It’s such a simple thing, but a gorgeously fragrant bath bomb in a hot tub is one of the little pleasures of life that can make any day better. A small gift of caring that you can give to yourself or share with others, appealing to all of the senses and leaving you glowing, relaxed, and silky-smooth all over.
While the basic recipe is quite simple, there are infinite variations for personalizing your experience. As the owner of a bath and body business myself, I have had years of practice in developing custom “bombs” to suit my clients personal needs. Here I will share some of my all-time favorites that you can easily create for yourself. Gather a few simple ingredients and in no time at all you will have a big supply of beautiful, decadent bath balls ready to soothe away even the roughest days.
Basic Bath Bomb Recipe
2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid
1 cup cornstarch
2 Tablespoons oil or fat of choice (really, anything you like…almond oil, coconut oil, grated cocoa butter, soybean oil, even butter from the fridge, chilled and grated)
spray bottle filled with vodka or alcohol-based witch hazel
Optional: food coloring, powdered herbs or spices for color, cosmetic-grade mineral pigments (mineral makeup works just fine)
Optional: 1/2 to 1 full ounce of fragrance of your choice
Basic Instructions
Mix together the dry ingredients, then mix in the oil/fat of your choice thoroughly. If you plan to use colors or fragrances, add them now. This is also the time to add the fragrance of your choice, if you are using fragrance. When fully combined, spritz with alcohol, one spray at a time, just until the mixture will mold into shape when you scoop up a spoonful and press it together. Pack into the mold of your choice, or use an ice cream scoop or even your own hands to form into balls. (This might take a little practice. Just relax and take your time.) Once you have the mixture shaped, unmold and set it out on a paper towel in a dry, cool location for several hours until it has dried and hardened on the outside.
That’s it! Now you just have to seal your bath bombs to protect them from humidity until ready to use. Pop them into plastic bags, or even use plastic wrap to twist them up like bonbons. Pile your creations into a beautiful bowl and place them in the bathroom, where you can be reminded of the pleasures that await you each time you enter the room.
Now I will share with you a handful of my personal bath bomb favorites. Enjoy!
Sunshine Citrus Bomb
2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid
1 cup cornstarch
Color: 1 Tablespoon calendula petals, ground to a powder
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
alcohol spray
Fragrance: 25 drops Sweet Orange essential oil, 10 drops Neroli essential oil, 10 drops Lime essential oil, 10 drops Litsea Cubeba essential oil, 20 drops Vanilla Absolute or Benzoin.
Optional: 1/4 cup calendula petals
Mix your dry ingredients, then add the ground calendula petals, coconut oil and essential oils. Mix well, then spray one spritz at a time until mixture can be molded. Shape into balls with ice cream scoop or hands, then with hands gently press whole calendula petals onto the outside of the bath bomb. Allow to dry and harden, then seal.
Planets Cosmic Spice Bomb
2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid
1 cup cornstarch
2 Tablespoons grated cocoa butter
alcohol spray
Fragrance: 30 drops Amber oil; 25 drops Cardamom essential oil; 10 drops Ginger essential oil; 10 drops Clove Bud essential oil
Color: 1/16 teaspoon black mineral pigment and 1/16 teaspoon cobalt blue mineral pigment (or use whatever colorant you wish, mix it to be a deep blue-black color)
Natural Rock Salt
Combine bomb mixture as usual, adding fragrance and colors, and shape into balls using your preferred method. Lightly spray each ball with one more spritz of alcohol after formation, then fill your hands with rock salt and gently roll the ball in your hands so that the rock salt sticks to the outer surface of the ball. Allow to dry and harden, then seal.
2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid
1 cup cornstarch
2 Tablespoons grated NATURAL cocoa butter, unrefined and with the full cocoa aroma
1 Tablespoon grated unsweetened chocolate (preferred) or cocoa powder
alcohol spray
Fragrance: 15 drops Peppermint Essential oil; 35 drops Cocoa Absolute (Use chocolate fragrance oil if you cannot find the natural Cocoa Absolute, or purchase online from Eden Botanicals or SunRose Aromatics.)
Optional: dried spearmint or peppermint leaves to coat
Combine bomb mixture as usual, adding fragrance, and shape into balls using your preferred method. Lightly spray each ball with one more spritz of alcohol after formation, then fill your hands with dried mint leaves and gently roll the ball in your hands to coat the surface. Allow to dry and harden, then seal.
Velvet Petals Bomb
2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid
1 cup cornstarch
2 Tablespoons raw sesame oil or jojoba oil
alcohol spray
Fragrance: 50 drops Rose oil, 20 drops Sandalwood essential oil, 10 drops Vanilla Absolute, 10 drops Patchouli essential oil, 1 drop Vetivert essential oil
Color: 1 Tablespoon dried pink or red rose petals, ground to a powder (or use a few drops of beet juice)
Optional: baby rosebuds and gold mica, cotton ball
Combine bomb mixture as usual, adding fragrance and ground rose petals or beet juice colorant, and shape into balls using your preferred method. Lightly spray each ball with one more spritz of alcohol after formation, then dip a cotton ball in gold mica and gently pat onto the outside of the balls. It doesn’t need to be uniformly coated with mica, a mottled appearance looks great. Take a single rosebud and press it into each ball just enough to anchor it well. Allow to dry and harden, then seal.
Enchanted Forest Bomb
2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid
1 cup cornstarch
2 Tablespoons raw sesame oil or jojoba oil
alcohol spray
Fragrance: 30 drops Texas Cedarwood essential oil; 5 drops Peppermint essential oil; 10 drops Lime essential oil; 3 drops Vetivert essential oil; 15 drops Balsam Fir essential oil; 10 drops Frankincense essential oil; 10 drops Ylang Ylang essential oil; 3 drops Patchouli essential oil
Color: 1 tablespoon Dead Sea mud or French Green Clay
Optional: powdered sage or rosemary leaves, cotton ball
Combine bomb mixture as usual, adding fragrance and ground mud or clay for color, and shape into balls using your preferred method. Lightly spray each ball with one more spritz of alcohol after formation, then dip a cotton ball in powdered sage or rosemary and gently pat onto the outside of the balls. It doesn’t need to be a uniform coating, mottled looks beautiful. Allow to dry and harden, then seal.
I hope you will enjoy trying these recipes and perhaps altering them to more perfectly suit your own tastes. Let me know how you like them!
