Anyone with tweens can probably relate to the bath bomb craze that is currently in full swing. If you’re not already on board, bath bombs are hard-packed mixtures of dry ingredients which effervesce (fizz and bubble!) when wet. They’re an extra special treat for bath time.
We’re most definitely fans at our house but, just like with anything, bath bombs can either be full of artificial fragrances and other unwanted ingredients or be au naturale. So, this holiday season, we set out to make our very own Homemade Lush Bath Bombs. And that’s because we thought they’d be a super fun DIY gift for friends and grandmas, and (the best part) – we’d know exactly what is in them!
Sponsor Shoutout: Plant Therapy
Just because we don’t want artificial fragrances (or colors) in our bath bombs doesn’t mean we don’t want any fun scents at all! So, we were excited to use some of the holiday essential oils from our lovely sponsor Plant Therapy for this project. Candy Cane bath bombs? Yes, please!
Essential oils have been around for centuries and are concentrated, volatile, aromatic liquids obtained from the fruits, seeds, flowers, bark, stems, roots, leaves or other parts of plants. Plant Therapy offers only 100% pure essential oils and is one of the few companies who offer some USDA Certified Organic options. All of their oils go through multiple rounds of testing and are always free from additives, adulterants and dilutions to uphold the highest quality.
Oh, and be sure to check out their 25 Days of Christmas deals. They have a different mystery deal every day starting now through December 18th.
Supplies Needed for Homemade Bath Bombs:
- Baking soda
- Citric acid
- Epsom salt
- Cornstarch
- Powdered all natural food coloring (optional)
- Coconut oil
- Essential oils (optional, but recommended)
- Prizes to put inside (optional)
- Rubber gloves (optional)
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl (or glass measuring cup with a spout)
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Bath bomb molds (or muffin tin)
- If gifting: Plastic molds you can give away or plastic used for shrink wrapping
Ingredients
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup citric acid, anything acidic can damage some countertops (especially marble) so be careful!
- 1/2 cup Epsom salt, recommended to me by my chiropractor to help with sore muscles
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons all natural food coloring, optional (natural powdered food coloring activates when wet in the tub and will not stain)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted/warm
- 1 teaspoon water, do not use more than this!
- 10 drops your favorite essential oil, we used Plant Therapy essential oils
- prizes to go inside - optional!, (we used "Magic Grow Capsules" that expand when wet)
Instructions
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In a large bowl whisk together the baking soda, citric acid, Epsom salt, cornstarch and (only if using) powdered food coloring.
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In a separate small bowl combine the melted coconut oil, water and essential oils. (We used peppermint, but I’m guessing that this would work great with lavender, sweet orange or chamomile.)
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While continuously whisking, very slowly drizzle the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined. The outcome (as pictured below) should be similar to a dry, crumbly sand and should not be a "wet" consistency. Warning: If mixture gets too wet it will activate the fizzy part of the bath bomb too soon!
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TIGHTLY pack the mixture into each side of the mold then press the two sides together. Ideally let it stay in the mold overnight, then lightly tap around the mold with a spoon to very carefully open and remove bath bomb. Finished product will still be somewhat fragile, so be careful!
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A Note about Molds and Gifting: I've read the stainless steel molds work best, so that's what we used with no problems. Bath Bombs (both homemade and store bought) can be fragile though, so we plan to transfer into same-size plastic molds for gifting. Alternatively, you can use a hair dryer on shrink wrap baggies made for the purpose of packaging bath bombs. I ordered a set that includes both options for our gifts this year. Either way, I would definitely make sure the DIY bath bombs are protected before handing them over!
Recipe Notes
The number of bath bombs this recipe will make is approximate. It will depend on the size of your molds.
Simple Balsamic White Bean Dip (+ our GF and DF Team Dinner!)
What would happen if you used liquid food coloring? Most containers of food color powder are $5+ for a single ounce of a single color. Any suggestions of a good company powder that fits a budget?
Here ya go: https://www.amazon.com/McCormick-Color-Nature-0-51-oz/dp/B01I6U4F92/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=100drf-recipe-20&ie=UTF8&qid=1512671375&sr=8-2&keywords=mccormick+color+nature+food+colors&linkCode=ll1&linkId=3c9b6d1a79ad858e5e28dd84c3778b1d
how many will this recipe make?
Hi. It will make approximately 6 medium bombs.
Do you think it would work to put them in silicone baking molds (like for candy making)? Or does it need to be able to close to pack it in better?
Hi there. This note from above should help: “I’ve read the stainless steel molds work best, so that’s what we used with no problems. Bath Bombs (both homemade and store bought) can be fragile though, so we plan to transfer into same-size plastic molds for gifting. Alternatively, you can use a hair dryer on shrink wrap baggies made for the purpose of packaging bath bombs. I ordered a set that includes both options for our gifts this year. Either way, I would definitely make sure the DIY bath bombs are protected before handing them over!”
My daughter has eczema. Is there a particular eczema bath bomb recipe, or would I just need to experiment with different ingredients? Do you know if adding ground oatmeal would work?
Best bath bomb recipe! These bath bombs have a perfect balance of fizz and silky feel. The serving calculator is especially helpful. I made these with my daughter for her classroom economy marketplace at school. We had fun making them together and they were wildly successful at school :-) We loved adding body glitter and mixing several different colors in the mold to give the bath bomb a sparkly tie-dyed look.