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What Is A Bath Bomb?
A bath bomb is a hard-packed mixture of natural chemicals and aromatic essential oils.
Bath bombs are meant to fizz when they come in contact with water and help moisturize your skin while causing your bath water to become aromatic.
Bath bombs are a fairly new novelty item that owe their current popularity to the mainstreaming of aromatherapy practices.
Often, these bath bombs sell for as much as $5 each and that can add up fast if you enjoy using them as much as I do. Luckily though, its very easy to make your own aromatic bath bomb at home and save a great deal of money.
P.S. Making bath bombs is a fun chemistry experiment for kids.
DIY Bath Bomb Dry Ingredients
Citric Acid
Citric Acid is a white powder that should not be confused with Vitamin C. Citric acid is the substance responsible for the tart taste of citrus fruit. To make your bath bomb, you need just 2 tablespoons of this substance. Citric acid is cheap to buy and can also be used to flavor smoothies. I buy mine from Amazon.com.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch is another powdery substance. Cornstarch is made from the pulverized white heart of the corn kernel. It is used to thicken sauces and fillings, give pastries a delicate texture, and can also be used as baby powder. You will need just 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for your bath bomb. Cornstarch is very inexpensive and can be bought at any grocery store or drug store.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is your rising agent and the secret to our bath bomb! You will need 1/4 cup of this.
DIY Bath Bomb Wet Ingredients
Essential Oils (optional)
By adding essential oils to your bath bomb you can create an atmosphere of rest and relaxation inherent in all aromatherapy practices. Of course, this step is purely optional. If you feel that the scent of essential oils is too strong or you don’t know how to mix essential oils than feel free to skip this step.
Those of you looking to add essential oils to your bath bomb can’t go wrong with such refreshing scents as lemon, orange, lemongrass, grapefruit, Jasmine, or Lavender. Of course, you must remember that essential oils are highly concentrated. Therefore, a few drops go a long way. For this recipe, 5 drops of your favorite essential oil are more than enough.
Base Oil
Almond oil, safflower oil, canola oil, olive oil, Jojoba oil, castor oil and coconut oil are all examples of base oils that can be used in this bath bomb recipe. I prefer to use about 4 tbsp of melted coconut oil (1/4 cup) in my bath bomb because coconut oil melts easily in hot bath water and is a great skin moisturizer.
DIY Bath Bomb Directions
- In a glass bowl, sieve all of your dry ingredients to make sure there are no lumps in the mixture
- Mix all the dry ingredients together with a fork to make sure there is an even distribution of the ingredients
- Melt your coconut oil over very low heat (If you are using coconut oil)
- In a different glass bowl, mix your wet ingredients (Do not use a wooden bowl as it will absorb the oils)
- Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, making sure you mix the two together very well
- Use your dry hands to feel for the right consistency. If the bath bomb mixture is becoming too wet stop pouring in the wet ingredients
- Stop adding your wet ingredients to the bath bomb mixture as soon as the combination forms a solid lump
- Press the mixture into the plastic mold of your choosing
- Your bath bomb should harden within 4-5 hours
- If you live in a very humid area, bake your bath bomb in a 200-degree oven to really dry it out
Photo Courtesy of: Wikipedia
