“Self-care” has really been a buzz word lately, hasn’t it? But, that’s for good reason, taking care of yourself really isn’t a luxury so much as it is a necessity. If you are at your wits end and have gotten to the point where you have started to “lose yourself” (you know, that moment when you say “wait, who am I anymore?!”) then you just can’t effectively serve/help/interact with the people around you!
Self-care can be as simple as locking the door when you shower so you won’t be interrupted, taking 15 minutes in the morning to enjoy your favorite beverage, or spending 5 minutes playing your favorite game on your phone while you wait for something to happen (like waiting for the kitchen timer to go off). It can also be extremely elaborate, like an entire spa day or going on a vacation (or daycation) by yourself!
These DIY aromatherapy bath bombs are somewhere in between the simple self-care and elaborate self-care. They feel extremely indulgent to use, but they only need about 20 minutes to assemble several of them and about a 20 minute bath to utilize them (though, I’ve found my baths last a tad longer when they feel this luxurious 😉 so, whatever you have time for).
DIY Aromatherapy Bath Bombs
What You Need
- silicone mold or other mold type (I used a silicon cupcake mold)
- glass, metal, or ceramic bowl (plastic can be damaged by essential oils)
- whisk or spoon to mix everything together
- disposable or reusable gloves (if you have sensitive skin)
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup citric acid
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/3 cup Epsom salt (sea salt may work, but I haven’t tested it)
- 1 tablespoon fractionated coconut oil (it’s always in a liquid state)
- 8-10 drops of your favorite essential oils
- 2 teaspoons of water (and more in a mister bottle)
Everything that I used to make these!
Instructions
Combine the dry ingredients – salt, baking soda, citric acid – in a large mixing bowl (glass, metal, or ceramic). Use the whisk to thoroughly combine them. If you have sensitive skin, be sure to wear gloves (and maybe even goggles) when measuring out the citric acid – when concentrated, citric acid can be a major skin irritant.
Combine the wet ingredients – fractionated coconut oil, essential oils, 2 teaspoons of water – in a smaller mixing bowl. The oils will float on top of the water, so I recommend thoroughly mixing the fractionated coconut oil and essential oils first. You do not have to add the 2 teaspoons of water to the same cup, but I recommend having it premeasured as it makes the next step much easier.
Start whisking the dry ingredients at a steady pace, continue doing this with one hand the entire time. Using your other hand, slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Be sure to continue whisking the entire time. The moisture will cause some fizzing, but stirring/whisking will help to stop the reaction.
The ingredients should start to clump together. You may want to switch to mixing with your hands if the whisk/spoon gets too clogged up. If more moisture is necessary, use the spray bottle to slowly add one spritz of water at a time (mixing thoroughly while you add it). Your mixture is wet enough when you can squish it together in your hand and it holds it’s shape. You do not want it to be too wet or the bath bomb will not fizz when added to bath water.
This is what will happen when the mixture is the correct consistency.
Grab handfuls of the mixture and firmly press it into the silicon mold. Firmly pack it. You will have to continue smashing it down for a few minutes as it will keep reacting to the moisture for a little while. After it stops reacting as much, set it aside in a cool dry place. Check on it every 30-60 minutes for a little while and repack it if it’s still reacting (it will start to puff out of the mold if it’s reacting).
Let it sit undisturbed for at least 24 hours to dry. The bigger the mold and less surface area exposed to the air, the longer it will take to dry. The molds I used took a week to dry (I also used too much water, oops). If you try to remove them before they’re totally dry, they will crumble apart, so it’s best to the err on the side of caution and let them dry at least 24 hours longer than you think they need.
Notes
- You can use a hard plastic mold, but removal is a lot more difficult. Since silicon molds are flexible, it’s easy to get the bombs out without breaking them. With a hard plastic mold, you have to use a spoon to gently tap around the edges to loosen it.
- If you don’t have fractionated coconut oil, or can’t use it, another vegetable based, cold-pressed “carrier oil” can be used (such as apricot kernel, jojoba, olive, avocado, nut oil, etc). You want a liquid oil that’s good for the skin. You could try it with melted coconut oil or another solid oil, but that may not turn out properly if it hardens too quickly – and I have no idea how it would impact dry time or use.
- My first time making these bath bombs, I used 7 drops of lavender essential oil and 3 drops of ylang ylang. I think I may need to tweak the ratio a little, but overall I was happy with it. This combination was great for my skin, and was very relaxing!
The bath bomb fizzing in the bathtub full of water.
These bath bombs fizz beautifully when dropped into the bathtub. Without any dye in them, it’s very difficult to photograph, however. You can try adding dye, with the wet ingredients, but I have no idea how that would work.
What is your favorite essential oil combination for these?
Finding Life's Silver Sun 