Bath or Shower? I’m a huge bath fan and have never grown tired of collecting luxurious bath products and additives. Bath bombs are one of the best things to come along – I wish I could use one every day. My girls have also discovered the joy of bath fizzies and, frankly, it’s a costly and infrequent luxury! I’ve been wanting to make bath bombs for a long time and I finally gathered up all the supplies to give it a go. After experimenting a while, I must report that making bath bombs is even more fun than using them! Since I wanted to wrap a bundle of bath bombs for my girls as gifts, I focused on creations that would be fun for them – these SURPRISE DIY bath bombs might be the most fun ever! Who has kids that would be excited to take a bath with confetti or find a toy inside their fizzy bath bomb?
Supplies and Recipe:
½ cup baking soda
½ cup corn starch
4 T. citric acid
¼ cup pure epsom salts (you can use plain or scented and skip the essential oils)
½-1 tsp. essential oils (use just one or combine to total 1 tsp.)
2 tsp. water
2 tsp. melted coconut oil
bath bomb molds
cosmetic grade matte colorant
So, what’s needed to make bath bombs? Basically, you’ll need a few pantry items, as well as essential oils, a bath bomb mold, and any potential additives you’d like. In a big bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the wet ingredients including your chosen essential oil(s) and coloring. Combine the wet and dry ingredients with your fingers, adding small bits of the liquid at a time so that the citric acid doesn’t cause a bunch of fizzing. The mixture needs to be moldable, but not too wet. Add any “fun” confetti or cosmetic glitter to the mixture prior to molding. Pack each side of the mold until overflowing and then press the two sides together, brushing the excess back into the bowl. Remove one side of the mold, and allow the bath bomb to begin drying on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. After about 15-20 minutes, remove the mold from the other side CAREFULLY. Allow the bath bomb to dry for 24 hours and then wrap with plastic wrap. These bath bombs are pretty fragile while they’re drying, so don’t handle too much. If your creation crumbles as you’re making it/removing it from the mold, just mold it back together. However, once the bath bomb dries out, you can’t really mold it back together, so be careful. I made a few “fizzy pucks” with excess mixture that wasn’t enough to fill the whole large mold. The key to successfully molded bath bombs is to really pack the material pretty tightly. I was able to make three bath bombs from each recipe.
For two-toned bath bombs, mix everything but the coloring together and then divide the mixture, adding your color to just a portion of the mixture. Layer in the molds however you like – this is really fun to experiment with! I used matte cosmetic coloring powder and felt pretty comfortable with this decision. Many recipes recommend food coloring, so that might be a viable alternative.
I added a little fresh sprig of rosemary to these Sweet Orange Rosemary bath bombs for fun. I packed it in between the two halves before pressing the mold together.
To make the bath bombs extra fun for the girls, I experimented with a variety of special add-ins. I put a small handful of jewels into the center of some of the bombs. Another set of peppermint bombs got snowflake sequins hidden inside. I found some tiny plastic animals to add to the middle of the bath bombs. Shopkins would be a huge hit as well. Whatever you’re hiding inside, just pack it into the center and make sure that there is enough mixture surrounding the surprise to hold itself together. Also, use materials that won’t absorb or deteriorate inside the bath bomb/bathtub. Confetti and cosmetic-grade glitter make REALLY pretty bath bombs – I’ll include a piece of cheesecloth for filtering out the confetti when we drain the bathtub. Proceed at your own risk with these ideas. 😉
Essential oils are readily available at health food stores and from your favorite Facebook friend 😉 – I purchased mine at Whole Foods. A bunch of them were on sale this last go around and I was able to add sweet orange, lemon, tangerine, and rosemary for just a few dollars per bottle. It is SO much fun combining essential oils and reading up on beneficial combinations! However, I’m not an essential oils expert by any means, so do a bit of research to determine the right combos for your family!
After all my fun and games making the perfect bath bombs, I want to make sure they stay looking beautiful and intact. I’ll keep you posted on my favorite method – right now, I have them wrapped in plastic wrap, but I just ordered these shrink wrap bags for bath bombs and I’m excited about their potential! I’ll let you know!
HAVE FUN!!
Comments & Reviews
Kagaio says
what it meen 4T. and 2tps?
girlinspired says
T. is the abbreviation for tablespoons and tsp is for teaspoons. Hope that helps!
Charity says
Oh, how fun! I love the two-tone versions.
Michele says
There is a certain young lady in my life who has recently become addicted to the bath bombs by Lush. She tells me it is because college doesn’t have bathtubs and coming home makes her want to soak. With bath bombs. Stress and great relaxation. Of course I understand. And I am thrilled she is clean. This will save my wallet. Thank You!!!!