How to Make Amazing Homemade Bath Bombs

Susan has been an online writer for more than 6 years. She enjoys writing about DIY beauty products, among many other topics.

Welcome! In this step-by-step guide, you will learn how to make a variety of bath bombs, including:

• regular bombs
• seasonal scents
• orange and lemongrass
• rose
• lavender
• fresh pine or cotton

Pamper Yourself

Yes, bath bombs are definitely amazing and smell so nice! You simply throw one into your bath and it will fizz, make bubbles and release a truly refreshing scent. They really are a treat for anyone to use. After a hard day at work, you could have a bath, throw a lavender bath bomb in and unwind. Lavender is known to have relaxing properties, so having lavender in your bath would relax and soothe the body.

You don't need hard-to-find ingredients; some simple household items are all you need. Plus, you can mix and match colours and scents depending on what season it is (more on that below). So, for summer, you could make a rose one and colour it pink or red. Or for winter, you could make a cinnamon one. The choices are endless, and these bath bombs are so much fun to make—so why not have a go?

How to Make Bath Bombs

First, a note on ingredients: glycerine or vegetable oil?

Personally, I like to use glycerine as it softens my skin—not only do you get bubbles and fizz, but it works wonders on your skin, too! You can use vegetable oil if you prefer.

Standard Bath Bombs

The first step is to learn how to make simple ones. Once you can make these, you can add flowers, colours and oils to them to make a truly luxurious bath experience. Like I mentioned before, all you need are household ingredients. They are divided into dry ingredients and wet ingredients. Here are the things you will need:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 tablespoons citric acid
• 3.5 tablespoons cornstarch
• Food colouring: blue, yellow, red (learn to mix colours below)
• One essential oil. Choose from lemon, orange, lavender, Eucalyptus, etc.
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil or glycerine

Once you have your ingredients, here is what to do.

Instructions

1. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. First mix the citric acid, baking powder and corn starch together. The citric acid and baking powder make a chemical reaction when moisture comes in contact with them so those two ingredients are what will make the fizz for your bath bombs. Corn starch is known to help the mix stay together as it has binding properties. This will help your bath bombs from not falling apart.
2. Once you have your dry ingredients in a bowl, add the vegetable oil or glycerine to the mixture drop by drop, very slowly. If you add too quickly, it will cause the mixture to fizz and rise. Then, add your essential oil and food colour. Mix thoroughly. The mix should clump together if you press some of the mixture in your hand.
3. Now, quickly shape your bath fizz mix into balls and leave to set on brown non-stick paper. Or, you can add the mix to any mould you can find like ice cube moulds, bun moulds, cupcake moulds etc.
4. Leave them to harden for at least 30 hours to 48 hours.

Freshen yourself up with lemongrass and orange.

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Orange and Lemongrass

Depending on how you are feeling, or what season it is, you can tailor a bath bomb to suit the time of year by adding colours, flowers or scents. For example, during winter, you could add purple colouring, lavender essential oil and lavender flowers.

Here is a recipe for making orange and lemongrass ones, which have a refreshing scent and look amazing.

Ingredients

• 6 crushed vitamin C effervescent tablets
• 1/2 cup of baking soda
• 4 tablespoons of citric acid
• 4 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 3.5 tablespoons of glycerine
• Grated orange curd or skin
• Lemongrass essential oil

Instructions

1. First, add the dry ingredients together. So that means mix the crushed vitamin C effervescent, baking soda, corn starch and citric acid together. The vitamin C effervescent will produce a better fizz and will release an orange scent and colour!
2. Then, slowly add the glycerine or vegetable oil and mix. Add the orange curd and lemon grass essential oil. Mix together thoroughly. The mix should be soft and moist.
3. Begin to shape the mix into balls and place the balls on non-stick brown paper. They should harden within 30 to 48 hours.

Lavender

If you would like to have the ultimate spa treatment, you have got to try lavender. This recipe is one of my favourites, and it is perfect for aiding sleep. There is nothing better than having a hot bath and some lavender bath bombs to help you sleep!

• To make these, follow the standard recipe above but add 25 grams of lavender flowers, a few drops of lavender essential oil and a few drops of purple food colour (mix two drops of red food colour with three drops of blue colour and mix) instead.
• Alternately, you can skip the food colour and keep the bath bombs white, if you prefer.

Fresh pine is so refreshing and perfect if you need a cool breeze!

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Fresh Pine or Cotton

If you want something fresh and cool, try making some fresh pine or cotton bath bombs! You can colour them blue or white, and they release a truly refreshing scent when added to water!

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• Just follow the normal recipe and add either a fresh pine or cotton essential oil. These oils are available on Amazon and are included with the essential oil sets.

Rose or Floral

If you are a floral person, you may like to make something with a strong flowery scent, in which case I think rose would be perfect for you. Just having these dissolve in water makes you feel like you are walking through a garden! Rose oil is easily found on Amazon and can be bought with other floral essential oil sets.

• It is very easy to make. All you have to do is follow the standard recipe, then add a few drops of rose essential oil and some finely chopped rose petals, plus a red food colour (red, when mixed will form pink, add seven drops of red food colour for a deep red colour, three will give a pastel pink colour).

Other Scents and Colours to Try

How to Mix Food Colours

If you have the three primary food colours (red, yellow and blue), you can make at least twenty different colours. For example, if you want to make purple bath bombs, you will have to mix blue and red. Here is a guide to mixing colours:

• Red and yellow: orange
• Red and blue: purple
• Blue and yellow: green
• Three drops of red: pink
• Six drops of red: deep red

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2013 Susan W

Comments

Jan on November 01, 2015:

I also tried the bombs and followed recipe. Mine kept rising and caused a huge mess. Would you ever consider making a video that shows the correct consistency of mix? I clearly used too much liquid and didn't know it. Bummer! I realize the fizz won't be there, but the ingredients and scent are still good so I'll keep them as a bath additive. Any suggestion on texture of mixture to look for when mixing would help. Thank you so much!!

Polly on September 23, 2015:

I made these and let them sit for 3 days. They are still powder. I'm not sure what I could have done wrong? Any suggestions?

Jennifer on July 08, 2015:

I tried this last night and even though we added the glycerin drop by drop the bombs kept rising. Very frustrating as the result was a huge mess!

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on June 08, 2015:

Victoria - Wow, love the grapefruit recipe! Yeah, that recipe is about right and baking soda is perfect to use.

I'd love it if you wrote about this on your blog! As long as you link back to me, it's perfectly okay!

Let me know of the link to your blog post and I'll make sure to link to it here! Thanks! :-)

HerbalSoapLady on June 07, 2015:

I think you did a nice job of covering all the bases for making bath bombs, except for telling people to use food coloring for their colorants. You should only use skin safe, made for bath & body colorants, NOT food coloring. It is safe to eat yes, but not good for your skin. Use too much and you will color your skin and/or tub, not to mention that it could be an irritant for some people.

Aside from colorants sold specifically for soap making, you can also use clays, kelp or spirulina, vegetable powders and/or herb infused oils . These are all body safe and impart some good things into your bath as well.

Victoria on June 05, 2015:

I just made these! I made grapefruit ones, by adding grapefruit essential oil and made them a pink sunset color (pink+ a lil red & yellow). I followed the 1st recipe but it only made me 2 normal big size balls...does that sound right? (Like normal size as in lush bath bombs size lol) Also you said baking soda but then powder in recipe, is soda just fine? can't wait to test them in the bath! also, do you mind if I share on my blog?! I will claim its your recipe but I also explain my oils and mold I used etc :)

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on April 29, 2015:

peachpurple - Agreed! The bigger you make 'em though, the more likely they are to disintegrate. But if you make small and compact, they'll be enough for an entire bathtub.

peachy from Home Sweet Home on April 29, 2015:

these bath bombs look more like big size capsules and tablets!

Zara on March 04, 2015:

Im allergic to citric acid what could I use as a replacement!!

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on February 27, 2015:

Sarah - They'll keep for about one month at peak condition.

Sarah on February 27, 2015:

How long will these bath bombs keep? Should they be used within a certain time period?

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on February 05, 2015:

Kristen - Thanks so much for the great comments! Yes, bath bombs can be quite a delight. Once you try them, you'll never go back! :-)

Kristen Howe from Northeast Ohio on February 05, 2015:

I never heard of bath bombs before, since I've used to bubbles in the liquid and powder form. It sounds like fun. I do need to buy some ingredients at some point. Great hub!

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on February 04, 2015:

Flower CS - Thank you so much for the fantastic comments! "A colour explosion" is definitely a word I would use to describe them.

CL Mitchell - I am so glad that you are going to try these out. Yeah, I might do a YouTube instructional video in the future. It's a great suggestion so thank you for that! :-)

C L Mitchell on February 04, 2015:

You make it sound so easy that you've motivated me to try making them. They would make great gifts (for myself too!). I'm definitely bookmarking this for Christmas. I would love to see you do a youtube instructional video.

Lindsey A S from Delaware on February 03, 2015:

I have thought of doing this before but because I am crafty and thought this would be really fun to do!!! I think its amazing how the bath bombs are made at Lush they are a color explosion in the bathtub awesome fun and glitter! Plus you can make these cheaper normally, I am so glad you made this hub~

Kappygirl on February 03, 2015:

Thanks!

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on February 03, 2015:

Thanks for the great comments everyone!

Kappygirl - You can get Vitamin C tablets on Amazon or eBay. They are relatively easy to find.

Kappygirl on February 02, 2015:

This sounds great! I think I will try it. Question though--Where do I get the vitamin C effervescent tablets? I tried to scan comments but didn't see anything concerning this. Would this be Alka-Seltzer?

Thanks the article and instructions!

Brandon Hart from The Game on February 02, 2015:

I have never thought of making homemade bath bombs. Thanks for the hub.

Susan Trump from San Diego, California on January 25, 2015:

I like it.

Lindsey A S from Delaware on January 25, 2015:

Very Nicely Done, This piece was executed very well!!!! AMAZING FUN AND GORGEOUS GREAT PHOTO CHOICES!!!

Mary Ellen Block from Southern California on January 24, 2015:

Thanks for the great idea! This would make a great homemade present for a friend:)

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on January 24, 2015:

Thanks so much aesta1! I'm glad you enjoyed reading this.

Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on January 23, 2015:

Here's something I really want to make. I have lots of oil I buy when I travel which I can use to make these awesome bath bombs.

Camille Martin on December 12, 2014:

I just made some for the first time today using my doctor who silicone mold for a Christmas slumber party(In animal onesies) watching anime lol. We are a bunch of adult women and big geeks its going to be a lot of fun. I don't have a lot of money so I made the girls each a spa package with all sorts of my homemade products, homemade bath bombs, homemade Bath salts, homemade soap, homemade lip balm and homemade sugar scrubs. I would have made them homemade body lotion but sadly im out of olive oil and coconut oil right now.

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on December 07, 2014:

Marie - Thanks for the comments! I'm glad you enjoyed this. It's always nice to get such positive comments on my hubs!

Pat - Agreed! Bath bombs would be perfect gifts for Christmas or as a stocking filler. Their fizz and refreshing scent never fails to delight!

Pat Broker from Templeton, CA on December 06, 2014:

Love the recipes for bath bombs! They would make great gifts

Marie Gail Stratford from Kansas City, MO on October 29, 2014:

Good information but this Hub is going to be easier to find and to read if you do a careful proofread and edit to trim all the fluff. You also don't mention the brand of essential oils that you use. What works best?

Thanks for the information, and best wishes improving your Hub for visibility.

MG

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on October 27, 2014:

Alicia - Firstly, thanks for the questions!

The recipe yields about 10 medium sized bath bombs or 8 larger ones. To get the rounded bomb appearance, I suggest you place them into a bath bomb mold. You can buy these cheaply on Amazon.

Alicia on October 26, 2014:

How much does the recipe yield? How do you recommend getting that nice rounded bomb appearance?

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on October 11, 2014:

Lisa - Thank you very much! I'm really glad that you are making them for gifts, everyone loves bath bombs! I appreciate you trying these out.

Lisa on October 11, 2014:

The first time i tried these they foamed done them again pouring the liquid slowly and much better. We love these and the are making them as gifts for Christmas who doesn't love a bath bomb?

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on September 16, 2014:

Hana - I appreciate you trying this out, and thanks for the question!

Yes, bath bombs tend to foam and is a common problem that you'll find when making them. I think you may have added the glycerine too quickly to the mix - citric acid fizzes and bicarbonate foams when it comes in contact with liquid. Try adding the liquid slowly, bit by bit and make sure it doesn't foam when you do so.

If you are still puzzled, let me know here!

Hana on September 15, 2014:

I tried making these but for some reason the minute I put them into molds they started foaming slowly. Not sure what I did wrong.

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on June 06, 2014:

Hi Tiffany - Thank you for the visit and for the comments, I'm glad you liked this hub.

TiffanyLatte from USA on June 06, 2014:

Really lovve using these ideas, keep them coming.

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on April 24, 2014:

Hi Amanda! Thank you for the kind comments, I greatly appreciate them. I agree, bath bombs can be very expensive if you want to buy proper ones! They usually contain harsh chemicals too, which aren't natural. At least the ones mentioned here contain all natural and homemade ingredients. You also have the freedom of mixing your own scents and colours.

Thanks for the follow, I have followed you back. :)

Amanda from Michigan, United States on April 22, 2014:

I'm a big bath bomb fan, but wow are they expensive when bought in-store (at least they are expensive if you're buying good ones that don't fizz out in seconds!). I'd love to try making my own and this is so informative. Thanks.

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on April 12, 2014:

You have some great ideas there, Phyllis. Green apple is such a tasty, refreshing scent to try out, I am going to give it a shot. Lily sounds lovely too, like a walk in the garden with lots of lilies in bloom! Thanks for those ideas.

Phyllis Doyle Burns from High desert of Nevada. on April 12, 2014:

That is the best part, susi, to know they are completley natural. I would like to try green apple, lilac and a few other fragrances. Rose and lavender will be my favorites, though.

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on April 12, 2014:

Phyllis - Thank you so much for your wonderful comments, and for sharing this hub. I am warmed by your kind comments, as always. :)

I am glad that you are going to try making bath bombs, I am sure you will have a great finished product. I love watching them fizz in the bath, and to know that they are completely natural.

Thanks again!

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on April 12, 2014:

Vandynegl - Thank you for your positive and delightful comments, I am glad that this hub has inspired you to make some bath bombs. Yes, using natural colourings is a fantastic idea. I have written a new section as part of this hub with many plants, the natural dyes they contain and how to extract the dye from them.

For lavender bath bombs, I say that red cabbage works well, to give a dark pink/light purple hue. Good luck and thanks for dropping by!

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on April 12, 2014:

Prasetio - It is nice to see you stop by, thanks for the kind comments and the share. I am always happy to receive such positive feedback on my hubs so thank you very much! :)

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on April 12, 2014:

Midnight Bliss - Thank you for the lovely comments, Haydee! I am so glad that you liked this hub and that you will try making bath bombs out. It is a craft definitely worth your time and what a fun way to spend time! I agree, lavender and lemongrass are very appealing in both scent and colour. I will be making some lemongrass bath bombs soon, because it is Spring. Good luck on making them!

Phyllis Doyle Burns from High desert of Nevada. on April 12, 2014:

This is an easy to read "How To" and delightful. Your instructions are very helpful a the images you chose are good enticements to make bath bombs. I would like to make bombs with all the fragrances you listed, plus experiment with others. Thanks for writing the hub. Voted up and shared.

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on April 12, 2014:

Alicia - Thank you for the read and for the great comments, I am so happy that you enjoyed reading this. Making bath bombs are such a fun project to do, I agree, and my favourite part would probably be adding the scents and colours for creating unique bath bombs tailored to the season. Thank you for the share, always appreciated.

vandynegl from Ohio Valley on April 12, 2014:

This is very interesting, and I never heard of bath "bombs" before! I enjoy bath and body solutions that do not involve artificial colors or fragrances, so I think I would adapt some of your recipes without the food colors. I like the lavender the best! Thanks for sharing your tips!

prasetio30 from malang-indonesia on April 12, 2014:

Very informative hub. Nice recipe about how to make bath bombs. Good instruction. Thanks for sharing and voted up!

Prasetio

Haydee Anderson from Hermosa Beach on April 12, 2014:

Fun!!! I love creative stay-at-home projects and making bath bombs is a perfect addition to my long list of favorite to-dos. Although the lemongrass and lavender scented bath bombs are most appealing, overtime I think I will try them all. - Thanks for sharing!

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on April 11, 2014:

This is a great hub that contains some very useful bath bomb recipes, susi10! Making the bath bombs would be a fun project and using them would be a lovely experience. Thanks for the instructions. I'll share this hub.

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on February 28, 2014:

Thanks kerlund, sorry for the delay on my reply, I thought I replied but it didn't save or something. Anyway, this would be a great project for you and your kids to do, they will get to experiment with scents, colours and some kitchen science! You will love the actual bath bombs themselves, they are great in the bath.

kerlund74 from Sweden on February 16, 2014:

I love this, something I would like to do with my children. I always look for new ideas and this seems worth trying!

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on January 30, 2014:

Hi tutta,

Thank you so much for your amazing comments and for following me, I really appreciate it! Yes, these bath bombs would be great gifts for mothers or sisters. With some cellophane and ribbon, you can create a beautiful homemade gift for them.

I love relaxing in the bath too, especially with a fizzy and seasonal bath bomb! Glad you found it useful.

Tatiana from Florida on January 29, 2014:

Love this! These would make great gifts for my mom for mother's day or my sis-in-law for her birthday! Heck, or for me! I love relaxing in the tub! Great hub!

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on January 23, 2014:

Hi ignugent!

Thanks for the read and for your lovely comments, I appreciate your feedback. I will be adding photos to this hub too, to make following the steps easier.

Have a great day! :)

ignugent17 on January 21, 2014:

Very useful. I would be back if I am ready to make. Have a wonderful day. :-)

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on November 21, 2013:

Hi Flourish Anyway!

Thanks so much for reading this hub and leaving your comments, I really appreciate your response. I am so happy that you liked this hub, bath bombs are such a wonderful idea for gifts too, I think I'll make some in the run up to Christmas. My favourite kind of bath bombs are lavender bath bombs in Winter (great for a relaxing bath) and citrus or fresh pine in Summer, they are so refreshing! Thanks again!

FlourishAnyway from USA on November 18, 2013:

This is a fabulous idea, perfect for crafting with tweens and teens for holiday gift making and giving. They can be pretty pricey in the stores, but you provide a great alternative for DIY. I like all the options and the thought of customizing is neat, too. Voted up +++, sharing, and pinning.

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on August 12, 2013:

Nice to see you, WhiteMuse.

Thank you for reading about making bath bombs, I appreciate your visit. You should definitely try making bath bombs, they are so much fun to make and the choices are endless! You could make pink, rose scented bath bombs or lemon and orange bath bombs, the list is endless. The procedure is the same as making soap, only soap is harder to make. Thanks for the comment!

WhiteMuse on August 11, 2013:

I think I need the Happy Pill one. I love the Lush bombs idea. It is interesting to break it down for how to make them. I have seen books about making soap and I would like to try it.

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on August 07, 2013:

Hi Sally!

Thanks for reading, for the vote up and for the great comments! Yes, with Christmas around the corner, I will certainly be making bath bombs for my friends and family. I am glad you want to try making them, the best part is having the bath!

Sally Gulbrandsen from Norfolk on August 06, 2013:

Genius Suzi10 - what a great idea and Christmas is just around the corner! I simply adore a gorgeous relaxing bath - something I would definitely like to try. Voted up - really lovely.

Susan W (author) from The British Isles, Europe on August 06, 2013:

Hi rose-the planner,

Thank you very much for reading this bath bomb hub and for voting it up. I hope you try making them in the future, they are so much fun to make and you can give them as gifts, they would definitely look amazing if placed in a pretty jar, with a ribbon and label, as you suggested.

rose-the planner from Toronto, Ontario-Canada on August 05, 2013:

All of these bath bombs sound exquisite and divine. I actually like all of the scents so it would be hard for me to choose. The process in making them does not sound complicated. I think that these would make a great gift or party favour, especially if they are placed in an elegant box or a pretty jar with a tag and ribbon. Something else to put on my list of must try". Thank you for sharing! (Voted Up) -Rose