Homemade Bath Bombs

Oh yes, we went there. And man am I glad we did. I have really been enjoying "testing" these out at home. :)

Bath bombs or bath fizzes are not a new concept. I've seen a number of tutorials floating around the Internet, but if you're not the DIY type, then you can just purchase pretty bath bombs (I recommend LUSH).

I actually went to make some of these around Valentine's Day last month and a couple different tutorials I tried did not produce very good results. One of them actually completely stuck to the molds and I had to chip it out with a fork so I could start over. Bummer! But hey, if at first you don't succeed, sometimes you just have to try again.

On what I had already decided would be my final attempt, I tried this tutorial but changed up the amounts based on how many I wanted to make, and... it worked! I do have a few additional tips if you plan to make these yourself, so check that out below. But now that I've found a method/recipe that works, I'm thinking I should have some friends over for a make-your-own-bath-bombs party. Added bonus: It seriously makes your whole room smell amazing while you make these!

Homemade Bath Bombs, makes two (you can easily double or triple)

4 oz. baking soda
2 oz. corn starch
2 oz. citric acid

2 oz. Epsom salt
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon essential oil
1 1/4 teaspoon oil (I like coconut or olive oil here)
1-2 drops food coloring (optional)

In a bowl combine the dry ingredients (the first four listed above). Whisk to remove any clumps, corn starch tends to be clumpy. In a small glass jar stir together the wet ingredients (the last four ingredients listed). If you're using coconut oil, give it a quick melt in the microwave or stove top first so it will more easily combine with the other ingredients. Slowly pour the liquid mixture in with the dry mixture, whisking as you go. If you see the mixture fizz or foam, you may be adding the liquid too quickly. Once all the wet ingredients are combined with the dry, take a small amount in your hand and squeeze it together. It should stick together fairly well in one or two big chunks. If it's still too powdery to hold together, just add a tiny bit more water and mix until it does hold together.

Then fill each half of your bath bomb mold

* with the mixture until it's just overflowing a little. Press together, then gently remove one side of the mold. Place the bath bomb on a tray and allow to dry out just a little (10-12 minutes) before removing the other side. Once you are ready to remove the other side, gently invert the bath bomb so the uncovered side is facing down, then gently remove the other half of the mold from the top. The key word, if you haven't noticed, is gently. These can fall apart on you very easily if you're not careful. If a bath bomb does crack in half while you're removing it, you can gently press it back on top of the other half, or remove all the mixture back to the mixing bowl and start the molding process again. I had this happen to a few, so don't fret, it's easy to fix.

Once they are completely out of the mold, allow them to dry out for 8 hours or overnight. Once very dry, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a dry place until you're ready to use them, or you can gift them to friends.

*I bought my molds from Amazon. But you could also use those plastic holiday ornaments that come apart or Easter eggs for the molds if you already have either of those on hand.

In case you're curious, the flavors I created included: lemongrass (green), lavender (purple), and peppermint (white and red).

You can add dried flower buds, like lavender buds, to these pretty easily. Just remember to use food grade dried flowers to avoid flowers that might have been grown with pesticides as you don't want to soak in a bath with that. No thanks! Do keep in mind that after using a bath bomb with dried petals, you will have to remove these from your tub. So if that bothers you, then leave the buds out.

If you want to create two tone bath bombs, like my peppermint ones, just mix up your batter in two separate bowls and only add the food coloring to one. Easy!

These turned out to be a lot of fun to make, and they are even more fun to use! I highly recommend giving them a try, or you could make a batch to give away to friends or family. Enjoy! xo. Emma

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.