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Everybody loves bath bombs. It is like taking a bath in champagne, only without the show tunes and chorus boys. They are fairly simple to make, keeping in mind that the strangest things can make a batch go weird; humidity, room temperature, oil viscosity, the moon rising in the seventh house of Aquarius . . . they are a mysterious wonder.
For this recipe, I am using ingredients that are pretty common, or easy to find in most areas. Essential oils can be found in small amounts at places like health food stores and craft stores often carry essentials and fragrances. Just make sure, if you buy fragrance oil, that you are buying "body safe" oils and not stuff for candles or oil warmers.
So, let's start with a basic recipe in two parts.
Dry ingredients: (By Weight, as measured on a scale.)
For this recipe, I am using ingredients that are pretty common, or easy to find in most areas. Essential oils can be found in small amounts at places like health food stores and craft stores often carry essentials and fragrances. Just make sure, if you buy fragrance oil, that you are buying "body safe" oils and not stuff for candles or oil warmers.
So, let's start with a basic recipe in two parts.
Dry ingredients: (By Weight, as measured on a scale.)
- Baking Soda - 8 ounces
- Citric Acid - 4 ounces
- Corn Starch - 4 ounces
- Salts - 4 ounces ( in these pictures, I used Dead Sea Salts, but mineral salts work too, and are easier to find and significantly less expensive.)
- Water - .75 tbsp
- Essential or Fragrance Oil - 2 tsp (for these I used a Ginger Peach.)
- Oil - 2.5 tbsp (I used cherry kernel, but any light vegetable oil will work.)
- Food coloring - 1 or 2 drops. (Your color will look very dark in the emulsion, but will be light in the fizzies, so as to not leave rings around the tub. For this batch I used one drop red and two drops yellow. The final result will be very light peach.)
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Signing UpStep 1Blend the Dry Ingredients
Begin by putting all of your dry ingredients into a big bowl. Glass is best because it is non-reactive. Whisk or pestle those pesky clumps out. You want a fairly smooth consistency throughout the entire mix.
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I used 2 pairs of measuring spoons to form the molds, they worked well once I had the right consistency. I just forced them together to form a sphere. A 1 Tbsp one for the big ones, 1.5tsp for the medium, and 1/4tsp for the tiny ones.
Over here in a country town in New Zealand, its hard to find the right fragrance oils that are safe for skin. I know I could of ordered online, but it was a matter of now or never, So while wondering what I could use to add some scent, I remembered how much my gf liked my CK cologne, so just cracked open my bottle of that, and poured about 2tsp of the stuff in. Didn't like being with the water much, but guess it was similar to oil.
Here's a couple of pics, Hope you like them.
My first attempt at making bath bombs was a flop and I consider myself to be pretty good at things like this.
I bought a kit from wholesalesuppliesplus and the ingredients were baking soda, caolin clay, citric acid all premeasured. It said to mix all ingredients then add in color and scent which I did as instructed. Then it said to mist with alcohol to the point where it will hold together and put in molds pressing firmly.
I found it very difficult to keep them from being all crumbly. If I misted a bit too much they started fizzing and puffing.
Needless to say I managed to get them into heart shaped silicone molds and I waited for about 8 hours to dry. during this time they puffed way up several times and I kept pressing them back down. When I took them out they were all cracked and crumbly.
The indgredients seem different than what I read on this site ( mine did not call for oil)
Now that I have a crumbly bowl of flopped bath bombs, Can I remake them somehow? I hate to waste them because they do still fizz up and dissolve.
Can I grind them all up and package them as powdered bath fizz? I was supposed to have these packaged for gifts at a networking meeting.
I packed very tight and smoothed out the edges... takes a little getting used to, but what doesn't? Tapped the plastic and came right out after a minute or so.
I'm addicted!! Not sure why some people got a wet mess, must have added too much liquid. Keep in mind, it's, 3 quarters of a Tablespoon of water, that's it. It really is a great recipe and floats and smells and feels fantastic! Thank you!
I've had folks tell me that they've had good success with baby oil too, but I've never tried it.