Let’s face it, as busy adults we all wish we could take more baths. It can be hard to set aside personal time to unwind and relax in a bath. My tub is usually occupied by tiny humans and their floating toys. When I do finally get the tub to myself, I reach for a bath bomb to intensify the effects, and make the best use of the (little) time I do have.
Bathing in a tub can reduce stress, ease aching muscles, and may calm a restless mind. It is also a great way to practice self-care!
Store-bought bath bombs are not only expensive, they can be toxic! They often contain dyes and artificial fragrances that are absorbed by our largest organ, our skin.
Our simple DIY Bath Bomb recipe uses quality ingredients and pure essential oils to create an all-natural, affordable bath bomb. Practice a bit of self-care today with this easy recipe!
Simple Ingredients
- The base of a Bath Bomb is citric acid and baking soda. This is what creates the fizz.
- Epsom salts are known for soothing achey or tight muscles. Adding Epsom salts to a bath can also increase magnesium levels in the body, which can be depleted by stress.
- Coconut oil is a natural source of Vitamin E. This makes it great for moisturizing the skin.
- Adding essential oils to a bath bomb can have numerous therapeutic benefits. Listen to your body and choose an oil to support how you are feeling!
Substitution Tips
- We chose to leave food dye out of this recipe. If you wanted to add a little color, we recommend these natural food colorings here. You can also hide small toys inside if you are making them for kids.
- This bath bomb recipe was tested with both fractionated coconut oil and jojoba oil. I enjoyed the coconut oil best since it left my skin soft and moisturized, similar to the feeling of a light body oil. You could also use sweet almond oil with a similar effect.
- We used a 2″ metal mold, but you could also use a mold like this cute silicon rose option. These take a little longer to dry, but the flat bottom makes them easy to store. They also make great gifts!
New to essential oils? Learn more about the brand of essential oils we use and why we chose it.
Luxurious Lavender Bath Bomb
Yield – 3 bath bombs
Preparation Time – 10 minutes
Cooking Time – 0 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 3/4 cup of citric acid
- 3/4 cup of Epsom salts
- 4 tablespoons of fractionated coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon water in a spray bottle (optional)
- 10-12 drops of lavender essential oil
- 3, 2″ metal bath bomb molds
Directions
- Combine baking soda, citric acid, and Epsom salts in a medium mixing bowl. Use a fork to break up any clumps and mix thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, combine fractioned coconut oil and the essential oil of your choice. We like lavender and Stress Away best!
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the baking soda mixture. It is very important that you do not add the liquid too fast. This will cause the mixture to activate prematurely. If the mixture seems too dry, use the spray bottle to add a bit of water one spray at a time.
- Use a spoon to slowly combine the ingredients. The mixture should resemble wet sand.
- Fill both sides of the mold and press together firmly. Both pieces of the mold should close together tightly.
- Place in the freezer for 30 minutes (optional) to set the bath bomb and leave out overnight to dry.
- Drop in a warm tub and enjoy!
Additional Essential Oils to Try
- Stress Away
- Sacred Mountain
- Ylang Ylang
- Geranium
- Frankincense
- Orange
My girls want to make this for friends and was planning g to make these a couple of days in advance, so want to clairify: should it remain in freezer till take to friends or after the stated freezing time, can they wrap in the cellophane and it be good to go days later? Thank you! And I greatly appreciate the links to help see the exact ingredients.
Hi Melinda! Putting it in the freezer is optional. I found it helped set the bath bomb if I was trying to use it right away. You can skip this step and let them dry overnight, and then wrap in cellophane.
Does the coconut oil leave a residue in the tub?
Hi Nicole! Yes, it did leave a small amount of coconut oil residue in the tub for me. Not really enough to clean right away and it was easy to wipe away. I think it may have helped clean my bathtub, too. 🙂
My bath bombs NEVER turn out lol…apparently the wet sand that I have been on is wetter than the wet sand feel needed for a bath bomb. I’ll keep trying! But…how long do you leave in the molds? Do you take them out of the molds and dry on towel?
I found that popping them out right away and really packing the mold tight helped. It should be pretty formed once you take it out of the mold. I place the bath bombs in a muffin tin so they keep their shape, and let dry overnight.