicone forms and mold them into different shapes…but I don’t want them falling apart if I can help it.
Hi Kathleen,
This sounds like a great idea! I want to make these and give to my daughter to take to school. Can the oils be added to the paste before it goes into the oven?
Thanks
No, the oils should be added after baking. And even better, she should wait to add the oils until she’s ready to pop one in the shower. Could you send her with unscented disks and a small bottle of the oils all blended together? (An empty EO bottle would be perfect.) Then she can just add a few drops from that bottle directly onto a disk when she’s ready to use it.
Thank you for the quick reply!. That is what I did – blended the oils separately and the disks are in the oven, as i type!!
Wish me luck!!
50% success rate! 3/6 can’t our of muffin tray along with the paper cup. The rest tore off at the level of the paste, and then I could not get it out of the tray. They were stuck! Any advice on what went wrong?
Thanks
Oh no! I’m wondering if you saw the note about tins and liners at the end of the recipe…silicone or disposable aluminum muffin trays work best. (I keep 2 disposable trays just for making shower disks.)
You are right!!
In my excitement, I did not read the notes until after 🙂
my next attempt is with disposable tray or silicone.
would you use liners with both these?
thanks
I do use liners for a disposable tray. My girlfriend who makes them in a silicone tray does not use liners in the tray, but does pop them into liners for storage.
I’ve never made these in a silicone tray myself. My friend Angela makes them in a silicone tray without liners, but does pop them into liners for storage.
We are always affected by allergies, I can’t wait to try this.
Followed the recipe all the way but mine didn’t harden
We are addicted to these little aroma disks! My daughter asked me to make them for her because she goes through my stash before I have a chance to. Great idea for valentine teacher gifts!
These turned out WONDERFUL!! I ended up having to use a metal pan, but the only liners I had on hand were made of parchment paper. Absolutely nothing stuck to anything! So if anyone has to use metal pans I would highly suggest using these liners. Thank you so very much for a wonderful way to enjoy my EO’s :)!
Yay! Good to know about the parchment liners. Thanks for sharing, Cassia! 🙂
I made these yesterday and they turned out great, a little crumbly at the bottom but not a big deal. The only thing, my daughter just used one for her shower and not fragrance what so ever. I have added the oils but if I was congested it would have done nothing for me. Any suggestions? I used all 3 oils and put 3 drops of each on each disk. I also used a smaller silicone baking tray so they are smaller than a muffin tin one.
Hi Marialee, I’ve had best results when waiting until shower time to add the essential oils. (Also, are you using high quality oils? That makes a difference too.)
Just made them a few hours ago.They do work, only issue is even after I let them dry completely they still just crumble in my hand. great idea but might need something more to keep them together better.
So I put them in a muffin tin with paper liners and they are stuck. I put them in right away and have been baking them for several hours to get them to dry. Still can’t get them out. Any suggestions?!? Help
Did you see my notes about the best types of muffin tins to use for making shower discs? Silicone works best, or disposable aluminum. Metal muffin tins seem to be problematic. Good luck!
Just made these for a Christmas gift! I did not have a muffin tin or cupcake cups so I just used parchment paper and a cookie sheet! Dropped the mixture onto the parchment paper on the cookie sheet in little balls then flattened them. Cooked up great!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Kathleen, can you use a toaster oven with these?
I’ve never tried it, Deanna, but I don’t see why not.
Thank you for the recipe. I made these in my heart shaped silicone molds I purchased from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/2C3H1xz
I added some bergamot to the other essential oils; love the citrus scent. I also baked mine 35 – 40 minutes since they were still crumbly at 15; I imagine that since they were baked in silicone and not metal more time was required. I can’t wait to shower in the morning!!!
How fun to use a heart mold!
Thank you so much for this! I made these very successfully and have been giving them out as gifts, as well as enjoying them myself. I LOVE them!
I’m so glad! 🙂