Oh, bath bombs. Bath Bombs add a hint of luxury to a warm bath. The fizzies feel like bathing in warm Champaign. The powders soften the water, bubbles caress your skin, and the oils have you leaving the bath moisturized and feeling silky smooth.  It certainly kicks bath time up a notch. You’ll want to add this homemade bath bomb recipe to your self-care routine.

In addition to the luxurious properties, bath bombs have health benefits. When an alkaline substance (like baking soda, the softening ingredient in bath bombs) is mixed with something acidic (such as citric acid, a fizzy ingredient in bath bombs), it neutralizes it. The pH level of your healthy lady parts (I only say that because using the medical term, vagina, offends some people) is typically between 3.5 to 4.5. If the pH level goes up or down, it could be responsible for a host of problems.  Sitting in an alkalizing bath soak helps level pH balance of the vagina.  Anyway…

Let’s get real, part of the luxury stems from the price of a bath bomb which can cost upwards of $9-$12 a piece or more if you go to Lush.  No one is taking a $10 bath every time. You can definitely make a batch of your own homemade bath bombs for the same price. Bath bombs are simple and relatively easy to make. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples in many homes, but make sure you have these on hand:

Baking Soda ($2 for 4 pounds at the Commissary)

The backbone of this recipe is alkalizing baking soda. It is a necessary complement to the acidic citric acid and part of the fizzing reaction.

Corn Starch ($1.13 for 1 pound at the Commissary)

Corn starch provides the silky feel that we all love from bath bombs.

Epsom Salt ($7 for 6 pounds at Walgreens)

This is used to draw out toxins from the body and soothe worn muscles. Stick to basic salt or take it up a notch with salt or another favorite salt option.

 Citric Acid ($10 for 2 pounds on Amazon)

I had to go to Amazon to get this ingredient. No one at drug stores even know what I was talking about when I asked for it. This is the ingredient that creates the fizzing property.

Cream of Tarter ($3 for 3.5 oz Hannaford’s Groccery)

This is optional but makes the sudsy properties.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate ($18.75/1 pound on Amazon)

I had to go to Amazon to get this ingredient. It makes bubbles and foams for a rich lather but still gentle on skin.

Oils (Ialready had on hand but approx. $7 for a bottle of Olive, cocoanut, or avocado oil at the grocery store)

Olive oil, avocado oil, almond oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, sea buckthorn seed oil, argon oil or apricot oil…pick one or several. You can even go synthetic with baby oil or other bath oils if you wish. These are all very versatile and you can pick any combination that you have on hand.

Essential oils (already had on hand but approx. $14 for 4 at TJ Maxx)

If you want your bath to explode in fragrance choose an essential oil. Some of my favorite essential oil combinations: Lavender & Vanilla or cotton candy & lemonade… just use your imagination!  Of course, you can always go scent free.

Food coloring (already had on hand but approx. $5 grocery store)

Use leftover Easter egg or Christmas cookie icing dye.  Or you can go powdered dye which works better for this project.

Molds (I already had them on hand but spend $20 max. You can find them in the Target dollar bins, Ikea, amazon, etc.)

Round metal molds exist that are marketed specifically for bath bombs. I’ve tried these and found that silicon modes are my preference. They have more uses than the round metal modes and they’re easier to remove

Homemade Bath Bomb Recipe Ingredients

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid 
• 1/2 cup Epsom salt
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• ½ cup  Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
• ¼ cup Cream of Tarter
• 2 TBSP oil of choice
• 30-40 drops of essential oils
• 2 tsp witch hazel (or water) plus a little more if needed, but not too much more because it’ll activate the citric acid.
• Food coloring

Homemade Bath Bomb Recipe Instructions

1. Combine dry ingredients (baking soda, Epsom salt, citric acid, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, cream of tartar, and cornstarch) in a large bowl and mix well until combined.
2. In a small bowl, combine the all the liquids.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients a few drops at a time. Mixing well at the same time.
4. Mixture should hold together like slightly wet sand when squeezed without crumbling. I recommend using a spray bottle with additional liquid to evenly add.
5. Press mixture into greased metal molds or silicon molds.  Let set for 24 hours or so until hardened.
6. Enjoy your bath time!