Bath Bombs

A bath bomb, sometimes called a bath fizzie is a scented ball which, when placed in a full bathtub, bubbles and fizzes, scenting and colouring the bath water. more...

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They are mostly made up of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid; a bath bomb can be made of many colours and smells. Some bath bombs contain herbs and scents, used in aromatherapy, to give the same effect. Bath bombs are generally relaxing and some can even be therapeutic.

One common recipe is one part citric acid, to 2.0 -2.25 parts sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) + 1/2 tsp essential oil. Optionally you can use 1 part Corn starch or Epsom salts or sea salts, with powdered milk (for moisturizing skin)is also a variation. Try not to use salts for bath bombs made in small molds (stars, fine detail soap molds,ducks) because the grain is too coarse and will break off from finer points and edges.

To color the bath bombs, you can use dry or liquid food coloring (similar to what's used dying Easter Eggs or creating colored cake icing).

Assemble the dry ingredients and blend thoroughly. Then drizzle or spritz in the oil, and then moisten the mixture with witch hazel (separate spritzer is required), stirring constantly. When it gets to the be consistency of gourmet brown sugar (fluffy and clumping) and holds its shape, it's ready to be packed into molds. For subtle color effects put the food color in with the witch hazel - for bright colors add directly to the mixture and stir furiously to keep it from fizzing too much.

Leave it in the molds overnight (24 hours is better) and then tap the bombs/fizzies out the next day. If you need to, you can put them in the oven at 200 °F for 5-10 minutes to reduce the humidity and dry them out. The bombs will be affected by oils in them going rancid, so it's best to make only what you plan to use in the next month or give them away.

A great photo essay with notes on this process is here:

How They Work

When the bath bombs hit the water, the baking soda and citric acid dissociate and form an acid-base reaction, releasing carbon dioxide and water. This creates the \"fizzing\" action and makes the water feel effervescent while the reaction takes place.

Where To Find Them

Bath bombs/fizzies are usually found in natural or handmade bath product stores, such as Lush and Basin, though mass produced varieties also popping up in the skin-care aisle in pharmacies. They're also a popular DIY project for crafters, soapmakers, and kids because they are easy to make at home. Here is a pretty good Bath Bomb Recipe for making your own bath bombs.

History of Bath Bombs

A complete description of the history of bath bombs(bruisballen) can be found here: the complete history of bath bombs

Read more at Wikipedia.org