# Optimal Bath Bomb Humidity?



## bbr (Nov 28, 2017)

I'm having some issues. What else is new, right?

So, last post I was thinking that my bombs not sticking had something to do with the fact that I had changed out my CA for some random brand off of Amazon because the grains were very large. 

Well, then I tried another batch and it worked so I doubled it and it failed. -I learned not to double my receipe . 

Today, I went back to the original, good old stand by, and wouldn't you know it, it failed.  I've made a bunch of bombs with this recipe, and while it's never been absolutely perfect, it's held it's own as being the most okayest recipe I have. 

But lately, no wet sand feeling which is abnormal.

So I started thinking. :think::think::think:

It's not rained much around here in a long time. I live in central NC and it's always super humid here. Plus, it's winter now.  So I busted out my hygrometer and it says 55% humidity in the house.  Check out weather.com and it says it's 35% outside. 

Now, I tried adding alcohol to my failed batch and it didn't help...so what would? 

And what's the optimal humidity for bath bombs? I would have thought I was in the clear making them in the winter. 

Here's my recipe. 

3 cups Baking Soda
1.5 cups cornstarch
1.5 cups citric acid
3 tbsp cream of tartar

30 g cocoa butter
30 g mango butter
45 g rice bran oil
30 g fragranec
15 g distilled water
15 g alcohol

and I add citric acid at the very end to avoid activation.  Should I add it with my dry goods? Then add the wet?


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## Dahila (Nov 28, 2017)

I mix my powders dry powders add color mix again then use WH 50/50 I mean half of that is alcohol.  you spray lightly .  how much oil do you use for a cup of dry powder.  What you have here is 135 g when I would add only light oil or one butter at the amount of max of 50 oil and 10 of FO,  It is too much oil it will be hard but will it dry?  
When you need to double the recipe go with percentage it will never get wrong.  Percentage is the best option


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## bbr (Nov 29, 2017)

Dahila said:


> I mix my powders dry powders add color mix again then use WH 50/50 I mean half of that is alcohol.  you spray lightly .  how much oil do you use for a cup of dry powder.  What you have here is 135 g when I would add only light oil or one butter at the amount of max of 50 oil and 10 of FO,  It is too much oil it will be hard but will it dry?
> When you need to double the recipe go with percentage it will never get wrong.  Percentage is the best option



By doubling a recipe, aren't I already doubling it by 100%?

Since this is a recipe that I use a lot, I have doubts about the oils being the culprit, but am curious about how to do a oil-less bath bomb for future reference.


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## Dahila (Nov 29, 2017)

100 % is always 100% not 200


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## penelopejane (Nov 29, 2017)

bbr said:


> By doubling a recipe, aren't I already doubling it by 100%?
> 
> Since this is a recipe that I use a lot, I have doubts about the oils being the culprit, but am curious about how to do a oil-less bath bomb for future reference.



I think what Dahila is saying is that your recipe has way too much oil compared to what she uses.  Look at the following recipe.  It uses 3 teaspoons of oil for 2 cups of dry ingredients. 

http://diyprojectsforteens.com/diy-bath-bombs-recipe/

To find the % in a recipe add everything up get the total weight of the recipe including all ingredients.  That will be 100%,  So say you used 400g for all your ingredients.  
Ingredient A weighs 150g divide by 400 and multiply by 100 =  37.5% flour.  Do that for all your ingredients. 

Then you can easily scale up.


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## bbr (Nov 30, 2017)

penelopejane said:


> I think what Dahila is saying is that your recipe has way too much oil compared to what she uses.  Look at the following recipe.  It uses 3 teaspoons of oil for 2 cups of dry ingredients.
> 
> http://diyprojectsforteens.com/diy-bath-bombs-recipe/
> 
> ...



Ah! Thanks for explaining. I'll try that. 

I was thinking that if I just doubled the amounts from the original batch that it would work. 

Still curious about humidity.


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## penelopejane (Nov 30, 2017)

bbr said:


> Ah! Thanks for explaining. I'll try that.
> 
> I was thinking that if I just doubled the amounts from the original batch that it would work.
> 
> Still curious about humidity.



Sounds like your recipe needs some tweeking. 

Doubling any recipe will be too much. Maybe try 150% when you perfect your recipe. 
Bath bombs are tricky.  They need exact amounts of dry ingredients to moist ones.   You might even be better off making two of the exact same recipes one after the other.


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## Dahila (Nov 30, 2017)

Please do like Penelope said,  when you have percentage it is easy to change quantities, WSP have a percentage calculator on their sites ,  I used it before I got soapmaker


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