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How to Make Homemade Bath Bombs

December 12, 2010 by Kimberly Danger 32 Comments

DIY Bath Bombs (AKA Bath Fizzies)DIY Bath Bombs (AKA Bath Fizzies)

Bath bombs (aka bath fizzies) are a fun project to make at home and a fun gift to receive.  They can be a frugal addition to a spa gift basket — or, creatively packaged, they’re a great gift idea just by themselves.  Kids LOVE making bath bombs because it’s like playing with Moon Sand and the “crumbs” leftover when you’re done making them are fun for them to drop into water to see the fizzing properties of the citric acid in action.

I experimented with multiple “recipes” for bath bombs before I figured out how to get it just right.  The first couple times I made them, I was following a recipe that had a small amount of water in it.  It caused my bath bombs to start the fizzing action and expand before they had hardened.  The final bath bombs recipe that worked the best for me is the one you see below.  It calls for witch hazel instead of water, which seemed to do the trick.

DIY Bath Bombs (AKA Bath Fizzies)

Dry Ingredients:
1 C. baking soda
1/2 C. citric acid (don’t skip this ingredient as it causes the fizzing action.  It can be found at health food stores, food co-ops, or on Amazon.com)
1/2 C. Epsom salts

Liquid Ingredients:
2 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (or other oil like grape seed or almond)
Few drops food coloring
1/2 tsp. fragrance oil
1/2 tsp. borax (Borax is not a liquid; but will help emulsify the other ingredients. It is found in the laundry detergent aisle of the grocery store)
witch hazel (in spray bottle)

Also Needed:
Mixing bowls
Molds to shape your bath bombs (an old tennis ball works well for round bath bombs)
Cellophane for wrapping your bath bombs

Step #1

Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well-blended. If you have a sieve, that may work to get any clumps out.

Step #2
Mix the first four liquid ingredients together (vegetable oil, food coloring, fragrance oil, and borax) in a small bowl. Pour the witch hazel into a spray bottle and reserve for later.

Step #3
With a wire whisk, slowly pour in the liquid ingredients into the larger bowl with the dry ingredients. You’ll need to work quickly and stir constantly so the dry ingredients don’t clump together or start their fizzing action. Spray the mixture with witch hazel to moisten very slightly, until the mixture takes on the consistency of damp sand. Avoid making the mistake of getting it too wet, which will cause the mixture to expand. You’ll only need a few sprays of the witch hazel.

Step #4
Right away, put the mixture into molds to harden. A tennis ball cut in half works well for round bath bombs. I had these heart-shaped Jell-O molds (pictured) that also worked well. Leave the bath bomb mixture in the molds 5-10 minutes to allow it to dry slightly.

Step #5
Remove the bath bombs from the molds and allow to air-dry for a few days.

Step #6
Package and give your bath bombs as gifts. Or, enjoy them yourself!

SECOND Bath Bombs Option:

  • 1/2 C. baking soda
  • 1/4 C. citric acid
  • 1/4 C epsom salt
  • 1/3 C. cornstarch
  • about 20 drops essential oil
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Filed Under: Lifehacks Tagged With: diy, home, bathroom




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Comments

  1. Andrea Tilley says

    December 13, 2010 at 8:39 pm

    Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe. I cannot wait to try it.

    Reply
  2. Carli says

    December 13, 2010 at 9:05 pm

    I love this! I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  3. Jen says

    December 13, 2010 at 9:55 pm

    Thanks for sharing!! I know what a few people are getting for Christmas ;).

    Reply
  4. Angel says

    December 15, 2010 at 9:32 am

    This looks like an easy gift idea for my daughters to make for their aunt.

    Reply
  5. gina says

    December 17, 2010 at 2:32 pm

    these were so much fun! thanks!!!

    Reply
  6. Alicia Harmon says

    December 19, 2010 at 4:23 pm

    If I put these in a well-heated room, will they dry faster?

    Reply
    • Kimberly Danger says

      December 19, 2010 at 6:29 pm

      I am guessing yes, Alicia, but I don’t know for sure. Just don’t put them in the oven. That will activate the citric acid and you’ll have a big mess!

      Reply
  7. Ashley says

    December 23, 2010 at 11:32 am

    I’m not so sure I would want some of this stuff in my bath tub… But it is a cute idea.

    Reply
  8. Annie Moffitt says

    January 1, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    I went in a upscale shop in Las Vegas and they had these for Sale. They had them displayed beautifully and a sink area where you could wash your hands with them. They leave your skin feeling so soft.

    Reply
  9. Lauren says

    January 19, 2011 at 1:54 pm

    Where do you get the witch hazel spray?

    Reply
    • Kimberly Danger says

      January 19, 2011 at 2:39 pm

      I got witch hazel at Walgreens, and put it in a spray bottle.

      Reply
      • Analise says

        January 7, 2018 at 2:51 am

        Do you need the witch hazel spray to make these or is it just an option?

        Reply
    • Tasha says

      February 13, 2012 at 1:05 pm

      Hello,
      I got my witch hazel at the Family dollar. It was next to the hydrogen peroxide and alcohol. It comes in the same size clear round bottle.

      Reply
  10. Crystal W. says

    December 4, 2011 at 2:32 pm

    Is there anything that could maybe replace the Borax in the recipe? My son has eczema, and I would think that would be a little harsh for his skin. Cute idea!

    Reply
    • Mags says

      February 6, 2017 at 9:47 am

      I would use some skin loving and moisturizing oil and butters to counter the drying effect of borax or use kaolin Clay or cornstarch instead, great for the ones with sensitive skin.

      Reply
  11. Denise Osborn says

    December 11, 2011 at 12:34 am

    wondering where to get Citric Acid??

    Reply
    • Kimberly Danger says

      December 11, 2011 at 7:57 am

      Denise, I got citric acid at our local food co-op. Try health food stores too.

      Reply
  12. Ásdís Paulsdóttir says

    July 11, 2012 at 12:54 am

    Thanks! This is great and will be my low-budget x-mas presents this year.

    Reply
  13. LaRae says

    January 21, 2013 at 10:04 pm

    Walmart carries citric acid, with the canning supplies

    Reply
  14. Sherri says

    February 16, 2013 at 10:28 am

    We are going to use this recipe For a moms group. There are 40 moms and we are trying to keep our cost down, as best we can. Could I substitute something less expensive for the essential oil, that smells good still? Maybe baby oil?

    Reply
  15. Morgan Hayes says

    June 15, 2014 at 1:16 am

    Are you not able to mold the bath salts if they have been sitting in the bowl for a couple weeks? I love the tennis ball technique, definitely going to try it 🙂

    Reply
  16. Cheryl SCHULL says

    December 3, 2014 at 5:05 pm

    This was awesome! However the humidity (in Aussie Summer) caused my bombs to fizz out while setting 🙁 not to worry, they still sort of worked! smelled lovely at least.

    Reply
  17. Sarah says

    June 9, 2015 at 12:37 pm

    How many does this make?

    Reply
    • Kim Danger says

      June 28, 2015 at 6:36 am

      It totally depends on the size of the molds you are using.

      Reply
  18. Breanna Rawlins says

    November 16, 2015 at 11:56 am

    How many does this recipe make if you use the tennis ball mold that is mentioned in the article? I’m making a lot of gift baskets for Christmas and I’ll need several that size.

    Reply
  19. Kristi says

    November 30, 2018 at 9:51 am

    Is Borax safe to soak in? I am not quite sure I would feel safe using a bath bomb with Borax as an ingredient and most definitely wouldn’t want my kids soaking in a tub with Borax.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Frugal Christmas: 25 Days of Homemade Gift Ideas | Online Coupons & Savings says:
    December 4, 2011 at 8:40 am

    […] Homemade Bath Bombs AKA Bath Fizzies  This was a fun project to do along with kids.  Even though it took a little adjusting and tweaking to get our bath bombs just right, we had a blast (pun intended)!  The fizzing properties of the ingredients made it seem more like a science experiment than a craft project.  This would be a nice gift for Grandma or any other special someone.   [Instructions on How to Make Homemade Bath Fizzies] […]

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    September 26, 2012 at 8:03 am

    […] Bath bombs for adults + a decent guide to homemade bath bombs […]

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    November 27, 2012 at 10:44 am

    […] Homemade Bath Bombs AKA Bath Fizzies  This was a fun project to do along with kids.  Even though it took a little adjusting and tweaking to get our bath bombs just right, we had a blast (pun intended)!  The fizzing properties of the ingredients made it seem more like a science experiment than a craft project.  This would be a nice gift for Grandma or any other special someone.   [Instructions on How to Make Homemade Bath Fizzies] […]

    Reply
  4. Bath Bombs: Homemade Christmas Gifts says:
    October 8, 2013 at 6:02 am

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