# Failed bath melts



## tinytreats (Oct 13, 2013)

I found this recipe for bath melts and I was so eager to try it out! The recipe Called for 60 grams of mango butter and cocoa butter and 30 grams of sweet almond oil. I put them in the freezer to let them harden and took them out 10 minutes later. They looked great! Then I let them come back to room temp and they turned to mush! Obviously they're too soft to hold shape because of the amount of liquid oil and mango butter. 

As for fixing this molten mess, how much more cocoa butter should add? I've seen other recipes for bath melts that call for only a teaspoon of liquid oil to a whopping 9 oz of cocoa butter. 


Sent from my iPad using Soap Making


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## Hazel (Oct 14, 2013)

I've never made bath melts with just butters and oils as the ingredients and I've only used mango butter in them. I didn't use any liquid oils.  So I'm just guessing that it would be better to have the cocoa butter to make up at least 50% of your recipe to increase firmness. Did you use 30 g of cocoa butter? I'd suggest trying 30 g more to see if this would make them firm enough. If it doesn't, then try another 30 g, etc. Once you get a batch which is firm enough, then you'll know the percentages required for the ingredients.


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## realyred1 (Jan 19, 2014)

I think you need an ingredient like beeswax or cocobutter so they stay solid before you put in tub, don't use a lot of wax, I would lean more to cocoa butter and it smells great too!


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## Hazel (Jan 19, 2014)

I wouldn't recommend beeswax for melts because I think it would make it hard to clean the tub. JMO and I might be wrong. Maybe somebody else will know for sure.


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## Miz Jenny (Jan 19, 2014)

Hazel said:


> I wouldn't recommend beeswax for melts because I think it would make it hard to clean the tub. JMO and I might be wrong. Maybe somebody else will know for sure.



Beeswax makes a huge mess: in the shower, tub and on bath towels. This is an educated statement.  :-D


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## lsg (Jan 19, 2014)

Here is a good place to start:

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/search?q=bath+melts


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## realyred1 (Jan 20, 2014)

I have used it, it does tend to make the bath melt last a long time, I think my last one I used cocoa butter, I also have one I make and I use baking soda and citric acid but I use a lot of butters with it so its a goopy mess then I pour into small molds, like an ice cube tray pop in freezer for about 30 min when they come out they are solid  and stash solid until ready to use, I just keep them in a glass jar until ready to use, I usually use eucalyptus so. They work great if your stuffed up, I will post the recipe when I find it in my notes, it won't leave you tub greasy or anything, and for the size of them they last a good time in the tub, just love them


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## cmzaha (Jan 20, 2014)

Miz Jenny said:


> Beeswax makes a huge mess: in the shower, tub and on bath towels. This is an educated statement. :-D


 LOL, don't you just hate finding out that way!!!:lolno:


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## Miz Jenny (Jan 20, 2014)

My only hope is to save someone else the mess, but I reckon the adage "live and learn" will rear its ugly head. LOL


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## marghewitt (Jan 20, 2014)

*Fizzing Bath Melts*

I use un-deoderized cocoa butter, baking soda, citric acid, Lavender EO and a touch of almond oil. The scent of chocolate and lavender is heaven! They fizz and melt in the tub and keep very well as long as you are not holding them because the do melt in your hands.


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## realyred1 (Jan 20, 2014)

If I can find my recipe they won't melt in your hands there like a cross between a fizzy and a melt. Actually I just found  a similar recipe I on line I will post in a min


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## realyred1 (Jan 20, 2014)

Ingredients:

2 Cups Baking Soda
1 Cup Citric Acid
4 oz. Cocoa Butter, Melted
1 oz Shea Butter, Melted
1 oz Sweet Almond Oil
1 oz Fragrance/Essential Oil*


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## realyred1 (Jan 20, 2014)

Its like a dough substance but you can mold it into any shape you like and rest on wax paper, if you use a mold make sure its a flexible. Silicone is the best. But don't use a solid one you will never get the out


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## realyred1 (Jan 20, 2014)

Hope that helps you they harden after a few hours too you don't have to wait over night like a bath bomb


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## jennb216 (Jan 23, 2014)

*bath melts*

I make these alot and this recipe works well for me

2 oz cocoa butter
2 oz shea butter
2tbl beeswax
1tbl carrier oil
EO of your choice

pop them in the freezer for about 20 minutes. I keep them in a jar in my bathroom until i am ready to use!


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## realyred1 (Jan 23, 2014)

So yours are more of a melt then, not a fizzy melt?  I had a recipe similar to that , but I use mine for a lotion bar, I think I may have had more beeswax  in mine, I may just try them out, did you have any problems with them melting in the summer months?


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## tinytreats (Jan 23, 2014)

Really red, I think I may try this recipes to see how it holds out. 
Jenb, did you have slickness in the tub when you use the beeswax in your melts? I'm hesitant to try with the beeswax. 

As for an update of what happened with me: I tried to fix the mess by having equal parts cocoa butter and mango butter. Added 2 parts baking soda and 1 part citric acid and a little bit of kaolin. It seemed promising until a week later. I had put the melts in little cupcake liners and added Royal Icing to the tops. The melts started oozing excess oils and left a huge mess in the pretty cello bag I had packed them in. The icing managed to slip right off as well as the liner. So I had to toss them. They were just a hot mess! 

But I did try the recipe one more time with a whole new batch, and it worked perfectly!


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## Clueless (Jan 23, 2014)

*Fizzin bath melts*

I use this recipe and it works great, made lots for my friends for Christmas gifts, they all loved them!  

http://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/recipe_fizzin_bath_melts.htm


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## realyred1 (Jan 24, 2014)

Tinytreats, I really like the recipe I posted because you have the option of molding them into any shape, or you can put them in a silicone mold, p!us if they are for kids you can tint them and the make the water fun, p!Lu's my kids seem to like that they are like bath fizzys, but they take a while to fizz, they don't fizzle out fast, so they are pretty, fun, the original recipe they were a lush copy of the melting snowman use chocolate chips for eyes and buttons and color some orange and use for the nose, or use candy ginger,nor you can get creative and make them into bath bomb shapes or any fun shape you vwant, you could even embed a toy in it easier than a bath bomb, you can get really creative, and your skin will love you, but just be careful getting out of the tub, because anything you add oils to for the bath tends to be a little sliuck,  but just rince tub with hot water after your bath


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## shunt2011 (Jan 24, 2014)

You are going to have an oily film on your tub due to the butter and oils.  I've tried several different recipes (butters/oil, butters/fizz type)  and can't stand the film left.  Plus they can make the tub slippery.   I thought about trying adding polysorbate to help but never got around to it.   They always look nice.


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## Hazel (Jan 24, 2014)

I've melted 5% ewax into the oils and it helped to eliminate the slipperiness._* 

@ realyred1*_

Did you get the recipe you posted above off another site? If so, it's internet etiquette to post the link or give credit.


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## realyred1 (Jan 25, 2014)

I find with even a lot of soaps they can leave a film, the trick is to have a fresh clean bathtub, so its whiney, and if you rince the tub right away after your bath there is no problem, yes your tub will be slippery while getting out, because of the butters in the tub, then rinse right away if done right after  its gone, I have been doing it for some time now, and I have sciatica and have to be careful of falls, I rinse right after the water goes down, if you leave the water and it sits for a while then you get the ring of scunge


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## realyred1 (Jan 25, 2014)

Clueless your recipe is very similar to my old one where you need a mold , I like it


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## realyred1 (Jan 25, 2014)

It was based on one I found but the one I posted was with me tweaking so the final recipe was mine


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## realyred1 (Jan 25, 2014)

Hazel, what kind of waxes did you use, beeswax or a soy ?


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## Hazel (Jan 25, 2014)

I don't use wax in melts. I use ewax (emulsifying wax) to make the oils/butters water soluble. Technically, I guess they're not water soluble but they mix with the water and don't form a film on top. Some people use polysorbate 80.



realyred1 said:


> It was based on one I found but the one I posted was with me tweaking so the final recipe was mine


Sorry! My bad!  I wondered because in the previous post you had  written you had found a similar recipe online and would post in a  minute. I didn't realize you meant you would post your own recipe.


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## realyred1 (Jan 26, 2014)

jennb216 said:


> I make these alot and this recipe works well for me
> 
> 2 oz cocoa butter
> 2 oz shea butter
> ...



Have you tried this recipe with different oils? Or adding different oils do you think it would still work, or be too oily, also your recipe would make a great solid lotion bar I think


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## realyred1 (Jan 26, 2014)

That's ok, I guess I should watch how I word things lol


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## realyred1 (Jan 26, 2014)

There's not much going on in these forums is there? You think everyone is still using the online site?


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## realyred1 (Jan 26, 2014)

Hazel said:


> I don't use wax in melts. I use ewax (emulsifying wax) to make the oils/butters water soluble. Technically, I guess they're not water soluble but they mix with the water and don't form a film on top. Some people use polysorbate 80.
> 
> 
> Sorry! My bad!  I wondered because in the previous post you had  written you had found a similar recipe online and would post in a  minute. I didn't realize you meant you would post your own recipe.



:-D that's my "like"


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## Hazel (Jan 26, 2014)

realyred1 said:


> There's not much going on in these forums is there? You think everyone is still using the online site?



What forum? Using what online site?


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## Stellagirl (Jan 26, 2014)

marghewitt said:


> I use un-deoderized cocoa butter, baking soda, citric acid, Lavender EO and a touch of almond oil. The scent of chocolate and lavender is heaven! They fizz and melt in the tub and keep very well as long as you are not holding them because the do melt in your hands.


I never thought of lavender and chocolate together! might have to try it!


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## realyred1 (Apr 11, 2014)

Hazel said:


> I don't use wax in melts. I use ewax (emulsifying wax) to make the oils/butters water soluble. Technically, I guess they're not water soluble but they mix with the water and don't form a film on top. Some people use polysorbate 80.
> 
> 
> Sorry! My bad!  I wondered because in the previous post you had  written you had found a similar recipe online and would post in a  minute. I didn't realize you meant you would post your own recipe.



Can you use gemol or whatever its called, its what you add to make water and oil mix I guess its an emulsifier as well


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## Hazel (Apr 11, 2014)

Do you mean a preservative like Germall? If so, you don't need a preservative for bath melts because you're not using water to make them. You could add tocopherol or rosemary oleoresin extract to help slow rancidity. Also, preservatives aren't emulsifiers.

I just re-read this topic because it's been so long, I'd forgotten it. Now I wish I had some natural cocoa butter and lavender EO like marghewitt mentioned. You people are a bad influence. I always want more supplies to try something different.


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