Baths are serious business for Rochel Roland, bath mixologist and founder of the Bethesda-based Joyful Bath Co.

Roland began making bath salts for friends several years ago but never expected the hobby to turn into a full-time job. She sells her line of six all-natural bath salts, recently featured in Yoga Magazine, online and at boutiques and spas across the country. In September she distributed her products at the 2009 Emmy Awards Gift Lounge in Beverly Hills.

"I love baths and they say do what you love, so I thought, ‘What the heck?'" said Roland, 49, who ran a photography agency for 20 years and still has several clients. "...It seemed like things were coming together and leading me down this road. I started making bath salts for friends and I did it all the time. I wasn't even thinking about it being my next business venture or adventure."

A self-described concoctor, Roland grew up collecting rocks, twigs and other natural items and learned to create glazes while studying ceramics in college. It took Roland about six months to perfect her bath salt formulas, which she mixes, packages and ships from the basement of her Kensington home. Next year, she plans to branch out into other natural bath products such as handmade soaps, and she has been in talks with spas and resorts in Europe interested in stocking her bath salts.

"It was a lot of trial and error. I had to take a lot of baths," said Roland, who has an office and showroom in Bethesda. "It's a tough job but someone's got to do it."

Roland's bath salts use only natural ingredients, such as Dead Sea salts, Epsom salts, essential oils and milk powder, and can be mixed and matched for different results —Ginger Snap soothes achy muscles, while Oatsy Floatsie helps with dry or itchy skin. Many bath products advertised as "natural" use synthetic fragrances, which can irritate sensitive skin and have a lingering smell, she said.

"I really enjoy her products because I'm a real bath person," said Liz Garner, 48, of Potomac, a customer of three years. "I like that it's a small business, locally owned, but some of these places you can't even read the names of the ingredients that they use. They're all natural, not filled with a bunch of chemicals made in some factory someplace."

Bath salts soften water and alter its pH balance, which reduces "pruning," and provides the skin with minerals. But health benefits aren't limited to long soaks, said Roland, who takes a five-minute "power bath" every morning.

"Baths are so relaxing," she said. "In this day and age, it's the most affordable way to relax."