by jen
Is there anything more relaxing than a soak in the tub? Maybe an uninterrupted soak in the tub with soothing bath bombs recipe. Ahhhh…
Fizzy Bath bombs are an easy gift to make to either keep on hand for yourself or give to friends, teachers… anyone who needs a little R&R. (Don’t miss the printable bath bombs gift tags below.) Making them seems complicated, and when I tell people I make my own they are always a little shocked. But I promise, they are easier than baking cupcakes. (Those I can mess up!)
Not only are they very useful, they are really pretty packaged up in a simple mason jar with a bow. And, of course, I had to go and make some free printable tags to make gift giving simple.
Bath Bombs Recipe
There are tons ofDIY Bath Bombs recipesonline. After some trial and error, I ended up making up my own bath bombs recipe.
DIY Bath BombIngredients:
- 2 Cups Baking Soda
- 1 Cup Citric Acid*
- 1 Cup Corn Starch Powder
- 1 Cup Epsom Salt
- 4 Tablespoons of Oil
- 2 Teaspoons Essential Oil (I used peppermint, lavender would also be nice)**
- 4-5 drops Food Coloring
This recipe yields 24 hearts in a Wilton Silicone Candy Mold. (I want to make flowers next.)
* I looked everywhere for Citric Acid, which is used in canning. No where locally sold it. But trusty Amazon sells it.Save yourself the headache and just buy the Citric Acidfrom Amazon.
Easy shopping – Besides the things you probably have at home (oil, food coloring and baking soda), here is everything you need to make mybath bombs recipe.
Ball Jar Citric Acid, 7.5-Ounce
Wilton Easy Flex Heart 24-Cavity Silicone Mold
Majestic Pure Peppermint Essential Oil, Premium Quality, 4 fl. oz.
Epsom Salt 2Lb
Ball Mason Wide Mouth Quart Jars with Lids and Bands, Set of 12
Majestic Pure Lavender Essential Oil, Therapeutic Grade, 4 fl. Oz
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(You’ll notice the peppermint essential oil is missing from the picture, that’s because I dropped it — on the tile — while setting up this shot. Luckily, I saved most of it into a baby food jar, but it didn’t make the picture.)
Many of the recipes I tried called for which hazel or water with less oil. The problem is all water based liquids start the citric acid reaction, so I found that my bombs reacted a bit too much and there was less fizz in the bath tub. (They still worked, just less fizz.) So I make mine with more oil and no additional water/which hazel and they are perfect.
Fizzy Bath Bombs Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients.
Next add a few drops of food coloring. Remember, if you add a lot color the water will be slightly tinted too. So less is more. (No, it isn’t enough color to stain the tub or your body.) When you add the drops, act quickly to mix color. As each drop hits the citric acid, it will begin to react, acting quickly will limit this reaction.
I mix everything with my hands.
When the color is mixed evenly, add your essential oil. Again, mix quickly to minimize the reaction. For this batch I used peppermint, but I am considering Vanilla or coconut for next time.
Finally, mix in your oil. I added the oil one tablespoon at a time so as to mix evenly and not make the mixture too wet.
The goal is crumbly, but not saturated. You should be able to squeeze a handful together into a clump, then rub your hands together to break it back up into crumbles.
Once your mixture is ready, pack it into your mold. Press the mixture into the mold as hard as you can filling every crevice.
Let your bath bombs dry in the mold overnight before popping them out of the mold. I let mine dry another night before sealing them in a jar, but they were ready to use at bath time.
Once you make your first batch, you will never want a store-bought ones again!
Printable Bath Bomb Tags
I made a batch for my daughter’s teacher for Valentine’s Day, so I made “Valentine, You’re The Bomb!” tags. But since I didn’t post until after Valentine’s Day, I also made generic “You’re The Bomb” tags so you can give the gift of a relaxing soak in the tub year round. (They look the same, but without Valentine and I added a little heart.)
Download the Valentine’s Day Tags Here.
Download “You’re The Bomb” Gift Tags Here.
To print your tags, click the link above and print on cardstock paper.The tags can be punched out with either atwo-inch circle punchor atwo-inch scallop punch(scallop below).
