Make Your Own Bath Bombs

How to make bath bombs at home

The main ingredient in bath bombs is the chemical sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda. The other key ingredient is citric acid. These chemicals don’t do much as dry powders, but in water they react and dissolve to produce tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide gas, which is what causes the fizzzzzzzing! (A similar reaction is commonly used in volcano science projects to create foaming “lava.”) The fizzing helps the bath bombs dispense faster and, combined with the hot water, spreads whatever yummy scent you have chosen.

Pamper Mom this Mother’s Day by making these with her favorite scents and colors for a bath-time treat she’s sure to enjoy!

Maker Checklist

Large bowl
½ cup citric acid
1 cup baking soda
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup Epsom salt
Small bowl or glass
1 tsp. essential oil
1 tsp. water
1 tsp. olive oil
Soap colorant in various colors
Multiple small bowls
Small plastic containers

Directions

bath bomb step 1

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

2. Stir wet ingredients together in a small bowl or glass.

3. Very slowly add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and keep mixing! Mix, mix, mix, so it doesn’t fizz and bubble up! After it’s all combined, let your mixture sit for a few minutes. It should feel like wet sand and stay together when you squeeze it in your hand. If it’s still too dry or crumbly, add a drop of water or olive oil—but be careful not to let it get too wet!

bath bomb step 4

4. Separate the mixture into smaller bowls and add a drop of soap colorant. Mix well! We found mixing by hand was the most effective way to get an even color. It’s also nice to leave one bowl white for layering.

5. Layer your mixture into molds. We used plastic ornaments split in half and experimented with small plastic containers and other recyclables, like yogurt cups.

bath bomb step 6

6. Pack the layers down tightly into the mold by pressing with your fingers.

7. Let dry for a few minutes before carefully removing the bath bomb from the mold. Don’t try to handle the bath bomb yet! Turn it out from its mold directly onto a surface to dry, and let dry a few hours or overnight.

fizzing bath bomb