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.
DIY 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).
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).
Check out our Bath Bombs video tutorial:
*Note: Scroll down for the step-by-step photo tutorial.
Looking for more ways to pamper yourself? Here’s a few of our favourites:
Here’s what you’ll need:
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The full printable instructions are at the end of this post, but here’s a list of products on Amazon and Target that are similar to the supplies we used:
- Baking Soda
- Citric Acid
- Epsom Salt
- Cornstarch
- Mica powder
- Sweet Almond Oil
- Essential oil
- Bath bomb molds
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.
Bath Bomb Recipe
Materials:
- 1 cup Baking soda
- 1/2 cup Citric acid
- 1/2 cup Epsom salt
- 3/4 cup Cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons sweet almond oil
- 10-20 drops Essential oils (scent of choice)
- 1/2 teaspoon Mica powder (total! add less if batch is divided into different colours)
Equipment:
- Mixing bowl(s)
- Bath bomb mold
Instructions:
Step 1: Make bath bomb mixture
- Add dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir together until mixed.
- Slowly pour in sweet almond oil.
- Add in the drops of essential oil.
- Stir this mixture together well, removing as many clumps as possible.
- The mixture will appear dry, but should stick together if you pick it up and squeeze it together.
Step 2: Add Colour
- If you want multiple colours of bath bombs, divide the mixture into several smaller bowls.Add mica powder colour of choice to the bowl and mix well until no white remains.
- We divided the mixture into 4 colours and added only 1/8 teaspoon of mica powder to each colour. The more you add, the more vibrant the colour of the bath bomb.
Step 3: Form bath bombs
- Spoon the mixture into one half of the mold. You can use one colour, or several. Use the back of a spoon or your fingers to press the mixture into the mold.
- When the mold is full, press down on the mixture to pack it in tight.
- Add another scoop on top of the packed mixture so that it's heaping out over the mold (don't pack it down).
- Repeat with second half of mold.
- Press the halves of the mold together carefully. Turn each half back and forth slightly while firmly pressing them together, allowing any extra mixture to fall out.
- Carefully pull the molds apart. If the bath bomb isn't coming out easily, gently tap the outside of the mold with a spoon.
- Unmold the second half of the bath bomb in the same way.
- Let bath bomb dry on a baking tray (or other dry surface) overnight.
- Your homemade bath bomb is complete!
Helpful Tip:
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:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
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 |  Indigo |  Amazon Canada
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