How to Make Bath Bombs

Learn how to make bath bombs with this simple recipe. It’s so fun and SO EASY! Create a spa-like experience at home with these colourful homemade bath bombs.

Bath bombs are such an easy and fun way to pamper yourself. When you drop the ball shaped “bombs” into your bath water they fizz and eventually dissolve. The ingredients help relax your muscles (epsom salts), detox the body and relieve itchy skin (baking soda), moisturize your skin (almond oil), and help you unwind (essential oils).

 

DIY Bath Bombs

We chose a refreshing grapefruit scent for our bath bombs, but you could easily use lavender for a soothing nighttime bath, or orange blossom for reducing anxiety. You can make them a single colour, or multi-coloured like we did. Or you can skip the colour and leave them white.

Homemade bath bombs make a great gift for friends and family. Place a few in a cellophane bag and tie it with a pretty ribbon. Learning how to make bath bombs at home is a great activity for both adults and kids (with supervision).

Helpful Tips:

1. If your bath bombs won’t come out of the molds, they’re too wet. You can try adding a little more cornstarch to your mixture. This recipe does NOT need any water.
2. If the bath bombs come out of the mold and crumble, the mixture is likely too dry or you didn’t pack them into the mold tightly enough. First try firmly packing the mold again. Overflow the molds with even more of the mixture and really press the sides together tightly. If that doesn’t work, try adding a few more drops of oil to your mixture. 

Where can I buy supplies to make DIY bath bombs?

Citric acid can be found in grocery stores alongside canning or baking supplies. Epsom salt is available at a pharmacy or Walmart in the bath and body section.

Bath bomb molds and mica powder are both available at Michaels or another craft store. Essential oils can be found in the home decor area of Walmart, while sweet almond oil can be found at pharmacies or Walmart in their beauty or hair care sections.

And, of course, Amazon is a great one-stop resource for all of these items!

Can you make bath bombs without a mold?

While bath bomb molds are the easiest way to make bath bombs, there are definitely many ways to make bath bombs without them. You just have to get creative!

There are a number of items you can use for making bath bombs: muffin tins, silicone baking molds, silicone muffin liners, ice cube trays, candy molds, measuring cups, plastic Easter eggs, cookie cutters… the ideas are endless!

Another option is to simply press the bath bomb powder very tightly in your hands. It won’t look the best, but it absolutely works!

What if I don’t have sweet almond oil?

The sweet almond oil in our bath bomb recipe acts as a moisturizer and as a binder for the dry ingredients. You can use almost any type of oil in its place, even olive oil or canola oil.

Try using jojoba oil, avocado oil, rosehip oil, baby oil, or sunflower oil. You can also use melted coconut oil, shea butter, or cocoa butter.

How do I colour my homemade bath bombs?

We used mica powder to colour our bath bombs. Mica is a natural stone mineral that has a metallic sheen to it. It’s often used to colour cosmetics and soap.

You can also use a water soluble liquid colorant to add colour to your bath bomb. These dyes, which are often used for making bath bombs and soaps, are skin safe and won’t colour your bathtub.

Learning how to make a bath bomb at home is such a fun and creative activity! Drop your DIY bath bomb in the water and enjoy the bubbles and fizz as you have a relaxing soak with a bath bomb you made yourself!

Here’s even more ways to pamper yourself:

Lavender Lemon Sugar Scrub

Homemade Lip Balm

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub

How to Make Lotion

Where to buy:

You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Amazon Canada