Bath Bombs are extremely popular right now... and I mean, what is there not to love about them? They take a relaxing bath and elevate it to an at-home spa night. Unfortunately, they are usually full of artificial fragrances, artificial colors and preservatives... not something I want my body to absorb during my bath... how about you?
Luckily, we can do better. By taking the base recipe of a bath bomb and adding in Nourishing Organic Coconut Oil, Healing Herbs of Lavender and Chamomile, Mineral Rich Clay and by using Organic Essential Oils to add a light scent, we can make a Bath Bomb that is actually good for you.
The Baking Soda and Citric Acid are the ingredients that give you the "Fizz" or "Bubbles" that are really the key of making a Bath Bomb. When these two are combined and then added to water, they undergo a chemical reaction producing lots of bubbles, which you see as the Bomb Bath dissolves in the water. Some Citric Acid is made by using GMO Sugar, so know your sources.
The Arrowroot Powder makes the Bath Bomb float on top of the water, making sure you get the full effect of all those bubbles. You can replace this ingredient with a Non GMO Cornstarch as well with the same affect.
The Epsom Salt helps soothe sore muscles, relieves pain and cramps.
The Dead Sea Salt w/ Kaolin Clay is something extra I like to add in because of it's high mineral content and ability to remove toxins from your body. Technically, you could just add your clay of choice to the ingredients above and have the same affect. I just happen to have this on hand.
I like to run the base ingredients through a spice grinder or coffee grinder to get a smoother texture. This step can be skipped if you don't have one on hand, but the end product might not turn out as well.
I just add ingredients to the grinder and run till smooth.
After grinding, I weigh each ingredient on a digital scale. I find zeroing out the scale after each ingredient is the each method of measuring them accurately.
I am making this batch Lavender and Chamomile scented, so at this point I like to take about a tsp of Chamomile Flowers and run them through the spice grinder. Remember you can customize the herbs and scent however you would like, I mix it up around here quite a bit.
Then just stir to combine the dry ingredients.
At this point I melt down the Coconut Oil and add it to the dry ingredients while stirring. Now, the measurement of Coconut Oil I have listed below is a guideline. Depending on your elevation, weather and humidity this measurement can change. So, pour a little and mix...
When it gets to the consistency of sand perfect for making sand castles, then you have hit the sweet spot.
A great way to test the texture is to take a handful and give it a squeeze in your hand. When it sticks together well, it's ready to go.
Then add about 20 drops of Organic Essential Oil of choice. I am using Organic Lavender on this batch. Stir to combine.
Now here comes the fun part, forming the Bath Bombs. There are Bath Bomb molds available all over the internet...but I prefer an ice cream scoop... yes, I said an ice cream scoop. I find that I can press the mixture into it firmly so it holds its shape. Plus, I can remove the Bath Bomb immediately and let it dry on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper rather then have to let it dry in the mold overnight. The scoop makes a pretty large Bath Bomb, I have also made smaller ones by using a 1 1/2 Tablespoon as well. Find an item that you like the size and shape of and give it a try. Silicone molds can be used as well but the mixture will need to dry in them overnight.
I like to add flower petals to the top of the Bath Bombs, it just makes them extra fancy... I do this by placing a sprinkle of petals of choice into the bottom of the scoop. I am using Rose Petals, Lavender Petals and Chamomile Petals on this batch.
Then place a handful of Bath Bomb mixture into the scoop. The trick to keep the petals neatly at the bottom is to sprinkle a bit of the mixture into the scoop first... then you can just dump the rest of the handful in.
Firmly press mixture into scoop with palm of hand.
Once you have done this the mixture will compress, just add more mixture and press with palm again until it looks like this ...
Then just turn it over onto your pan covered in parchment or wax paper and gently tap all over with the handle of a spoon...
and there you go, lovely aren't they???
8oz. Baking Soda
6oz. Citric Acid
2oz. Arrowroot Powder
2oz. Epsom Salt
2oz. Dead Sea Salt with Kaolin Clay
3TBL Organic Coconut Oil
1tsp. Chamomile Flowers
20 drops Organic Lavender Essential Oil
Flowers of choice for decoration
