DIY Bath Bombs

by | Feb 3, 2016 | Throwback | 11 comments

DIY Bath Bombs

I’ve been absolutely obsessed with Lush bath bombs lately.  One of my favorite things to do is to relax in a nice scented bath and binge Netflix.  Lately, it’s been something I look forward to all day.  I love climbing into bed all fresh, clean and relaxed.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, though.  Bath bombs are freaking expensive.  And when you’re taking baths every single night (guilty over here, they’ve practically replaced showers all together), you’re looking at about $50/week just for baths.  Unacceptable.  That’s more than my coffee habit.  Whoops.


So Kim and I got to chatting.  How cool would it be if we could make our own?  Well, we did the research and put the recipe (adapted from here) to the test.  And guess what?  It’s totally possible!  It’ll cost you a fraction of a Lush bath bomb, give you a fun activity to do with a girlfriend, and it’ll make your entire house smell heavenly.  Win win win!!

This post is in collaboration with the sweet Kim of The Vintage Modern (who turned out to be my freaking neighbor…hashtag: Charlotte really is a small town)!  Go show her some love!

DIY Bath Bomb Ingredients

DIY Bath Bombs

Yields 2 bombs
*You can easily multiply this recipe to make more bath bombs.  We just made multiple batches since we wanted to use several different oils.

What You Need

4 oz. baking soda
2 oz. corn starch
1 1/2 tsp water
1 1/4 tsp coconut oil (olive oil works, too)
food coloring (optional–amount varies depending on your color preference)
How To Make Bath Bombs

What To Do

  • Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.  Whisk until it’s a soft, clump-less mixture.
  • Combine wet ingredients in a glass bowl.  I recommend a large measuring cup — the spout comes in handy.  If you’re using coconut oil, you’ll need to microwave it until it’s in a liquid state.
  • SLOWLY pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing constantly.  If the mixture starts to fizz, you’re going too quickly.  Take your time here.  This is when it came in handy to have an extra set of hands.  
  • Once mixed, test the mixture by taking a small amount in your hands and squeeze.  The mixture will still feel dry, but it should stick together.  If it doesn’t stick, slowly add more water until it does.
  • Fill each half of the *bath bomb mold until slightly overflowing.  You want to pack this lightly.  Do not pack too tight.
  • Press the two halves together.  This might feel unnatural, but trust me.  This is what will “pack” your mixture down.  Immediately remove one half of the mold gently.
  • Place the bomb, mold side down, on a pan.  Allow to dry out slightly (10-15 minutes), then GENTLY remove the other half of the mold.  I found it easiest to flip the uncovered side into my palm, then gently lift the mold from the bomb.  These are very fragile, you need a gentle and light hand.
  • Let dry completely for approximately 8 hours.  I recommend just letting them sit out overnight.  Store them in a sealed ziplock baggy or container.

Tips

  • If the mixture falls apart while you’re removing the mold, don’t worry.  Simply toss the mixture back into the bowl and start over.
  • If the mixture cracks, you can “mold” it back together by pressing it into shape with your hands.  Just don’t squeeze too hard.  That makes a mess 😉 
It was an experience for sure.  We learned some things along the way.  This recipe totally works, but it takes some strategy and patience.  There was a lot of testing and changing along the way.  You’ll find your groove after your first few, promise.  
I’d recommend researching the oils before selecting which ones you want to use.  We didn’t.  We went with oh this smells good! and oh! we could make that one a pretty color!  That works, sure.  But it might not be the best route to take.

What Did We Make? 

Lavender.  I’d recommend this.  It’s a lovely scent, calming and relaxing.  Lavender is known for eliminating nervous tension, reliving pain, enhancing blood circulation and treating respiratory problems.  It also helps induce sleep, which worked wonderfully for me.  I had a lot of trouble finding relaxation and sleeping through everything with my dad, and I slept very soundly after using this bomb.
Lemongrass + Peppermint.  This one smelled amazing, but uh…I wouldn’t recommend mixing these two oils to bathe in.  Both oils are excellent for relieving sore muscles (which was a happy accident that I used this one the night after getting back into running), but the two together made me feel like I was bathing in a cold bath (I wasn’t).  You know that feeling you get from icy hot?  Yeah, it was like that.  Use these on their own, and you’ll still get a great bomb.  I should have split the halves.
Eucalyptus.  This one was lovely.  We made it a beautiful blue shade (not pictured), and it smelled so nice.  Eucalyptus is good for mental exhaustion (definitely experienced some of that lately).  It’s also an excellent deodorant (bonus) and acts as a decongestant.  Perfect for this time of year.
Overall, we had so much fun with this project.  I’d totally recommend giving it a try.  I ordered all the ingredients from Amazon Prime, and we’ve put them in a special place because we are definitely making more bath bombs here in the near future!

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11 Comments

  1. Nadine Lynn on February 3, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    I would love to make some bath bombs!!! I think it would force me to take baths more. I am not really sure why I dont?? But I want to!

    Reply
  2. Kimberly Olsen on February 3, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    So much fun! Cannot wait to make more bath bombs soon!

    Reply
  3. Myra on February 3, 2016 at 1:58 pm

    Ugh, why did you have to tell me about all this DIY-goodness after I moved away from a house with a bath?! Lol. Maybe I'll give these a whirl once I get to Houston 😉

    Reply
  4. Kristin on February 3, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    They look fun to make but I rarely take baths. In fact (I swear), just yesterday I almost threw away two bath bombs that a coworker gave me last year (she makes them). Scott said he'd use them. Coincidental!
    What adorable measuring spoons….
    And I keep a bottle of peppermint essential oil in the bathroom and put a few drops in the shower each day.

    Reply
  6. Katie on February 3, 2016 at 4:31 pm

    These are awesome!! I made bath salts with a similar recipe last year, but I love that you made them bombs! Because yes, Lush is crazy expensive. Great idea!

    Reply
  7. Kat on February 3, 2016 at 4:48 pm

    Such a cool idea! Thanks for sharing!

    xoxo
    Kat

    Reply
  8. Carly Blogs Here on February 3, 2016 at 5:11 pm

    I'm not a bath person, but I always think these look so fun and pretty! And making them would be such a fun girls night– these are awesome!

    Reply
  9. Jen on February 3, 2016 at 6:42 pm

    How awesome is this?! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

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