This bath bomb project was so fun to do with my daughter! Not only was it completely science based on a chemical reaction, it was also fun after the fact at bath time! If you are unfamiliar, bath bombs are a packed mixture of dry (beneficial) ingredients that fizz in water. They often contain skin softening agents, calming or energizing scents, and nutrients for absorption. One bath bomb or a set would make such a great Mother’s Day gift! If you’ve been wanting to try your hand at bath bombs, I have a bunch of tips for you. We had some trial and error, but found the right formula and you get the benefit of learning from our mistakes.

One of the key ingredients is beneficial citric acid. It improves nutrient absorption, has been linked to improved bone health, and has antibiotic properties. It protects the brain with anti-inflammatory properties. When citric acid and baking soda are combined and plopped into water, they react with one another forming sodium citrate and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is the what bubbles and breaks the bath bomb up. If you’ve used a bath bomb, the fizz is super cool and relaxing! What’s more, when the bath bomb dissolves all the beneficial ingredients are in the bath water for your body to absorb. If you want to avoid citric acid (it can be irritating, but we didn’t have an issue), you can use cream of tartar instead. My kids had bath time last night with our new bath bombs, and there skin was so soft and smooth after they got out. It was borderline amazing. I credit the coconut oil and all the goodness in the bath bombs.

We tried one recipe that was a bust. With a little trial and error, and a better recipe, we found the right mix. Simplification is key. All you need is baking soda, cornstarch, citric acid, some oil (we used coconut oil but you can use whatever you have – from olive oil to almond oil) and a very small amount of water. I found that a small spray bottle worked best to get the right consistency without over watering. If you use too much water, your mixture will bubble, foam and expand which is only supposed to happen in the bathtub! Can you tell this happened to us initially? You can find one here. You will also need the bath bomb molds, which are inexpensive, reuseable and can be found here. If you have any shape silicone molds you can use those, or this super cute butterfly one.

To make your bath bombs luxurious, you can add epsom salts. Epsom salts contain magnesium and may help to detox the body by getting rid of toxins. This can help with relieving inflammation, while also reducing swelling, stiffness, and pain. To make bath bombs smell lovely, pick your favorite essential oil. We used rose oil on one set, and sandalwood + frankincense and myrrh on another. You can mix them together, too! Think lavender and eucalyptus or a mix of citrus, or some jasmine and rosemary, peppermint…there are lots of options. On top of that, you can add dried flower petals, herbs, sprinkles, or anything water soluble, and in my personal opinion natural. I recommend googling specific herbs to make sure they are skin friendly.

We went all natural with our colors and used pomegranate powder. You can also use beet powder. For the blue-ish tone, we made food coloring with red cabbage and baking soda per this link. It wasn’t a dark hue, but it did provide some color and we stayed away from the artificial stuff + it was another experiment! You can use tumeric for yellow or matcha powder for green. If you want to get a deeper tone, I recommened buying a kit, like this version. You can also visit this site for options, but keep in mind you can’t add a lot of water, so your color may be faint. It’s fun to experiement and find what works for you.

Which brings me to what worked for us: this is the recipe we used:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons epsom salts (not necessary though!)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• 15 drops or more of your favorite essential oils (you can play with this!)
• food coloring or powder (we used 3 tablespoons pomegranate powder for pink)
• 1/2 cup citric acid

Combine the baking soda and cornstarch, and epsom salts if using. If you are using a powder coloring agent add. Whisk to thoroughly combine. In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil, essential oils of choice and liquid or gel food coloring (if not using powder). Add to dry ingredients and mix again thoroughly – your mixture should be dry-ish sand, but when you take a handful keeps a slight shape. You can add sprays of water – one or two at a time – to reach this consistency. Do not over water! If you hear fizzing, STOP. Once combined, add to one half bath bomb mold. Pack down and slightly mound over top. You want the mold overstuffed slightly. Repeat with another bath bomb half, then put halves together and press down but do not twist. Remove any excess from sides, and let sit for 1 minute. When ready, tap mold on work surface gently. Tap top of mold with a spoon or butter knife to loosen. Carefully pull up on mold, flip over and tap other side to remove bottom mold. Place on surface (we used an old egg carton) to dry for 24 hours.

Some notes: We tweaked and tweaked until we figured out what kept the balls in tact and at the right consistency to harden into shape. You want the mixture to feel like barely wet sand. You can feel it with your hands and if it packs into a morpheus shape, it’s ready for a mold. You do not want wet sand – your mixture will foam up. I kept adding water our first go round, and ended up with a bubbling mixture that wouldn’t set into molds. The bath bombs were basically going off in front of us. If you feel as though your mixture is just too dry, add water one little spritz at a time, feeling with your hands.

You will not have complete success every time unless you are either a) experienced (and not reading this anymore) or b) very lucky. We managed to get a good set of bath bombs, and additionally 2 halves that just wouldn’t come out whole (but fizzed in the bath!). It was a success for our first…er second time making bath bombs. We can’t wait to use different essential oils, add some flowers, and experiment with color! I love that our version is all natural and a great science project. If you make your own set, please let me know how it worked out! You can find links to all ingredients below except baking soda, which you most likely have in your cabinet. house. I like a bulk version from Costco, Sam’s Warehouse or BJ’s Wholesale.

If you want to make bath bombs without citric acid, you can try 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup cream of tartar and witch hazel to bind, but not enough to fizz.