Homemade bath bombs are all the rage these days. They are so easy to DIY and there are a ton of different bath bomb recipes out there. I love how easy it is to personalize your bath fizzies’ scent with essential oils. Some of my favorites to use include Lavender (Relaxation) and Peppermint (Pick-Me-Up).
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I have been on a Pink Himalayan salt kick ever since I learned about how good it is for you. This pretty pink salt is one of the purest salts on Earth and is high in mineral content. The fine-grained Pink Himalayan salt is good to use for bath bombs because it dissolves quicker than the larger sized salt crystals.
If you don’t have any Pink Himalayan salt at home, you can substitute another type of salt. Epsom Salts work great in this recipe, too. The main thing to remember when you make bath bombs is to use a 2:1:1 ratio of the main ingredients (Baking Soda, Salts, Citric Acid).
Heart-Shaped Bath Bombs
Of course, you can mold your bath bombs into any shape you like. These are heart-shaped bath bombs I made to use as Teacher Gifts for Valentine’s Day. I used Wilton heart shaped cookie cutters to make them in a couple different sizes. Besides cookie cutters, you can also use things like muffin tins or silicone molds to shape your bath fizzies. I line a baking sheet with waxed paper to give my bath bombs a place to dry. I let them air dry for about 24 hours until they are completely dry. Then I store them in an airtight container.
How to make bath bombs – ingredients.
I suggest experimenting with this smaller-sized batch. If you want to make a bigger batch, simply double the ingredients. For even bigger batches, remember to use the 2:1:1 ratio of main ingredients and add essential oils/food coloring as desired. I purchased a large bag of Pink Himalayan Salts and Citric Acid on Amazon. Some people say you can find Citric Acid with canning supplies at the store – but I have never found it there. Witch Hazel can be found in most grocery and drug stores. I used Majestic Pure Peppermint Essential Oil, also available on Amazon. Their peppermint EO has a wonderful fragrance perfect for scenting bath bombs.
You’ll Need:
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup Pink Himalayan Salts (fine grain)
- 1/4 cup citric acid
- 1/2 tsp Essential Oil (I used Peppermint)
- 30+ drops red food coloring (optional if you want pink colored Bath Bombs)
- 1 tsp Witch Hazel (possibly a little more if needed)
Directions:
1. Stir baking soda, salt and citric acid together in a mixing bowl.
2. In a separate, small cup, combine the Witch Hazel, Food Coloring and Essential Oil. (It’s okay that these ingredients don’t dissolve into each other. Just get the liquids all into one place for fast work in Step 3.)
3. Add a drop or two of the liquid ingredients from Step 2 to the dry ingredients and stir it in, trying to avoid letting the citric acid get too fizzy. It’s OK if it fizzes a little – it will do that. Continue adding the liquid a drop or two at a time and stirring. I drop, stir, drop, stir, drop stir, etc.
IMPORTANT TIP: You want to avoid making this mixture too wet. You want the salt mixture to be able to stick together without crumbling. Once you get to that consistency, stop adding liquid. You may need to make another batch of Witch Hazel/food coloring/essential oil to get to that point. Or you may not. If the mixture crumbles, add a little more. Just a drop or two at a time. Take it slow until you get the hang of it.
If the mixture feels wet, sticky or continues to fizz and/or puffs up, you have added too much moisture. You can salvage a “too wet” batch by adding more baking soda/salt/citric acid in the 2:1:1 ration.
This is the Pink Himalayan Salts Bath Bombs WITHOUT any food color added.
4. Once the mixture is at that perfect point of being able to stick together without crumbling, it is ready to be put in the mold. You can use muffin tins, silicone molds or even cookie cutters. I have used all of those and the end result is the same. Basically, you’ll fill the mold (or cookie cutter placed on the baking sheet) with the bath bomb mixture. Allow it to set for about a minute, then carefully push it out of the mold (or lift up on the cookie cutter). The bath bomb should retain its shape without crumbling.
5. Put bath bombs in a dry place and allow them to air dry completely. I usually let mine sit out 24 hours.
6. Store bath bombs in an air tight container until ready to use.
Bath bombs are fun to make for yourself or to give as homemade gifts. And they aren’t just for grown-ups – my kids love to toss bath bombs into the water and watch them fizz. It’s hard to limit them to just ONE per bath! They’d go through my whole bath bomb arsenal in one bathtime if I wasn’t there to stop them.
These are really not hard to make once you get the feel for how wet/dry the mixture needs to be. And is is definitely cheaper to make your own bath bombs at home than buying at the store.
The bath bomb recipe ingredient amounts as listed above made a batch this size:
Have you ever tried making DIY bath bombs? What essential oils would you use to scent your bath bombs? Let me know if you have any questions about how to make these – just leave a comment below and I’ll answer as quickly as possible.
The products I used:
Emily @DomesticDeadline.com says
How fun! Thanks for linking up to #HomeMattersParty
Sahana says
These are the best!! I love how they look and it is perfect for valentine’s day as well. #HomeMattersParty
Donna @ Modern on Monticello says
I have always used Epsom salt in my bath salt recipes but I have heard of the benefits of Himalayan salts too. I think I will try it instead the next time I need to replenish my supply of bath salts. #HomeMattersParty
Emily says
Fantastic idea! Love this as a DIY Valentine’s Day gift for friends!
XO,
Emily
http://www.fortuitousfoodies.com/
Nicole says
Thanks, Emily! Have a Happy Valentine’s Day! –Nicole
Tracey says
How long will these salt bath bombs as well as the lemon/vanilla bath bombs last if stored in an airtight container?Wanted to start making some for xmas but wasn’t sure if I should wait so that they’re fresh. Thanks so much.
Nicole says
Hi Tracey,
The ingredients should have a shelf life of about six months, so I would assume that if stored in airtight containers, the bath salts and bath bombs would last about that long. Over time, they may get less fizzy as the citric acid may get weaker.
I tend to make these in small batches that get used within about 2 months. Hope that helps! Thank you for your question.
Margaret says
I have used it resipe but they won’t come out of the moldes in one price there still in two Half’s won’t stick together what am I doing wrong I’m in England the u k
Nicole says
Hi Margaret, I’m sorry to hear you are having issues with the bath salts. Are you using a spherical shaped mold? I am asking because you said the two halves will not stick together. I would try applying a little bit of witch hazel to the mixture, to add a bit of moisture that may help it stick together better. If they are sticking to the mold, I would try spraying the inside of the molds with nonstick cooking spray before putting the bath bomb ingredients in. If your bath bombs still do not mold together correctly, don’t throw away the bits and pieces. Simply crush them up so they will fit inside an airtight container or lidded jar, and when you are ready to use, sprinkle some into the bath water. They should still be fizzy and dissolve the same way.
I wish I could be of more help. Let me know if you have any more questions. Good luck! –Nicole
Jeri says
I’ve been having issues with my bombs not hardening
They look great till I go to pick them up and they disintegrate, crumble apart what do u think is wrong? Not enough moisture?
Nicole says
Hi Jeri,
Bath bombs can be so picky about moisture. It sounds like you are having a moisture issue to me. Your mixture may be too dry. Next time, try adding more witch hazel or oils to give the mixture a more moist texture, which will be less likely to crumble and crack once removed from the mold.
OR, it could be the opposite problem and there is too much moisture when the bombs go into the mold to dry. If your bath bombs are cracking after it’s been drying in the mold, it’s possible that it was too wet and the mixture is expanding as it sits in the mold. Did you notice any expansion while it was drying in the mold? If so, try less moisture in the mixing process. Bath bombs are such a trial and error process, but once you have successful batch, you will know what to do in the future to have success – I hope that makes you feel better. I know it is a pain to have them crumble after all the work to make them.
If I have a “failed” batch, I still use it in crumbled form so all is not lost. 🙂
I hope that helps. I also visit the SoapQueen(dot)com website for troubleshooting bath bombs. It’s got a lot of great tips on there. –Nicole
Rita says
with this recipe how many bath bomb that you can make ? may i know what size of this heart bath bomb ? thank you so much
Nicole says
Hi Rita,
I used a couple of different sizes of the heart-shaped cookie cutters. I got 9 bath bombs in various sizes. The smaller hearts were less than 2 inches wide at their widest point and the larger hearts were about 3 inches wide at their widest point. This is the variety of heart sizes cookie cutter set I used to make them: http://amzn.to/20EzpXc If you want more bath bombs, you could use smaller cookie cutters. I hope that helps answer your questions. –Nicole
Rosie says
these are sooo nice – I was just googling bath fizzies a few minutes ago, so I’m excited to see this post esp b/c I love the idea of the Himalayan bath salts and using cookie cutters – they look great!!! I want to try this!!!
Jenny N says
I love making bath bombs but have never made them in heart shapes. I love these they are so cute!
Aimee Trader says
super easy even I could do it!!
Dee Lafrenz says
Daughter loves little surprises I add to her Christmas basket! ( I make spa items ). I love the softer crocheted bath poofs and crocheted wash cloths. I collect lotions, bath gels, etc. (all year) and add them to a basket and give them as gifts. These make nice house warming gifts. I don’t notice the huge pricy gifts at Christmas, I have my stash! I collect and make gifts all year long!
shelly peterson says
These are really a neat idea, great to keep and for gift giving.
Heather says
These are so pretty! I love my bath time and would love to have some of these! I hear more and more about essential oils. I am very interested in learning more about them and making these!!