Smart Bath Bombs

Any time I was asked to make bath bombs I would just cringe. I hated making bath bombs for the better part of a decade, and then tired of the frustrations I decided to figure it out. I made batches and batches of bath bombs trying to standardize the process of making them and how to package them.

The basic bath bomb recipe is seems very simple; combine two parts baking soda with one part citric acid and add several sprays of witch hazel until mixture holds together without falling apart. That last part is the part that will stick it to you every time. Too much witch hazel and your bath bombs will puff out of your molds like the Pillsbury dough boy. Too little witch hazel will cause your bath bombs to crumble and not hold the shape of the mold.

Packaging a bath bomb is a pain in the ass! The packaging dilemma, starts with the problematic shapes and sizes of the molds. The traditional shape of a bath bomb is a ball and ball molds come is several sizes which can pose a challenge to standardizing how you package your bath bombs.

And with that said, here are some Tips and Tricks to making smart bath bombs.

#1 Keep baking soda and citric acid separated.

#2 Use extra fine citric acid. Using an extra fine citric acid will eliminate textured surfaces and give your bath bombs a smooth and professional appearance.

#3 Add all of your Flair ingredients to the baking soda and mix well. This includes carrier oils, essential oils, polysorbate, micas, spices and botanicals.

#4 Add witch hazel to the baking soda. The most problematic aspect of the traditional recipe is that the baking soda and citric acid are mixed together and when the witch hazel is added. This immediately triggers the chemical reaction between the baking soda and citric acid. To avoid this, add the witch hazel to only the baking soda. The ratio is 5ml (1 tsp) witch hazel to 1 cup baking soda. Mix well.

#5 Molds: Go small and go square. The Tovolo ice cube tray is the best investment I have ever made. I have used it for bath bombs, solid sugar scrubs and epsom salt cubes. The mold produces a perfect 1 inch cube. The cube shape makes products easy to package in foil, boxes and bags.

A final note on ingredients. Some recipes contain cornstarch and epsom salts. From my experience cornstarch adds ZERO value to the overall product. However, there is some misinformation about cornstarch and its ability to safely disperse essential oils in a bath. It is possible that this ingredient made it into bath bomb recipes under that assumption. Epsom salts, on the other hand, will make your bath bombs very hard. Although, a firm bath bomb may be preferred for some, it gives bath bombs a textured surface and is not a necessary ingredient.

That’s all I got. For now.