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Last updated on July 10th, 2019

Why & How To Make Bath Bombs (+ my five favorite scent options!)

Learning how to make bath bombs is super simple and a great way to save money. Diy bath bombs are easily one of my favorite homemade gifts to make for friends and family (these sleepy time ones being my all time favorite!)!

Not only are they easy to make but you’re giving people you care about the opportunity to pamper themselves! Learning how to make bath bath bombs at home means you can also customize them and unique to each person you gift to.

Confession: For a long time, I hated diy bath bombs- seriously! For some reason, I couldn’t get them to hold together. They crumbled, they didn’t fizz or something else went wrong with them.

Learning how to make bath bombs at home was not something that came easily to me. They were almost as bad as the epic fail of diy sugar and soap scrubs. There were a lot of bad batched. A lot. 

And being the frugal person I am, I refused to throw out the bad batches which left me with a jar of “random bath bomb fails” I would spoon into my bath. Since I don’t take a whole lot of baths this jar really just hung out in my bathroom for way too long 😛

Since then, I’ve figured out a few essential tricks when it comes to how to make bath bombs. They still drive me insane a bit bu it works for me!

I now have one core formula (below) I use when making diy bath bombs though I’m sure there’s lots others! What I really want to share with you is the biggest trick I’ve learned so you knw how to make bath bombs at home easily.

Diy Bath Bombs Ingredients

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup Epsom salt
• 2 tbs almond oil
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon mica
• 3 tsp witch hazel
• 30 drops essential oil
• Small spray bottle with water

Note: all of these health boosting ingredients can be purchased through my favorite retailer Well.ca– and the best part is that they offer free shipping!

A Few Notes & Swaps About The Ingredients

I use mica for coloring because it’s a natural mineral and I love the color it brings out! It’s only fair to warn you though that it does leave a nice shimmer in your bathtub. This means you’ll probably want to scrub the bath ring afterwards or shortly thereafter.

Truth be told, I only do this when I make them for someone else. For myself, I normally don’t color them at all. Or, I just use pink salt (like in these heart shaped diy bath bombs) to give a bit of shimmer.

You’ll notice I also use almond oil. I find this helps hold the bombs together and also gives a little moisture to your skin! But again, warning: be careful getting out of the bath because the tub might be a bit slippery.

Lastly, witch hazel. This ingredient has a ton of uses but for homemade bath bombs I find it helps the essential oils really bind to the bombs creating a more potent smell.

A quick tip on molds! You can use any silicone mold for bath bombs (muffins, hearts, minis). The circle ones I bought I got locally so I don’t have a link for them (womp womp) but they’re similar to the medium size on these   ones here.

How To Make Bath Bombs – Tricks

This is where I always stumbled and failed: I could never for the life of me get the bombs to hold together! The always crumbled, I could never get them out of the molds and was left with a jar or crumble or very little fizz.

While the above ingredients do make it better here’s a few other crucial tips:

When mixing the wet ingredients into the dry, mix for longer than you think.

I used to just kind of throw it all together. But if you spend two solid minutes mixing you will notice a damp like consistency which helps hold the bombs together.

They won’t stick in the bowl, and will seem kind of dry but when you press down hard you should notice them get firm. Mix really well and they hold together better.

Also- the flip. If you’re using basic silicone baking molds you can forget this. But if you’re making the big round balls, getting the two pieces of the ball together without the contents pouring out can be trick.y

You have to hold them both sideways and then mash them together. if you try to flip one on top of the other it won’t work. Sideways, then into each other. And move fast.

The Biggest Secret

Only fill your mold halfway. Then, using a silicone spatula, firmly press the mixture into the mold as hard as you can. Spray the top of each bomb ever so lightly with water and repress. Then, fill the mold the rest of the way and repeat (press down, sprat, press down).

You can see a better example of this technique if you check out the in process images in these stress relieving bath hombs.

I find I need the double press down or they crumble. There’s also a fine line on how much water to spray. 1-2 squirts in a small bottle is perfect. Any more than that and you begin to lose your fizz as the citric acid reacts with the water.

I can’t stress enough.. press down firmly.

You want just enough water that it helps them bind and you notice them look somewhat firm. Any more than that and it’s too much.

Why Learning To Make Bath Bombs At Home Is Awesome

As I mentioned above, when you get them right, diy bath bombs make a really lovely and thoughtful gift (especially these mini ones for kids!) because you can personalize both the color and the scent.

Bath bombs in a spa store run anywhere from $3-7 Canadian per bomb- which is ridiculous!

Learning how to make bath bombs allows you to personalize your gifts and is beyond cheaper to do so. Plus, most of the ingredients in a bath bombs are also part of a detox bath so the bombs can be really effective!

Using Essential Oils In Diy Bath Bombs

Now into the fun stuff.. scent!

As I mentioned it’s extremely thoughtful to give someone a bath of diy bath bombs made specifically for them. Below are three of my absolute favorites essential oil blends when it comes to bath bombs

Sleepy Time Diy Bath Bombs

These bath bombs are perfect if you need to relax after a long day and get some rest. They help ease both your body and your mind into a relaxation state and prepare you for sleep.

• 10 drops lavender
• 10 drops chamomile
• 5 drops breathe (DoTerra specific blend)

Anxiety Reducing Bombs

This blend promotes happiness, clarity and calming properties which will help ease away tension.

• 8-10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops grapefruit
• 10 drops orange/citrus
• 8-10 drops chamomile
• 6-8 drops clary sage

Mood Lifting Bombs

Perfect if you need a bit of a happiness sprung your way. These bombs make you feel light, energized and content.

• 20 drops citrus bliss essential oil
• 10 drops wild orange
• 10 drops lemon grass

Energizer Bath Bombs

These oils have been shown to release tension, stress and boost your alertness they also help to give your mood a bit of a boost.

• 25 drops lemon oil
• 15 drops peppermint oil

Headache Soothing Bath Bombs

These bombs promote relaxation, help relieve tension and help you slowly relax and unwind.

• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops peppermint essential oil

Don’t forget to pin these Diy Bath Bomb Tips!

Learning how to make bath bombs at home is one of the easiest, most cost effective homemade gifts you can make for family and friends. They’re simple, pretty and best of all.. perfectly unique to the individual. Whip up batches of different scents and show your friends how well you know them- everyone needs a bit of pampering!