Sharing is caring!

Everything you need to make bath bombs plus tips for a fail proof success

Do you have a hankering to make bath bombs?

What intrigues you the most about bath bombs? The colors, scents, or the fun fizzing action? It’s all the above for me!

Bath bombs are quickly becoming one of my favorites to make. Each time I make bath bombs it’s like a science experiment because you never know how exactly the scent or color will come out. And of course how big the fizz will be!

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience, read the full disclosure policy.

But, here’s the thing

There are so many bath bomb recipes on Pinterest, it’s hard to tell which ones work and which ones are good for your skin.

If you haven’t noticed I’m a green living girl, who doesn’t waste money on my health with toxic bath products for one.

So, I’m sharing with you the natural ingredients I use to make bath bombs as well as the tools you’ll need to get started.

And of course a few tips and answers to questions I get often when it comes to crafting homemade bath bombs.

Related: 20 Must-Have Green Living Essentials

Related: How to Make Easy DIY Natural Room Sprays

Everything You Need to Make Bath Bombs: Supplies, Ingredients, & Tips for Success

All Natural Ingredients to Make Bath Bombs:

Picking up ingredients to make bath bombs at your local brick and mortar stores can be a little challenging and at times overpriced. So, I’ve compiled a list of ingredients and links to find them easily and affordable.

And if you plan on making a lot of bath bombs for gifts or wedding favors look for options to buy ingredients in bulk or bundled with free shipping.

Epsom Salts

Thanks to Epsom salts, bath bombs do much more for our bodies than moisturizing the skin. Named after a small town in England where it is was discovered in 1618, Epsom salts are known for their powerful ability to relieve aches and pains.

They break down the build-up of lactic acid which causes muscle pain. Add a ½ cup of Epsom salt to your next bath or try them in my recipe for a bubbling lemon-vanilla bath soak.

Carrier Oils

Natural carrier oils can make a big impact on the health and condition of your skin. They are packed with vitamins and antioxidants essential for healthy skin.

There are a variety of carrier oils available such as apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, and you may want to experiment with your choice of carrier oil to make bath bombs. I use sweet almond oil in my bath bomb recipes.

Baking Soda

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a naturally occurring substance. Best known for its use as a scouring agent and odor absorber.  Baking soda is used as a binding agent in bath bomb recipes.

It’s easy to find and very affordable at your local grocery store. The beauty experts at Hello Glow say it’s one the most versatile ingredients!

Essential Oils

Essential oils not only provide a wonderful natural fragrance to homemade bath bombs but also contain many skin-loving properties. If you’re new to the essential oil bandwagon, grab a seat and learn more about how to get started with essential oils and find my 10 must-have essential oils for home and beauty here.

Citric Acid

Want to know the secret ingredient to make bath bombs fizz? It’s citric acid and it’s an all-natural ingredient often used to preserve food at home when canning.

Sometimes you can find it at your local grocery store in a very small spice jar for a very big price. But, I’ve found it here in a one-pound resealable bag for so much less. I use it in a handful of my natural cleaning recipes too!

Fresh and Dried Herbs

I love having fresh herbs within reach to use in my beauty recipes. Even if you don’t have a green thumb you certainly keep the plant alive long enough to get your money worth or opt for dried herbs.

Fresh herbs not only make our homemade beauty recipes smell heavenly, but they also have a multitude of benefits. Chamomile, eucalyptus leaves, lavender, and lemon balm are some of my favorites to use.

Witch Hazel

Used for its skin-soothing benefits, witch hazel is a plant-based substance made from the witch hazel shrub. It’s a staple in my homemade facial toner.

I use it in place of water to make bath bombs. Because it doesn’t cause as much fizzing loss to occur when you need to add just a little more moisture to bath bomb mix.

Tools, Ingredients, & Tips to Make Bath Bombs

Tools to Make Bath Bombs:

The biggest investment to make bath bombs is really in the molds you use to give bath bombs their shape. On the other hand, if you make natural soaps, scrub bars, and soy candle wax melts than silicone molds are a great investment worth making.

As you’ll be able to repurpose the silicone molds many times over. Here’s a quick guide to the tools I use to make bath bombs.

Bath Bomb Molds

If you’d like to allow your bath bombs to dry in the mold than opt for silicone molds. They come in a variety of shapes and like a mentioned before they can be quite versatile.

I do not recommend plastic molds, in my experience they cracked under the weight of the bath bombs.

For the perfect round bath bombs, I recommended these stainless steel molds. They come in a set of 6 with three sizes. And if using a stainless steel mold, you can mold one after another.

Coloring

I like to use natural methods for colors like matcha powder, beetroot powder, or lemon peel. I have also used Watkins’s natural food coloring made from 100% natural vegetable juices and spices with success!

Other Tools

A metal or nonstick whisk to keep clumps from forming in your bath bomb mixture. And disposable or reusable rubber gloves for filling bath bombs with your hands.

While you won’t be working with artificial dyes that can temporarily stain your hands, it is still more sanitary to wear gloves.

And straight baking soda and citric acid can be a little uncomfortable to your hands. You may also want to dry bath bombs on parchment paper.

Where find supplies to make bath bombs

Tips to Make Bath Bombs with Ease:

I’ll be the first to admit it takes a little practice to make bath bombs. But, it’s a great project for anyone to try.

My first batch wasn’t perfect, in fact, they fell apart but I still tossed them in the tub and they fizzed like crazy!

So, here’s a few tips to make your bath bomb experiments more successful than my firsts. And once you get the hang of it, making bath bombs will be a breeze.

What can you use instead of citric acid in bath bombs?

A baking staple in your kitchen, cream of tartar can be substituted for citric acid. Cream of tartar is an acid but has a different PH, so the results will be different.

I have tried it for making bath bombs and found it does work, but it creates less fizz than citric acid. Keep in mind you’ll need more cream of tartar a little jar at the grocery store. Find it here in a 1 pound bag.

What’s the best method to include herbs, flower petals, or other additives?

There are two options to include additives in your bath bombs. The first option is the quickest and easiest, it is simply to add to the bath bomb mixture. So then it is blended throughout.

The second option is to sprinkle a small amount in the bath bomb mold first, then add scoop up the mixture. This will place your additive such as rose petals in the example above on top of the bath bomb.

Does baking soda irritate your skin?

It does irritate mine if I use too much of it in a natural deodorant. No worries if you have similar issues with baking soda, simply cut the amount used in a recipe in half and add in arrowroot powder.

Or substitute it all together for arrowroot powder. I love using arrowroot powder for beauty, hair, and natural skincare recipes. Find it in one of my favorite milk bath recipes for a warming spiced chai latte bath.

How can you get the bath bombs out of the mold without crushing it?

For bath bombs made in metal molds, make sure you let them sit for a minute or two before you remove them to dry, unlike silicone molds you allow the bath bombs to dry in until set.

Additionally, when working with metal molds make sure to overpack each side of the mold before pressing them firmly together.

You may also want to consider adding a drop or two of sweet almond oil onto a towel and rubbing the oil into the mold. Just like you would grease a baking dish for cakes or brownies. This can help you to remove them easier.

Everything you need to make bath bombs plus tips for a fail proof successReady to make bath bombs? Follow instructions in these all-natural bath bomb recipes for DIY Garden Rose Bath Bombs or Green Tea Matcha Bath Bombs.

Find everything you need in one easy kit I designed here.

What's Your Skin Type? Take our Quiz!

Do you have normal, dry, mature, oily, or combination skin? Take our Skin Type Quiz now to discover yours!

4 Comments

    1. lifenreflection says:

      How funny, my toddler like them at first now she’s scared of them. Kids right? But, she loves making soap. Her little cousins just made her soap that looks like a lego, so cute!

  1. this was very helpful but I was wondering how do you keep them from being so dry looking or dusty while they are drying

    1. lifenreflection says:

      They only have to dry uncovered for 8 hours. So, there’s no need to worry about dust.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *