Easy Lavender Bath Bombs Recipe
This website is reader-supported - thank you! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Use this simple recipe and instructions to make homemade lavender bath bombs. You’ll need just a few ingredients, including lavender essential oil, and you can decorate them with purchased or homegrown lavender buds. The recipe makes about six bath bombs, but you can scale it up to make more at once.
Bath bombs take about ten to twenty minutes to make and a day to harden. After that time, you can use and gift them immediately. The ingredients are inexpensive and accessible, and you could even use lavender buds from your own garden. So, instead of spending a small fortune on ready-made ones, set aside a little time and make your own! Making your own also lets you control the ingredients, so you know exactly what’s in them.
The main ingredients in lavender bath bombs are baking soda (also known as bicarbonate of soda) and citric acid. The simplest bath bombs are made by wetting them with a little witch hazel and shaping them. However, adding conditioning and scented oils makes them much more pleasant on the skin. The extra ingredients needed to make these natural lavender bath bombs are lavender essential oil, lavender buds, and lavender-infused oil.
The Best Bath Bomb Molds
One of the trickiest parts of making bath bombs is using the molds. They usually come in two pieces and are either plastic or metal. If your bath bombs are too wet or too dry, you may have trouble using them. You can end up with a mixture that sticks to the mold, doesn’t stick to the mix in the second mold (of a two-part mold), bubbles out, or won’t come out of the mold at all.
I recommend using a silicone cavity mold to completely bypass those issues. You can squish the mixture in each cavity and pop them out the next day—zero fuss and stress. The mold I used for these lavender bath bombs is heart-shaped, but you can use any that is the size of a standard cupcake. When using these molds, be aware that the back side will be flat, which can be ideal for displaying them on tables or other flat surfaces.
How to Use Lavender Bath Bombs
Lavender bath bombs take about a day to fully harden, after which they should be stored in an airtight container. If they come into contact with moist air or actual water, they can fizz and/or expand. It can degrade how they look and feel and even disintegrate. Large glass jars work well for storing bath bombs, and they look great inside, too. Unlike plastic, glass won’t pick up the scent of essential oils, so you can wash it out and use the jar for other things.
To use a lavender bath bomb, run a bath, then drop one into the water as you climb in. It will fizz and bubble, releasing lavender fragrance and conditioning oil. The lavender buds will also be set free and float on the water’s surface. Most of the bath bomb, including the flower buds, will drain out with the water when you’ve pulled the plug. You may need to be careful of slipping from the residual oil left on the tub, though. It may also be best to wipe and rinse the tub out afterward.
More Lavender Ideas
Before we move on to the recipe, I’d like to share some other lavender ideas. These will come in handy if you’re making handmade gifts that could be presented as sets.
For example, imagine a small gift bag of lavender bath bombs, soap, and a body balm. I’d be pleased with a gift like that—wouldn’t you? You could even use homegrown lavender for your recipes, making them even more special. If you don’t already grow it, here are tips for growing your own lavender.
- Lavender Body Balm Recipe
- Lavender Soap Recipe
- Lavender & Honey Cookie Recipe (so good!)
- More bath bomb recipes
How to Make Lavender Bath Bombs
Materials
To decorate
- 1 TBSP English lavender buds (dried) or flower heads
For the Bath Bomb Mix
- 2 cups baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) 556 g
- 1 cup citric acid 235 g
- 1 Tbsp sweet almond oil or lavender-infused oil / 13 g
- 25 drops lavender essential oil 1/4 tsp
- 1 tsp English lavender buds (dried) dried
- witch hazel in a small spray bottle
Instructions
- Sprinkle the decorative dried lavender buds into the bottom of each cavity of the silicone mold. Less is more.
- Place all the ingredients except the witch hazel and the second lot of lavender buds in a bowl. Use your fingertips to mix them thoroughly, break up any lumps, and fully incorporate the oils into the dry ingredients. I highly recommend wearing nitrile or latex gloves for this since the mixture can be drying on your skin.
- Spray a few mists of witch hazel and continue mixing with your hand. Add a few more sprays and mix. Keep repeating until you can squeeze a handful of the mixture, and it holds its form. You do not want the mix to be sopping wet, so spray just a little at a time.
- Pack the bath bomb mixture into each cavity of the mold. Press down firmly, and leave to harden overnight.
- Push the now-hardened bath bombs out of each cavity. You can use them right away, but they will last for at least six months if stored in an air-tight container.
Easy instructions, excellent outcome.
I filled the molds about halfway to allow for expansion. I also lightly spritzed each bomb and let the bomb sit in the mold for at least two days to harden before removing and filing the back of the bomb to smoothen it.
Hi, you mentioned a second lot of lavender. When are you adding a second amount after sprinkling some in the bottom of each mold. Thank you.
The first amount of lavender is mixed into the bath fizzy mixture. The second lot goes in the bottom of each mold.
I tried this recipe today. I like how it comes together with witch hazel. About two hours after finishing I noticed that the mix expanded out of the molds! Was this supposed to happen?
Hi Dotty, this can happen if you use too much witch hazel. You learn how much is enough with experience :) Don’t worry too much about the expansion, though, since the bath bombs will still be perfectly good to use!
Hi Tanya,
you’ve been an amazing inspiration for me to start a natural cosmetics business.
I have a question about the Witch Hazel in this recipe. I have looked everywhere trying to find Organic Witch Hazel, I also tried the one that you’ve hyperlinked to this article, the only problem – is they don’t deliver to the UK. So, I was wondering exactly is the role of Witch Hazel is in this recipe, and can I substitute it with something else?
Thank you so much for providing us with all these resources,
Ralitsa
Hi Ralitsa, many organic witch hazel products will not have the alcohol content that is needed for making bath bombs. That’s because true witch hazel is a distilled product (water-based hydrosol) from a shrubby tree and the witch hazel product that most of us know is that original product mixed with alcohol. If you use the hydrosol, the water content in it may cause the bath bomb mixture to fizz! I use this witch hazel from Naissance, but if you’d prefer, you can also use rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol).