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So, we already know how much I love a good bath. What makes it even better? Soaking in something that smells amazing and is doing fabulous things for my skin.
Enter the bath bomb.
My kids are huge bath bomb fans too. They can get pretty pricey if you buy them at the store. It’s much cheaper and way more fun to make them yourself. My kids love getting in on the action too.
Ingredients and supplies you’ll need:
- Epsom salt
- Cornstarch (make sure it’s non-GMO)
- Citric Acid
- Baking Soda (aluminum-free)
- Bath bomb molds
- essential oils
- Almond oil
- Coconut oil
- Plant-based food coloring
STEP 1:
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
STEP 2:
Divide this mixture up into 2 smaller bowls. Melt 1 T. coconut oil in each of 2 mugs in the microwave. Add 1/2 tsp. almond oil to each mug. Add 5 drops of natural food coloring to each mug.
Add 20 drops of any essential oils you choose to each mug. This is optional.
I added 20 drops of lavender in one mug and 20 drops of cedarwood in the other mug. Then stir these liquid mixtures.
Pour each coconut oil mixture into one of the bowls of dry ingredients and stir well.
STEP 3:
Push the powder into the molds. I added it randomly to get a marbled effect. Push the two halves of the mold together.
Then set them in your freezer for about 15 minutes to let the coconut oil harden.
Take them out of the freezer and let them warm up slightly to remove them from the mold. I’ve had them come in half every once in awhile, and when that happens, I melt more coconut oil and pour it between the halves, add a little of the bath bomb mixture if I have it, and press them together again.
Then I put them back in the freezer for 15 minutes and they come out perfectly.
My kids love surprises so we even added a little surprise to the middle of a few of the bath bombs. I found a little pack of figurines at Michaels.
When the bath bomb fizzes away in the tub, you’ll be left with a little gift. (This is a sea turtle, though it’s very hard to tell!)
DIY Easy Lavender + Cedarwood Bath Bombs
Ingredients
- 1 Cup baking soda
- 1/2 Cup epsom salt
- 1/2 Cup cornstarch
- 1/2 Cup citric acid
- 1 tsp almond oil
- 2 T. coconut oil
- essential oils optional
- plant-based food coloring
Instructions
-
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
-
Divide this mixture up into 2 smaller bowls.
-
Melt 1 T. coconut oil in each of 2 mugs in the microwave.
-
Add 1/2 tsp. almond oil to each mug.
-
Add 5 drops of natural food coloring to each mug.
-
Add 20 drops of essential oils to each mug. I added 20 drops of lavender in one mug and 20 drops of cedarwood in the other mug.
-
Stir the liquid mixture.
-
Pour one coconut oil mixture into each of the bowls with the dry ingredients and stir well.
-
Push the powder into the molds. I added it randomly to get a marbled effect.
-
Push the two halves of the mold together.
-
Then set them in your freezer for about 15 minutes to let the coconut oil harden.
-
Take them out of the freezer and let them warm up slightly to remove them from the mold. I've had them come in half every once in awhile, and when that happens, I melt more coconut oil and pour it between the halves, add a little of the bath bomb mixture if I have it, and press them together again.
-
Then I put them back in the freezer for 15 minutes and they come out perfectly.
Recipe Notes
This makes about 3 large and 1 medium bath bombs.
Experiment with different essential oil combinations and different colors.
Let them cure for 48 hours before packaging or using.
The benefits of these bath bombs go way beyond relaxing:
Epsom salt:
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Reduces stress
-
Boosts magnesium levels which can help sleep
-
Reduces muscle aches
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Eliminates toxins
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Reduces inflammation
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Relieves itchy skin or sunburn
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Relieves constipation
Baking soda:
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Alkalizes the body
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Soothes skin irritations
Coconut oil:
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Moisturizes and soothes skin
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has anti-bacterial properties
Almond oil
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Moisturizes and soothes skin
Happy Soaking!
With love + gratitude,
Red
Liz says
Hi,
We’re alle to any Nuts and to epsom salts, is there an alt we can use please
redclark says
You could use Himalayan salt or Dead Sea Salt instead of epsom salt, if you don’t have allergies to those.
Angela says
I found they were not stable enough and broke apart even after being left alone for 48 hours. They worked great in the tub. Any tips to make them more stable?
redclark says
Angela,
So sorry to hear that. I would try one of two things. Use more coconut oil so that you’re using 3 Tbsp. total instead of two. This will be really moisturizing in the tub. Or, try adding a little water, 1/2 tsp. at a time to help them mold together better. Let me know if that works for you. I had one or two bath bombs in my last batch that broke in half, but I added some more coconut oil and that fixed it. Good luck!