# Solid bubble bars



## HomemadeBathGoodies

does anyone know of a good recipe for a solid bubble bar?

i dont want to use Cocamide DEA.

any advice how to avoid that product and still get a good bar that holds its shape.


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## rubyslippers

check out swiftcraftmonkey website.  She has recipes for bubble bars.


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## SudsyKat

Actually, the only recipe I found on Swift's site is for a syndet bar that ended up being an okay bubble bar, but didn't totally dissolve (which, in my book, makes it unsatisfactory). I also would love to have a good bubble bar recipe. AGriffin has a nice recipe on her site, but I found that when I made it (and perhaps I didn't do it right), it did not dissolve easily in the tub. I had to work it with my fingers quite a bit. So, I have yet to find a great recipe.


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## nattynoo

I gave up making them. I could just never get a good recipe that would give me bubbles like Lush ones do. 
There's a few recipes floating around.
Have you tried using the search feature on the site?? It should bring up a heap of stuff.... or google? In fact I found one on good old Utube as well.


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## agriffin

HomemadeBathGoodies said:
			
		

> does anyone know of a good recipe for a solid bubble bar?
> 
> i dont want to use Cocamide DEA.
> 
> any advice how to avoid that product and still get a good bar that holds its shape.



Why don't you want to use cocamide DEA?  Just wondering...

Are you going to use slsa?  That will give you your bubbles and you can use glycerin to bind everything together.  I don't like them with glycerin but I think that would be your only option if you didn't want to use a liquid surf.


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## HomemadeBathGoodies

cocamide DEA is bad for u. It is not a safe ingredient to use. I do make my bubble bars with glycerin and I will stick to that recipe. I do use SLSA for my bubbles. It is gentler than SLS. There is no evidence that SLS causes cancer, so SLSA is an alternative, it is alot milder to use, but I do know that it is drying to the skin.


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## agriffin

Try different liquid surfs and see which you like best.


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## carebear

is there evidence that cocamide DEA causes cancer?  or is it toxic in some other way?

all detergents, and soaps, are drying - their function is to remove oils...  some just do a better job of it than others.


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## HomemadeBathGoodies

I use this website to check how ingredients rate-up. 

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

i type in the name of the product ex: Cocamide DEA

and it tells you what they rate it: ex: it rates a 6 - fair

green - very good, no toxins
yellow -somewhat safe depending on usage
red - not tat safe

i like this site alot and use it to compare ingredients and things like that. hope it helps.


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## soapbuddy

I take that site with a grain of salt. There is a better one without all the scaremongering. When I get home tonight, I'll look for it and post it.


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## carebear

Oh. Them.  Scaremongering is their middle name.


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## soapbuddy

Found it! Here you go. http://personalcaretruth.com/


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## Guest

I found this one online.

Recipe for Bubble Bars
Difficulty: Easy
1/3 cup of cream of tartar 
1 cup of baking soda
1 cup of sodium lauryl sulfoacetate SLSA (powdered foaming agent) 
1/3 cup (more or less) of glycerin liquid 
A few drops of water-based soap colorant 
Fragrance or essential oil 
A loaf pan or other mold large enough to hold all the mixture

Step 1. Go shopping for your ingredients. Some you may already have in your pantry, and some you can pick up at your local grocery store. The rest can easily be purchased online at a soap making supply Web site (see below).

Step 2. You will need a clean, clutter free work space to make your handmade solid bubble bath. The kitchen counter or table works perfectly.

Step 3. Wash your hands thoroughly. You will be using them to mix and mold the solid bubble bath bars and you don’t want to transfer bacteria from your hands onto your handmade Christmas goodies. It’s also recommended to wear thin kitchen gloves if you’re worried about staining your hands when they come in contact with the liquid colorant. 

Step 4. Mix all of your dry ingredients into a large metal or glass mixing bowl. Using your hands as sifters, thoroughly blend the dry ingredients together and remove any lumps.

Step 5. Add your liquid colorant. Don’t add too much as even high quality soap colorant can stain tubs and skin if used in excess. Instead, aim for a light to medium pastel shade. It’s always nice to try and match your color with the fragrance you plan on using. For instance, if you're making Lavender scented bubble bath, use a little purple colorant.

Step 6. Add your fragrance. Start with approximately 25 drops of fragrance oil from an eye dropper and mix the “dough” well with your hands to incorporate the color and fragrance. Give your solid bubble bath a sniff test and add a little more fragrance if the scent isn’t strong enough for you.

Step 7. The last ingredient to be added is the liquid glycerin. Pour this in slowly, small amounts at a time, and mix thoroughly until the mixture holds together in your hand (similar to dough).

Step 8. You are now ready to transfer your solid bubble bath to a loaf pan. Press the bubble bath dough firmly into the loaf pan to help the mixture hold together better while drying. Let the dough sit in the loaf pan for approximately an hour to allow it to begin to set up.

Step 9. After an hour you can carefully remove the bubble bath loaf from the mold. If it is too dry and crumbly return the mixture to the bowl, add more liquid glycerin and mix thoroughly. Return to the loaf pan to set up for another hour. 

Step 10. Once the bubble bath loaf is firm enough you may begin to cut it into small cubes or slices. Use a sharp knife or a dough cutter and cut into either thin bread-like slices or into cubes approximately the size of a standard ice cube or a little larger.

Step 11. Place these pieces on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and allow them to cure and harden overnight.

Step 12. Once the solid bubble bath bars have hardened, they are ready to be wrapped. Use clear cellophane for wrapping to protect the solid bubble bath from humidity. Always store your solid bubble bars in a cool, dry place. Try to use within two to three months for best results.


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## Earthchild

Wow, thank you for posting that Bergamot & Bubbles (and great name).  I might have to give a bubble bar a try.


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## Guest

Here are some of the bubble bars and bath cookies I have been working on.






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## shadowdancer

I have used that recipe before, and found that unless you use them up really fast,they end up weeping.. so just wondering if you would be able to use water/glycerine mix, and see if that would prevent some of the weeping that they do despite wrapping in shrink wrap?


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## HomemadeBathGoodies

WOW..Bergamot & Bubbles
ure bubble bars are wonderful.


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## Guest

HomemadeBathGoodies said:
			
		

> WOW..Bergamot & Bubbles
> ure bubble bars are wonderful.



Thanks!


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## Guest

shadowdancer said:
			
		

> I have used that recipe before, and found that unless you use them up really fast,they end up weeping.. so just wondering if you would be able to use water/glycerine mix, and see if that would prevent some of the weeping that they do despite wrapping in shrink wrap?



No, I wouldn't do that. I would add a little cornstarch or kaolin clay to the recipe. That will eliminate the weeping.


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## busymakinsoap!

I found this one that look soooo cool (just like the lush ones) I really want to try it but can source SLS (**** living in a small country   )

http://purali.blogspot.com/2010/12/soli ... orial.html

I've never made a bubble bar but it looks super easy.  Any one have any ideas on how I could tweak the recipe to exclude SLS?


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## Guest

busymakinsoap! said:
			
		

> I found this one that look soooo cool (just like the lush ones) I really want to try it but can source SLS (**** living in a small country   )
> 
> http://purali.blogspot.com/2010/12/soli ... orial.html
> 
> I've never made a bubble bar but it looks super easy.  Any one have any ideas on how I could tweak the recipe to exclude SLS?



I have tried this recipe as well and worked well.

I replaced the SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfacte) with SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) in all of my recipes. SLSa is readily avialable at lots of suppliers sites. It can be found under the names SODIUM LAURYL SULFOACETATE or LANTHANOL LAL POWDER. Both SLES and SLSa work really well.


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## shadowdancer

Thanks for that Bergamot & Bubbles.  I might give that a try   might go check out that other recipe as well.    OOOOhhh can feel a good thing coming on!


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## SudsyKat

Bergamot & Bubbles said:
			
		

> busymakinsoap!":xud3qk3n]I found this one that look soooo cool (just like the lush ones) I really want to try it but can source SLS (**** living in a small country  :( )
> 
> [url="http://purali.blogspot.com/2010/12/solid-bubble-bath-tutorial.html said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://purali.blogspot.com/2010/12/soli ... orial.html[/url]
> 
> I have tried this recipe as well and worked well.
> 
> 
> 
> [/quote:xud3qk3n]
> 
> B&B - did you find that it dissolved by itself in running water or did you have to help it along with your fingers? Thanks!
Click to expand...


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## Guest

SudsyKat said:
			
		

> Bergamot & Bubbles said:
> 
> 
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> 
> busymakinsoap!":2rvznzu6]I found this one that look soooo cool (just like the lush ones) I really want to try it but can source SLS (**** living in a small country  :( )
> 
> [url="http://purali.blogspot.com/2010/12/solid-bubble-bath-tutorial.html said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://purali.blogspot.com/2010/12/soli ... orial.html[/url]
> 
> I have tried this recipe as well and worked well.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> B&B - did you find that it dissolved by itself in running water or did you have to help it along with your fingers? Thanks!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> [/quote:2rvznzu6]
> 
> You can't just drop it in the bath like a bath bomb. I crumbled them under the running water with my hand. The small crumbles that landed in the tub did dissolve during the course of the bath.
> 
> I do have a recipe for a foaming bath bomb (it contains a surfactant for the bubbles) if that is what you are looking for. I have not tried it yet but let me know if you would be interested in trying it.
Click to expand...


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## Midnightstorm

*Foaming Bath Bomb Recipe*

Hi Bergamot and Bubbles - I'd love to try your foaming bath bomb recipe. I have a regular bath bomb recipe that I usually use but I tried a bath bomb from Pier 1 that foamed and seemed to fizz forever, so I'd like to do a little experimenting with other recipes   

Thanks!


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## SudsyKat

I'm always up for new recipes and I'd love to try the foaming bath bomb. thanks!


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## Guest

I have not tried this yet so the recipe may need to be tweaked (maybe not). 

Foaming Bath Balls 
1 cup Citric Acid 
2.5 Cups Baking Soda 
1/4 cup of SLSa 
1/4 cup Cream of Tartar) 
1 teaspoon coconut oil 
1 spray bottle of Distilled Water, Floral Hydrosol, or Witch Hazel 
1/4 - 1/2 oz fragrance oil 

Step 1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. If coconut oil is solid, warm it in the microwave and then blend your fragrance oil into it. Add color, fragrance/coconut oil mixture, and any herbs if desired (like chamomile powder, rose petal powder, kaolin clay, etc.) 

Step 2. After you have your ingredients blended in your bowl, mist over the contents in the bowl with your water (or hydrosol or witch hazel), while continuing to mix well until you reach a ‘grainy’ or cornmeal type texture. 

Step 3. Test your bowl ingredients by taking a handful and squeezing hard. When you are at the point that your mixture will stick together when compressed, stop misting with the spray bottle of liquid. Your mixture must be damp enough to stick together when compressed, but not too wet 

Step 4. Using your mold such as a 2 piece plastic Christmas ball, scoop mixture up with both halves of the mold, overfilling both halves. Quickly press the two halves of the mold together, compressing the excess mixture into the center of the mold. Press hard and hold for about 15 to 20 seconds. 

Step 5. Gently release the two mold halves from your bath ball. If you have difficulty, tap each side gently with the back of a spoon. 

Step 6. Set bath ball to dry for 24 - 36 hours. When dry and hard, shrink wrap.


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## Midnightstorm

*Thanks*

Thank you for the recipe!


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## SudsyKat

Thanks! Can't wait to try it!


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## Midnightstorm

*Still Trying to Get a Good Bubble Bar Recipe Formulated*

Good morning everyone:

I have been working on bubble bars and after the first few batches I made, I have decided to leave glycerin out of my recipe. Lush Bubble Bars don't include it in their ingredient list AND my bars were tacky-feeling because of the glycerin. 

So in my last batch, I left out the glycerin, added a little more of my dry ingredients, and also left out Cream of Tartar (trying to save a bit on costs). 

That batch came out a little better in that they were no longer tacky-feeling, but that's about all the improvement I got. They still didn't crumble, and I still had to really work to mash the pieces between my fingers to get them to dissolve.

So it's back to the drawing board for me. I probably shouldn't have left out Cream of Tartar, I bet. And I'm also wondering if I need to add another dry ingredient into the mix . . . like corn starch or something. The only dry ingredients I use now are 8 oz  Baking Soda, 8 oz Lathanol LAL (SLSa) and 5.5 oz Cream of Tartar. 

Anyone have any helpful tips? I'm willing to do the legwork and make some failed batches, but in this economy, I can't afford to spend a fortune re-inventing the wheel. So I'm hoping to keep my experimental costs to somewhere under one million dollars ;-)

Thanks to the sweethearts who have already assisted me to give me a good starting point at which to begin my quest for a good Bubble Bar


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## krissy

i use this recipe from amanda's website. i ended up switching out the arrowroot powder for cornstarch and my bars came out very nicely.
http://www.lovinsoap.com/2011/02/valent ... bath-bars/


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## Midnightstorm

*Bubble Bars*

Hi Krissy:

So my next recipe might look something like this?  

100 g cornstarch 
100 g baking soda
50 g SLSa
100 g liquid surfactant

Which 'liquid surfactant' do you use? My original recipe called for both Cocamide DEA (2.4 oz) and Cocamidopropyl Betaine (2.2 oz). 

Thanks so much for your help!


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## krissy

i use the same one amanda uses.
http://www.ingredientstodiefor.com/item ... gory_id=35


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## Midnightstorm

So you don't use any Cocamide DEA or Cocamidopropyl Betaine at all? Hmmmm . . . I love the Lush ones and they use those two ingredients, which makes me think I need to use them as well. But if you don't use those ingredients, and you are happy with the ones you make, then that certainly makes me re-think my recipe. Interesting . . .  

So if you're pretty happy with your recipe, maybe I need to order some of the Sulfoacetate/Sulfosuccinate Blend and try it. 

I do have a question though, Amanda says "If I wanted more of a dough, then I almost have to double the Sulfoacetate/Sulfosuccinate Blend." Has that been your experience as well? Because I do want my bubble bars in a doughy texture so that I can work with them instead of pressing them into molds. 

Thanks for letting me pick your brain about this. I really REALLY appreciate it!


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## Kamela

Midnightstorm, I too have used Amanda's recipe for bubble bars and am looking for a more dough-like consistency.  I have had to add quite a bit more of the Sulfoacetate/Sulfosuccinate Blend to achieve this.  I love Lush's bubble bars and thats what I have always wanted to make but can't seem to get there just yet!  I wish there were more on the web about making them!


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## Midnightstorm

*Lush Top Secret Bubble Bar Recipe Wanted*

If only we knew the secret recipe!    

I read somewhere on one of the soap discussionboards about a person claiming to have once worked at Lush, but the recipe they gave for the Bubble Bars had several ingredients that were different than what Lush lists on their web site, so I don't really think that person knew the recipe. 

The recipe this person gave out had glycerin in it and Lush doesn't use glycerin because it's not on their ingredient list. The Lush Bubble Bars can sit out (unwrapped) in the air and don't sweat or get ruined. That's the texture I'm looking for.


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## krissy

this is my reply on Amanda's site about the bubble bars:

i just finished making these but i subbed out the arrow root powder for *cornstarch*. just that one change made such a difference in my outcome compared to yours. *i ended up with a moldable dough* that wasn’t sticky and held together perfectly instead of the more powdery mix that you have. funny cuz i was wanting the powder this time…
i love this recipe and am so excited that it works so well for me! thanks again Amanda!


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## SudsyKat

Has anyone tried this recipe? The person who posted it seems to have developed it by looking at Lush's ingredients and copying them.

http://elementalbathco.blogspot.com/2009/02/bubble-bars-solid-bubble-bath.html

Looks promising - I'll have to buy some tartaric acid. And just when I thought I owned every possible ingredient for every possible recipe, I find something I don't have. Darn it!!


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## Midnightstorm

No, I haven't tried this one but it's very similar to another one I have been looking at. The only difference in this new one you posted the link to is that it contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), which mine doesn't. A lot of people seem to be afraid of SLS and they use SLSa instead, but your recipe has both. I have the Tartar but not the SLS, so maybe I'll try to find it and try this recipe. It does look promising


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## alwaysme07

Thanks for the info, I will be making bubble bars. now have to buy more ingredients to make them.


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