Homemade Bath Bombs

If you know me, you know I’m a huge bubble bath fan! I’ve always considered the bath to be my “safe place” or “sanctuary” if you will. I’ll hide away and spend hooours in there – and I’ll go all out, too! Bubbles, bath salts, candles, book, tea (or wine..), music… and of course, bath bombs.

Unfortunately though, most of us are starting to realize that a lot of the bath bombs on the market today can be filled with harmful and toxic ingredients – let alone are usually quite expensive and full of pollutants such as SPARKLES! Check out this article from National Geographic on why you should DITCH the sparkles if you want to SAVE the ocean!

Funny (not so funny) enough, our skin is our largest organ, and the ocean is the largest part of the earth – noticing any resemblance? What goes on, goes in. What’s good for it, must be good for us. So, let’s ditch the toxic, expensive bath bombs that aren’t so great for us (or the earth), and replace them with less expensive, homemade nourishing bath bombs instead! Win-Win-Win.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 – 1 cup bath salts*
• 1/4 cup cream of tartar, citric acid, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar*
• 3 tbsp carrier oil of choice*
• 2 tsp essential oils of choice*
• Extras*
• Water bottle with filtered water or witch hazel
• Molds
• *see notes on these below

Directions

1. Mix baking soda and cornstarch in a medium sized bowl.
2. Add bath salts, cream of tarter (or citric acid if using) and carrier oil to the bowl. Mix together until well combined.
   • If using lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, add in 1 tbsp at a time and mix quickly to avoid reaction.
3. If you are making a variety of bath bombs that have different essential oils and colors, split your mixture into smaller sized bowls now. If not, keep everything in one bowl.
4. Add your desired essential oils and any extra ingredients. Mix until well combined.
5. Next, spritz the mixture with the water bottle until you can form a mold. This usually takes about 1/2 – 1 tbsp of water or witch hazel. Be cautious not to add too much water! Too much water can cause them to expand and fizz in the mold, which will take away from the fizziness in the tub!
6. Press mixture into molds and let sit in a cool dry place for up to 24hrs or until the molds have set and are able to be handled.

NOTES

• I recommend doubling or tripling the batch to make lots at one go! They store well and are always nice to have on hand. They also make great gifts or stocking stuffers! Depending on the ingredients you add, you can make nourishing bath bombs to: relieve muscle soreness/tension, reduce stress, soothe sunburns, soften skin, detox, increase circulation, reduce inflammation or simply relax. Get creative!
• Bath Salts: Using a variety of mineral rich bath salts can have numerous health benefits. Some bath salts I would recommend are Epsom salts, Himalayan salts, and dead sea salts. Check out this article from SaltWorks to understand the benefits of different kinds of bath salts.
• Cream of Tartar vs Citric Acid: Citric acid can be quite damaging and hard on the skin – especially people with sensitive skin or toddlers. Cream of tarter is much more gentle but still causes a reaction between the baking soda and will fizz just like citric acid. Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar is thought to be a bit more gentle than citric acid but not as gentle as cream of tartar.
• Bath Oils: Just like the bath salts, bath oils (more commonly known as ‘carrier oils’) can also have a variety of health benefits based on what your body and skin type may need. A few of my favorites are: Sweet Almond, Jojoba and castor oil. This is a great article on how to choose the right carrier oil for you!
• Essential Oils: If you didn’t guess it already, essential oils are also very similar to carrier oils and bath salts – the all have their own unique benefits that can be tailored to your liking. I personally love and use DoTERRA Essential Oils for safety reasons. A few of my favourite bath essential oils are lavender, bergamot, copaiba/CBD, frankincense, tea tree, lemongrass, ylang-ylang and rose – just to name a few! Interested in understanding what essential oils may be beneficial for you and your health? Connect with me HERE to get a FREE sample of my personal suggestions for you and your lifestyle!
• Extras: This is the fun part! Get creative here (while also being kind to the earth..). I love to use loose leaf tea in most of my bath bombs – especially a black vanilla chai with oats for when I need to soothe a sunburn! Other favourites are dried lavender, rose petals, chamomile, peppermint… have fun creating!
• All Natural Dyes: Use things like turmeric, beet root powder, berries, blue/green spirulina (from E3 or OM Foods), spices (paprika, turmeric, matcha, cinnamon, cacao etc.) juices (carrot, pomegranate, ESPRESSO!), Chlorophyll or activated charcoal to increase health benefits and keep it economical!

With love,
Heidi MacAulay
“Eat more plants. Do more yoga. Read more books.”