# bath bomb crisis



## darkbanshee87 (Oct 3, 2015)

hey guys i need your bath bomb help ive been using the following recipe for about 4 days now :
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup epsom salt
1/2 cup corn flour
4 tbl spoons cream of tartar 
1 tblspoon water
2 teaspoon fragrance oil
food colouring
2 1/2 tblspoon olive oil

now can anyone help me the first day i had no molds so i used my measuring cup it cracked and when i chacked it later it was worse.
so next time i added more oil and water and the cracked was even worse when i checked.
then my molds arrived so i tried to rescue the last lot of cracked bath bombs by putting them in the molds and i am now struggling to get them out and when i try to force it abit the break in half then the rest of the mixure just falls out of the molds can someone please help me with my situation please i have no idea how to sort this out thanks emma


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## rparrny (Oct 3, 2015)

Too many ingredients IMHO.  Baking soda and Citric acid 2:1 is all you need and ditch the water...causes nothing but trouble.  I use witch hazel in a spray bottle until it looks like damp sand and will hold together when I grab a fistful.  There are colors that are made specifically for bath bombs that have no water or you can use a water soluble mica.  Fragrance or EOs...depends on the brand, I start at about 15 ml for a 3 cup batch and go from there.
You can find citric acid at Walmart in the canning section or any soaping supply site.
Try to keep any ingredient that has water in it out of your bomb.  As far as the oil...it's fine but it will leave a ring and can make the bathtub slippery so be warned.
Hope this helps


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## Stacy (Oct 3, 2015)

First I am not a bath bomb expert by far, and the only recipes I've ever use are citric acid and witch hazel based.

If  I understand your situation you're trying to remold bath bombs that  have already dried? Are you working with powder still or are they solid  bits?
If powder, my approach would be to re-wet the powder very  slightly to see if I could get it to stick together, but with already  adding more oil, I'm nor sure how much luck you're going to have.

You might consider a nice jar and scoop. even if they're not pretty shapes, it should still have the same effect!

Perhaps someone else can be of more help.


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## darkbanshee87 (Oct 3, 2015)

Ty for your input I'm in the UK so have none of the us shops do you have a full recipe I could try please

No they had not dried they were still a powder I no longer have that batch I need to start from scratch now just need to get the right recipe the one I used however was used on YouTube not sure why it worked for them and not me


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## Stacy (Oct 3, 2015)

This is the recipe I started with (again I haven't made a lot of these). I didn't do the frosted topping (I'm not big on the idea of soaking in sugar water but they _are_ very pretty). I did make them in silicone cupcake liners and they were really nice and hard.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_A9XvBVzNg[/ame]

There are lots of recipes out there on google but as rparrny said your big three ingredients are citric acid, witch hazel and no water. I'm in Canada, so I can't help you with a source of citric acid, but I've read it's used in canning so places with canning supplies sometimes carry it.


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## darkbanshee87 (Oct 3, 2015)

Ty Stacy I'll go have a look at that one


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## Unsaltedera (Oct 3, 2015)

Hi darkbanshee! Im new to this forum and soap making but not bath bomb making! You had too much liquid. I am guessing the food colouring was liquid to? Also how is the weather where you are?
Also how come there is no citric acid in your formula? Are you replacing the cream of tartar with it? Try more citric acid.

drop the oils in and mix and keep going and only place it in whatever thing you are shaping it in when it holds together.

I do not use any witch hazel in mine, and will send you a video of what mind looks like if you wish.
Just keep trying, they are tricky but somrewarding to bathe with!


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## darkbanshee87 (Oct 3, 2015)

The weather here is a bit on the rubbish side I dont know ware I can get citric acid it says chemist but here in the uk they dont sell that in a chemist and the colouring was a liquid yes


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## Dorymae (Oct 3, 2015)

Cream of tartar is what I use in bubble bars to help them crumble, I would eliminate it and the water.

Personally I use some oil, they help in the molding, however keep in mind too much lessens the fizz so find the happy medium.

You can not remold bath bombs after a fail, just crumble them into powder again and add them to bath salts for fizzy bath salts.

Oh and do use citric acid!  You need half as much as your baking soda for a good fizz.


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## darkbanshee87 (Oct 3, 2015)

Ty dorymae that helps alot


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## Susie (Oct 7, 2015)

Here is a link to citric acid on Amazon.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0057WGZVE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## darkbanshee87 (Oct 7, 2015)

Ty thats a good price cant get it from my local shops so internet it is


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Oct 7, 2015)

Did you notice that the suggested items to buy with it were for making bath bombs?


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## Susie (Oct 7, 2015)

Yep, colorants, splittable molds, bicarb...


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## darkbanshee87 (Oct 8, 2015)

I have now orderd some citric acid from amazon ty susie youve really helped

Ok guys so I redid the same recipe but swapped cream of tartar for acitric acid and the food colouring for soap colouring but the mixure still wont come out of the mold and is crumbly the only way I could do them is like this and im still not sure if its really worked what is witch hazel and were can I get it im gunno have to give it ago


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## Unsaltedera (Oct 10, 2015)

Two things i do. I usually lightly tap my molds with the back of a spoon, or even my whisk so that they come out whole, otherwise they will break, if you try doing it without releasing some tensions like the that first.

Secondly could be the cornflour makes them soft. In all cases I like to lightly spray mine with alcohol,when like that, then comes the next morning they will have hardened a bit. You may have to do it more than once, but leave them all ne while they do. 

If all fails, pack them as fizzing bath powder and pretend you meant having such a new product


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## darkbanshee87 (Oct 11, 2015)

Ty ive tapped the molds but no such luck


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## Rowan (Oct 11, 2015)

hi, I'm from the UK too. Locking at your recipe, IMHO you have too many ingredients. As the others have suggested I would take it back to basics and just try citric acid, bicarb, colour and your fragrance, using witch hazel or water to mix.  Think of it like an experiment. Start simply and see how this works. It should come out of your mould more easily. Then gradually tweak it by adding other ingredients, until you find the recipe you love.   I managed to get witch hazel from the chemist. There are lots of recipes for simple bath bombs on the Internet.  Holly Ports ebook is good too.


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## Unsaltedera (Oct 11, 2015)

My only guess is too much oil, and the epsom salts may have caused the mix to 'swell' in the mold.

It takes time to learn what works best with the type of atmosphere we are in.

Best thing to do is just break them out of the molds and use them as powder for now. Then next time do not leave the mix in the mold for more than 5 minutes or so. 
Do not worry you will eventually get there, just keep experimenting!


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## darkbanshee87 (Oct 11, 2015)

Ty guys ill try that


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## darkbanshee87 (Oct 11, 2015)

Bath bomb crisis has now been resolved thank you to everyone that has helped me in this issue I really am greatful this is what they now look like that I have got them done properly so pleased with the out come thanks again I removed the corn flour and epsom salt and oil and added a bit more water and it has turned out great


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## Unsaltedera (Oct 12, 2015)

Well done darkbanshee87! They are looking good, soon you will learn more and more tips and tricks on how to make them work best for you. They look very good.


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## LittleCrazyWolf (Oct 12, 2015)

They do look really nice and such a soft, pretty color! Great work!


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## darkbanshee87 (Oct 13, 2015)

Thanks guys


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## Wildcraft_Garden (Nov 1, 2015)

My first batch did that too, cracked and rock hard. Witch hazel and adding just enough liquid was key.


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## BWsoaps (Nov 1, 2015)

Beautiful


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## TBandCW (Nov 2, 2015)

Awesome!  That's what it takes, lots of trial and error and research.  
_Ask me how I know! :roll:_


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## commoncenz (Nov 6, 2015)

Heck (and that's not the word I wanna use), I've been fiddling around with trying to make these things for the last 3 days. Gradually upping the amount of dry mix and lowering the amount of liquid (oil). For something that looks sooooo easy, these things are working my nerves. LOL. And let's not talk about the amount of pressure you have to use to get the two halves to stick together when using a meatballer. I gave up and ordered some of the plastic molds.

Oh well ... on to batch number 6 later this evening. At least this gives me something to do while waiting for my shea and lye to arrive since I was kinda dumb and waited until I was almost out before ordering more.


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## yinepu (Nov 6, 2015)

I always add a little kaolin clay to mine.. makes them easier for me to mold and unmold


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## shunt2011 (Nov 6, 2015)

It took me two years to get some to work. Then they didn't sell well so I quit making them. Can't find the recipe I used so been working on them again for 4 months and think I may have it.


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## commoncenz (Nov 6, 2015)

Ahhh, so all is NOT lost. These things have had me going crazy. I didn't want to use one of the "Cup of this and Cup of that" recipes. I wanted to have my recipe broken down by percentages/weight. So, it's been "tweak this and tweak that". Especially when it comes to oils ... and I think I may be onto something with this last batch. Also read in an old thread from around 2009 that popping them into an oven can help. They said to pre-heat the oven to 170 F, turn it off and then pop your bombs into the oven for about 45 mins. I did all that except I only left the bombs in for 25 minutes and this last batch seemed to turn out ok. Of course, in the last batch I didn't add any Shea .. Just went with Apricot Oil.


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## yinepu (Nov 6, 2015)

commoncenz said:


> Ahhh, so all is NOT lost. These things have had me going crazy. I didn't want to use one of the "Cup of this and Cup of that" recipes. I wanted to have my recipe broken down by percentages/weight. So, it's been "tweak this and tweak that". Especially when it comes to oils ... and I think I may be onto something with this last batch. Also read in an old thread from around 2009 that popping them into an oven can help. They said to pre-heat the oven to 170 F, turn it off and then pop your bombs into the oven for about 45 mins. I did all that except I only left the bombs in for 25 minutes and this last batch seemed to turn out ok. Of course, in the last batch I didn't add any Shea .. Just went with Apricot Oil.



There's a recipe in this thread using percentages http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=28026

I don't use quite as much clay.. but it can give you a starting point


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## Misschief (Nov 6, 2015)

I've been making bath bombs off and on since... oh... 2001? I've always used this recipe and have always had good results. It's originally a Voyageur Soap & Candle recipe and it has never failed me.

https://stringthingstwo.wordpress.com/2015/03/01/how-to-make-bath-bombs/


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