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Lemon Vanilla Bath Bomb Recipe

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Lemon vanilla bath bombs combine uplifting and comforting scents for a delightful fizzy bath experience.

I love to make my own bath bombs for myself and to give as homemade gifts. Read on for full directions and the Lemon Vanilla Bath Bomb recipe.

Lemon Vanilla Bath Bombs Recipe and Directions by @momfindsout

This basic recipe for homemade bath bombs uses common household ingredients like baking soda, corn starch, citric acid, coconut oil and Epsom salts. It is the baking soda and citric acid that make all that awesome fizziness when they come into contact with your bath water.

Even though Citric Acid is commonly used, it isn’t quite as easy to find in stores as baking soda. I usually go online to somewhere like Amazon and buy a 5 pound bag, which is enough citric acid to make many batches of bath bombs.

Considering that one bath bomb from the Lush store costs around $7 or $8, it is a lot cheaper to make your own bath bombs at home — even though it means making an initial investment in the ingredients. Things like baking soda, corn starch and coconut oil are always handy to have in the pantry.

To turn the basic bath bomb recipe into this scented Lemon Vanilla Bath Bomb Recipe, I add a few drops of Lemon Essential oil and Vanilla.

I love the fresh lemon citrus scent paired with the warmth of vanilla.

For natural color, I added a few tablespoons of dried lemon peel (lemon zest.) Dried Lemon Peel can be found in the spices section of the grocery store.

Check out more of my favorite DIY beauty and spa recipes:

Strawberry Bath Bombs made with real strawberries for natural pink colors!

Himalayan Pink Salt Soap is the perfect recipe for beginners to make gorgeous soaps.

Lotion Bars made with 3 simple ingredients!

How to make LUSH inspired bath bombs Lemon Vanilla Bath Bomb recipe and directions by @momfindsout
How to make LUSH inspired bath bombs Lemon Vanilla Bath Bomb recipe and directions by @momfindsout

Lemon Vanilla Bath Bomb Fizzy

Lemon vanilla bath bombs combine uplifting and comforting scents for a delightful fizzy bath experience. Made with real lemon peel for natural color and scent.

Ingredients

  • Bath Bomb Round Molds
  • 1/2 cup Citric Acid
  • 1 cup Baking Soda
  • 3 Tablespoons Epsom Salt
  • 1/2 cup Corn Starch
  • 2 teaspoons melted Coconut Oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Essential Oil or Fragrance Oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Fragrance Oil
  • 3-4 Tablespoons Dried Lemon Peel

Instructions

  1. Mix the DRY ingredients. In a large bowl, combine: Baking Soda, Citric Acid, Cornstarch, Epsom Salts and Dried Lemon Zest. Whisk thoroughly to mix. Set aside.

    2. Mix the WET ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients: Coconut Oil (melted), Water, Essential Oil, and Vanilla. Stir to mix.

    3. Whisk the wet ingredients from Step 2 into the dry ingredients bowl from Step 1. Mix well until thoroughly combined.
    Working quickly, test the mixture to see if it will lightly stick together: Squeeze a small handful of the mixture and if it lightly clumps/sticks together, that is good. Proceed to the next step. If the mixture does not hold together, use a water bottle to spritz the mixture with a tiny bit of water, whisk the mixture again and test. Repeat until the mixture lightly holds together. *DO NOT add too much water or the mixture will begin to fizz. This means the ingredients have been activated and unfortunately, you may have to start over with all new ingredients.

    4. Once the mixture lightly holds together, press it into the mold. Pack it tightly, but do not overfill the mold. Gently press each half of the mold together until it closes.

    5. Allow bath bombs to dry at least 6-8 hours or overnight inside the molds. Carefully remove bath bombs from the molds and allow more drying time if they are not fully hardened and dry to the touch.

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© Mom Always Finds Out

PHOTO: Mixing It Up. In case it is helpful to see what the wet and dry ingredients should look like when they are combined and ready to press into the molds:

how to make bath bombs

If you have any questions about how to make these bath bombs, please feel free to ask me in the comments below.

I hope you enjoy making your bath bombs, and more importantly, USING your bath bombs for a relaxing bath time experience.

Lemon Vanilla Bath Bombs Recipe and Directions by @momfindsout

I have made fizzy bath bombs several times. The truth is, it can take more than one try to get it right. I have accidentally added too much water and had to throw away an entire batch of bath bomb mixture because it activated and started fizzing.

It was frustrating, but also helped me to learn what NOT to do. You may want to make a half batch of this recipe, just to get a feel for it.

What’s easier than making bath bombs? Making your own body scrub! You’ll love this no-fail Pina Colada Body Scrub.

Made with relaxing Epsom Salts, it can also be used as an aromatherapy bath soak. Get the recipe at my Pina Colada Bath Salts and Body Scrub blog post.

Pina Colada Body Scrub

Pina Colada Salt Scrub

If you want to try another DIY bath bomb recipe made with Pink Himalayan Salts, check out my other blog post for Homemade Heart Shaped Bath Bombs:

how to make bath bombs heart shaped bath fizzies himalayan salts diy bath bombs

Give this amazing Strawberry Bath Bomb Recipe a try. Made with real strawberries for a natural pink color!

Lemon Vanilla Bath Bombs Recipe and Directions by @momfindsout
Lemon Vanilla Bath Bombs
Print Recipe
Fresh citrus combines with warm vanilla for a comforting and uplifting fizzy bath experience. This DIY bath bomb recipe will make 3 bath bombs using 60mm clear plastic ornament molds.
Servings
3 bath bombs
Servings
3 bath bombs
Lemon Vanilla Bath Bombs Recipe and Directions by @momfindsout
Lemon Vanilla Bath Bombs
Print Recipe
Fresh citrus combines with warm vanilla for a comforting and uplifting fizzy bath experience. This DIY bath bomb recipe will make 3 bath bombs using 60mm clear plastic ornament molds.
Servings
3 bath bombs
Servings
3 bath bombs
Ingredients
Servings: bath bombs
Instructions
  1. Mix the DRY ingredients. In a large bowl, combine: Baking Soda, Citric Acid, Cornstarch, Epsom Salts and Dried Lemon Zest. Whisk thoroughly to mix. Set aside.
  2. Mix the WET ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients: Coconut Oil (melted), Water, Essential Oil, and Vanilla. Stir to mix.
  3. Whisk the wet ingredients from Step 2 into the dry ingredients bowl from Step 1. Mix well until thoroughly combined.
  4. Working quickly, test the mixture to see if it will lightly stick together: Squeeze a small handful of the mixture and if it lightly clumps/sticks together, that is good. Proceed to the next step. If the mixture does not hold together, use a water bottle to spritz the mixture with a tiny bit of water, whisk the mixture again and test. Repeat until the mixture lightly holds together. *DO NOT add too much water or the mixture will begin to fizz. This means the ingredients have been activated and unfortunately, you may have to start over with all new ingredients.
  5. Once the mixture lightly holds together, press it into the mold. Pack it tightly, but do not overfill the mold. If you are using round plastic ornament molds, press each half of the mold together until it closes.
  6. Allow bath bombs to dry at least 6-8 hours or overnight inside the molds. Carefully remove bath bombs from the plastic molds and allow more drying time if they are not fully hardened and dry to the touch.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Nicole says

      Hi Crystal, Thanks for asking your question. Unfortunately, you cannot use lemon juice instead of lemon essential oil in the bath bombs. Let me know if you have any more question. Good luck making your bath bombs! – Nicole

  3. Roxanne says

    Help… I love the smell of these but I had a real issue with putting them in the metal bath bomb shells. I mixed the mixture as the “recipe” had said but when I put them in the shells and then tried to put them together …. they GREW, I mean really grew… they would not allow me to put the two halves together, it kept squishing out the edges… I finally ended up putting the mix in plastic ice cube trays… and still they continued to grow….I want so badly to conquer this bath bomb thing… I even had made my own vanilla essential for them….. 🙁 If you could please suggest what I might have done wrong….. Many thanks…..and I will wait for your “bomb” advice… 🙂

    • Nicole says

      Hi Roxanne,

      I know exactly what you mean about the bath bombs “growing.” Too much moisture in the recipe causes the bath bombs to continue to expand. When you mix the dry ingredients and it seems like the dry ingredients are too dry and need more moisture to stick together, always add less than you think it needs. It really is a trial and error to find the balance so that the mixture doesn’t get too wet and expand in the bath bomb molds.

      If you try making them again, use less of the “wet” ingredients than the recipe calls for (maybe start with 3/4 less or 1/2 less) and as you need to add wetness to the dry ingredients, literally add the moisture just a drop or two at a time and use the least amount of wet ingredients that you possibly can.

      And I know it sounds crazy, but even the humidity level of the air where you make the bath bombs can affect the bath bombs from day to day and even from winter to summer. I think that is why bath bomb recipes that work for some people don’t work exactly the same for others. Different seasons and weather can affect the ratio of wet/dry ingredients needed to make the bath bombs. Bath bombs can be frustrating to get it down to the recipe that works, but once you find the right ratio, you can get pretty consistent results. I also suggest that next time you write down exactly how much of an ingredient you are using so that if it does work (or doesn’t work) you will know what to do (or what not to do.)

      I hope that answer helps, I’m sorry if it makes things more confusing. Making bath bombs is fun when it works, and not so fun when they don’t turn out the way they should. I’ve had it go both ways for myself many times. That’s why when I find a recipe that works, I share it here, but it’s sad and I feel bad when it doesn’t work out for someone else the way it worked for me.

      Also you may already know this, but don’t throw out “failed” bath bombs. When my bath bomb recipe doesn’t work out for whatever reason (for example if they expand too much like yours did), I end up just breaking them down into small pieces and storing them in an airtight jar to use more like bath salts. I dump a cup or half a cup into the bath. That way, the ingredients aren’t wasted and can make the bath smell good even if they don’t have the fun fizzy effect.

      GOOD LUCK. Let me know if there’s anything else I can try to help out with. I hope you have success with making bath bombs next time! –Nicole

    • Nicole says

      Hi Maria,

      I think that you should be OK to substitute a different oil for the coconut oil. I haven’t tried it with this exact recipe, but in other bath bomb recipes I have made substitutions for the oils and they have worked out.

  9. Nicole says

    I’ve been making bath bombs for a long time and I never leave them in the mold to dry. I use a wood spoon and lightly tap the mold to remove each side and then place them on an egg carton to dry. That way you can make a lot and you only need a few molds.

  10. Emily says

    So this was my first attempt at making bath bombs and I thought I got them into the molds just fine but I checked on them a couple hours later and they had exploded. Now all the guts feel more like playdough. Where did I go wrong? 😂

    • Nicole says

      Oh no! It sounds like there was too much moisture and they started expanding in the molds. (I know it seems like they are dry-ish when they go in the molds – this has happened to me before, too.) That’s also why they feel playdoughy, the citric acid started fizzing and making it expand. Sorry, I know it is frustrating when this happens. If you try it again, use a lot less liquid and that should help, especially if you live somewhere with high humidity.
      –Nicole

  11. Maureen says

    May I suggest that you add the following to #2 in your instructions? This is especially helpful to novices like me. Yours is the first recipe I’ve made! They smell heavenly.

    “Be sure to squeeze the dry mixture together IMMEDIATELY upon adding the wet mixture to avoid the citric acid from reacting.”

    I’m not sure it that’s exactly how you would state it since this is my first attempt, but when I noticed that the CI activated, I quickly squeezed it to stop the reaction. I hope that worked because my daughter is giving this as a gift. The mixture was dry, so when I spritzed more water in, I made sure to spritz and squeeze (or pack) and it didn’t seem to react. Hopefully it wasn’t because there was nothing left for a reaction! I think I got to the batch quickly enough before it completely reacted.

    • Nicole says

      Hi Donna, If the bath bombs are stored/wrapped tightly (so that no moisture, even from the air, can get to them) their shelf life can be assumed to be six months. I always use mine within a few weeks, so I don’t know exactly how long they would last. However, in general, the sooner the bath bombs are used, the fizzier they will be because the citric acid will lose its fizziness over time, especially once it has been exposed to the air.

      I hope that info helps! Thank you for your question. –Nicole

  14. Paula says

    I have read at several supply companies that Vanilla will change the color of the product you use it in to brown over time. They advise you to purchase a vanilla addictive to prevent this chemical reaction. Brambleberry.com, Wholesale Supplies Plus & Bulk Apothecary all say this. I don’t think this would be a issue unless you were making them to sale.

    • Nicole says

      Thanks for the tip, Paula. I usually make just a few of these bath bombs at a time, and they get used pretty quickly, so I haven’t ever thought about the vanilla changing its colors. That is helpful to know. I may get some of the vanilla additive and try it out because I really LOVE the scent of vanilla and want the vanilla scent to be even stronger in my bath bombs. I wonder if the vanilla additive would make them smell even more like vanilla.
      I appreciate your taking the time to let us know. I’m curious now! 🙂 —Nicole

      • Paula says

        The product is called a vanilla stabilizer. Brambleberry.com sells one that is meant for M&P soaps & another for lotions, body butters, bath salts, sugar or salt scrubs etc not specifically for Bath Bombs but I have been reading reviews for this product on different sites & fizzy makers are using it as well. I heard the 1st sign of discoloration is when the fizzzing takes on a brown or beige color. Hasn’t happened to me as I just avoid fragrances with vanilla. I wouldn’t worry about it since they are used so fast. Your bomb was the one that convinced me I had to make them!! Gorgeous!

    • Nicole says

      Hi Sandra,
      The citric acid is what makes the bath bombs fizz when they go in the water. There are bath bomb recipes that use cream of tartar instead of Citric Acid, but I have not tried making them. I have heard that cream of tartar ones do not fizz as much as the ones that use citric acid. There are also bath bombs recipes that don’t use citric acid or cream of tartar, but I am not sure what they use to make them fizzy in water.

      Good luck finding a recipe that works for you. I wish I could be more helpful. Thank you for stopping by and for your questions. -Nicole

  16. Gracey says

    Our bombs always stick to our plastic ornaments & then we destroy them trying to get them out. Should we wait longer to try to open the mold or should we grease it with coconut oil? What do u suggest?

    • Nicole says

      Hi Gracey, I have had lots of bath bomb issues, but this is one I haven’t had to deal with yet. But I hope I can help suggest some things to try to keep them together because I know it is annoying to do all that work just for them to get destroyed at the end. If your bombs would be okay other than sticking to the sides of the plastic mold, then I would first try doing what you already suggested and grease the inside of the mold with coconut oil (or almond oil or olive oil) before putting the bath bomb mixture in. See how that goes and I’d love it if you came back and let us know if it worked for you. I’m sure if you figure this out, it would help a lot of people. Bath bombs can be so picky to get just right. Good luck, I hope the greasing works. –Nicole

  18. Samantha Loe says

    Hello! I just tried a recipe similar to yours but I used metal molds and they did not stick together, is there a secret to it? I am actually making a blog post about it as well and am a fellow blogger 😁 It would be amazing if you checked my site out! I love the recipe you used.

    • Nicole says

      Hi Samantha! There’s so many factors in making the perfect bath bomb, I have been frustrated more than once. For bath bombs not sticking together, the first thing I would try is to add a little bit more moisture to the mixture before putting them into the molds and see if that helps. I haven’t used metal molds, but I don’t think that should make a difference in them sticking together or not unless they are breaking apart when you try to remove them from the molds. I’ll be happy to head over and check out your site. 🙂 Thanks for your comments on mine! Have a great day, Nicole

    • Nicole says

      Hi Rosa, Thank you for your question. Citric acid is an important ingredient because it helps make the fizzy reaction when the bath bomb goes into the water. So, the quick answer to your question is No. I have only tried this recipe as written, so I do not know what would happen any of the ingredients were changed or left out.

      If you do not have Citric Acid, there are other bath bomb recipes (you can find online) that use Cream of Tartar instead of Citric Acid. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions. –Nicole

  20. Jodi says

    Does the Lemon oil smell strong enough? When using a diffuser, Lemongrass oil smells much better (more lemon-y, if that makes sense?). Would lemongrass be ok to substitute?

    • Nicole says

      Hi Jodi, If you like the lemongrass scent, I would say go for it. I use lemongrass oil in some of my other recipes. I have never tried it in this one, but I don’t see why not. It should work with any essential oil you like to use. Hope that helps! Good luck, Nicole

    • Nicole says

      Hi Summer,
      Yes, the bath bombs should feel dry and hard when they are completely dried out. The drying time can take a longer time depending on the humidity in the air. I live in a desert climate, so it’s pretty dry here, and my bath bombs dry within a day (overnight it usually long enough.)
      The finished bath bombs will need to be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in something airtight like a plastic wrap or cellophane, especially if it is humid where you live. Bath bombs can absorb moisture from the air and start to swell. If you don’t want to use plastic, I have seen other people wrap theirs in tissue paper and tie it up at the top like a ribbon. Hope that helps answer your question. Good luck with your bath bombs! –Nicole

    • Nicole says

      I usually let mine stay in the molds for 6-8 hours (overnight if it’s later in the day when I make them), and then let them continue to dry out a few more hours once they are out of the molds. Humidity makes a big difference, so try to let them dry in the least humid part of the house. Hope that helps. Thanks for your question, Breeanna.

  29. Leanna says

    Hi Nicole. I have a very violent allergy to artificial food colouring so i have never been able to use bath bombs. Just this year I made my first salt scrub and love it. I am pinning this to make with my little ones. This will be fun.

    I look forward to co=hosting with you at this week’s #HomeMattersParty

    • Nicole says

      Hi Leanna, I am glad you found a bath bomb recipe you can make at home without the artificial coloring. I purposely left out any artificial coloring in this recipe because I recently was talking to someone about food coloring allergies. It made me think twice about using fake colors.

      I think the fizzy part is the best part about bath bombs, plus it’s fun to find natural ways to add color to them. Thanks so much for your comments. –Nicole

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