Bath bombs, y’all.
They are the bomb dot com.
I’m not sure I would have classified this as a kids craft when I first came across the recipe a year or so ago. Or, at least not a craft suitable for a 4 year old. I think I got overwhelmed with the instructions or just made them out to be harder than they actually are.
So it wasn’t until Anna and her daddy got super into taking “relaxing” baths that I seriously considered doing this one.
Whatever the reason, I AM SO GLAD WE DID IT.
Because this has been one of my favorites to do so far. Second only to the crayon lipgloss, of course.
I’m also really glad that I invested in the bath bomb kit* on Amazon because we got some really fun colors to use along with the stainless steel round molds. Worth every penny spent , especially since I have a feeling this will be a craft project that get more fun as we continue doing it.
A few things to note based on our experience:
- It took us a few tries to figure out how to pack the mixture into the molds to get the bath bombs to stay together. We had a few crumble on us, which was a bit frustrating since we took the time to make different color batches. The good news: they looked equally as beautiful with the colors all mixed together. (Phew)
- We watched a few videos in preparation that also really helped us understand the entire process. It also made me realize that the instructions may have been lengthy but the process was quite easy. This video from Cada Soapery was especially helpful to see the whole thing being made from start to finish, as well as her technique for mixing everything together.
- It does get a little messy throughout the process, so just be prepared to clean up. It may also be helpful to put a rimmed baking sheet or parchment paper underneath where you’re working to catch the crumbs.
- If you don’t want to invest in a bath bomb kit, just use whatever you have on hand. Lots of people use silicone molds and food coloring instead.
Inspiration and recipe from MuffinChanel. Check out her page for more detailed instructions on how to make a rainbow bath bomb.
How To Make DIY Bath Bombs
Supplies:
- Baking Soda
- Citric Acid*
- Epsom Salt*
- Corn Starch
- Almond Oil*
- Water
- Essential Oils
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Bowls for color batches
- Whisk
- Bath Bomb Kit*, OR the following…
- Mold of some kind: silicone mold, cupcake pan, stainless steel mold, etc.
- Food Coloring
*This is an affiliate link. I make a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase it through the link.
Ingredients:
DRY
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup citric acid
- 1/2 cup epsom salt
- 1/2 cup corn starch
WET
- 2 1/2 tbs almond oil
- 3/4 tbs water
- 2 tsp essential oils (we used 1 tsp lavender + 1 tsp rosewood)
Instructions:
- Combine DRY ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix it all together and then follow up with your hands to break up any major lumps.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the WET ingredients and stir.
- Add in wet ingredients into the dry 1/2 tbs at a time. Mix together with your hands thoroughly before adding the next 1/2 tbs. Continue this process (slowly) until all of the wet ingredients are added in.
- Your mix should be ready when you can pack it together in your hand tightly and drop it back into the bowl without it crumbling. (Refer to the video from Cada Soapery for what I’m talking about here.)
- Separate the mixture into different bowls and add your colorant. Mix together with hands. We chose four different colors for our bath bombs and had fun mixing and matching them. (You may want gloves if you’re using food coloring. We didn’t use them and didn’t have any problems with getting dye on our hands.)
- Grab your molds and begin layering colors. Pack them into each half, but not too tightly if you’re using a round mold, and give yourself a little overflow. Bring them together and press firmly until the molds close down onto each other. I had to tap mine a few times with my knuckles to get them to release easily. If you’ve packed them tightly enough, you will be able to transfer them to a baking sheet without having it crumble in your hands. (Been there, done that.) This will make more sense once you start making them, I promise.
- Let cure for at least 24 hours before using in your bath.
Notes:
- We got 5 medium-sized bath bombs and 2 large ones from the molds in the kit we purchased. Number of bath bombs will depend on the size of our mold and how tightly you pack them.
- I made sure to fill the molds over the bowl we were working with and then smooshed them together over the large mixing bowl to catch the extras. We had enough overflow to make at least 1 extra bath bomb.
- It took me a few tries to figure out how much to put into the mold and how tightly to pack it for it to stick together. Give yourself time and expect that your first few won’t turn out perfectly.
- I used essential oils to add scents to ours because that’s what we had on hand, but would imagine any fragrance oils would work. Or simply leave them out if smells bother you.
Hello!
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<3 Thank you!