How to make Bath Bombs with Natural Ingredients

How to make bath bombs with natural ingredients such as flower petals, herbs, and essential oils. Also includes recipes for oatmeal rose bath bombs and pink grapefruit bath bombs

It’s with great pleasure that I’m sharing one of Jan Berry’s natural beauty recipes from her new book, The Big Book of Homemade Products. You’ve probably used or seen them before, but might not realize just how easy it is to make bath bombs. Using this basic formula, you can add a pinch of this, a pinch of that, some dried rose petals, and finish with stunning and fun bath fizzies to use or give as gifts. You could easily make these with the kids too.

At the bottom, there are also instructions on how to make bath bombs as two different recipes. These are also from the book and show just how versatile the basic bath bomb recipe can be. To make the basic bath bombs seen in the photos, use the basic recipe along with rose kaolin clay, rose petals, and rose geranium essential oil.

Customizable Bath Bomb Recipe

Use this formula to design your own beautiful bath bomb creations. You’ll be able to customize with your favorite herbs and flowers, natural colorants, and essential oils. Baking soda and citric acid are the essential ingredients in bath bombs. When the two combine in warm bathwater, it sets off a chemical reaction that causes the bath bomb to start rapidly fizzing.

Fine sea salt, which can be found in the salt or spice section of most grocery stores, adds minerals and helps increase the fizz factor. Instead of regular white salt, you could use pink Himalayan, red Alaea, or black Hawaiian salt for a different look.

The oil helps moisten the bath bomb mixture without causing it to fizz too soon. Witch hazel acts as a binder to keep everything held together while it dries in the molded shape. There’s a bit of a learning curve to making bath bombs, so be prepared to make a test batch or two until you get the hang of them. For best results, don’t make them on a rainy or extra-humid day, and be sparing with the amount of witch hazel added to the recipe.

How to Make Bath Bombs

YIELD: 4 BATH BOMBS

• 1.5 cups (429 g) baking soda
• 3⁄4 cup (177 g) citric acid
• 1⁄2 cup (144 g) fine sea salt
• 1 or 2 add-ins (below)
• 2 tbsp (20 g) melted coconut oil or other oil, such as sunflower or olive, optionally infused with herbs or flowers
• 20 to 25 drops total essential oil(s) of choice
• Witch hazel in a small spray bottle (optional)
• 1⁄2-cup (120-ml) measuring cup
• Dinner plate
• Wax paper, cut into 6-inch (15-cm) squares

OPTIONAL ADD-INS

• 1 tbsp (7 g) coconut milk powder-nourishes and softens skin
• 1-2 tsp (1 to 3 g) flower powders-grind to a fine powder and sift; good choices include calendula, chamomile, elderflower, lavender, rose petal or yarrow
• 1 tbsp (7 g) goat or cow milk powder-softens and soothes skin
• 1 to 2 tsp (1-3 g) herbal powders-grind to a fine powder and sift; good choices include chickweed, nettle, plantain, rosemary or violet leaves
• 1 tsp matcha green tea powder-adds a beautiful fresh green color
• 1 tbsp (7 g) oats-grind in a coffee grinder; soothes itchy skin
• 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 tsp purple Brazilian clay-adds a pretty pastel shade of purple
• 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 tsp rose kaolin clay-adds a lovely pink color

Create the bath bomb mixture

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the baking soda, citric acid, and sea salt. If using, stir in the optional add-in(s). Mix well, working out any clumps with your fingers. In a separate bowl, combine the oil with the essential oil(s).

Slowly drizzle the melted oil into the combined dry ingredients while stirring with a whisk. Break up any remaining clumps with your hands to ensure the oil is completely incorporated.
Try squeezing a portion of the mixture into a ball shape. If it holds together without easily falling apart, it’s ready to mold. If it crumbles, spray 2 to 3 spritzes of witch hazel into the mixture while stirring, then check again. Once the mixture holds together easily without crumbling, it’s ready. Be sparing with the witch hazel, as too much will cause your bath bomb to prematurely expand or fall apart.

Make bath bombs

If you’d like to make bath bombs with floral decorations on top, sprinkle the flower petals into the bottom of the measuring cup mold, before packing in the bath bomb mixture. Good choices include calendula flowers, cornflowers, lavender buds, and rose petals. Grind them coarsely with a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle first, because smaller pieces will stick to the surface of the bath bomb best. You could also use coarse salt or coarsely ground oatmeal as a decorative topping, added in the same way as the flower petal topping.

Fill the measuring cup with the mixture, pressing firmly as you pack it in. Turn the dinner plate upside down on your work surface. Lay a square of wax paper on top, then turn out the bath bomb from the measuring cup and onto the wax paper. Gently slide the wax paper off the plate to the spot where you plan to let the bath bombs dry. Using the plate and wax paper in this way makes it much easier to move the bath bombs around. Allow the bath bombs to air-dry for several hours, then wrap in airtight packaging. Be careful exiting the tub after use, as the tub floor may become slippery from the oil.

Oatmeal Rose Bath Bomb Recipe

• 1.5 cups (429 g) baking soda
• 3⁄4 cup (177 g) citric acid
• 1⁄2 cup (144 g) fine sea salt
• 1 tsp finely ground rose petals
• 1 tbsp (6 g) ground oats
• 2 tbsp (20 g) melted coconut oil
• 22 drops rose geranium essential oil
• Topping: ground rose petals and oats

Pink Grapefruit Bath Bomb Recipe

• 1.5 cups (429 g) baking soda
• 3⁄4 cup (177 g) citric acid
• 1⁄2 cup (144 g) fine pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1⁄4 tsp rose kaolin clay
• 2 tbsp (20 g) sunflower oil
• 25 drops pink grapefruit essential oil

More Bath Bomb Recipes

How to make Bath Bombs with Lavender Essential Oil
Hot Cocoa Bath Bomb Recipe
How to make Bath Bombs with sweet herbal oils

Reprinted with permission from The Big Book of Homemade Products by Jan Berry, Page Street Publishing Co. 2020. Photo credit: Jan Berry