# bath bomb by using Borax and Cornstarch



## pocalucha (Aug 18, 2010)

I found this warning on internet and I want to know if it is true:

Ingredients not to use

Borax:
Please don't use this. Borax (sodium borate) is used as ant poison. If ingested, it's toxic to your liver and kidneys. Eating it can cause liver cancer. Even if you don't drink your bathwater (and I hope you don't!), do you really want to take a bath in this?
Cornflour:
Gives the water a nice "soft" texture and makes your skin feel nice... but it feeds yeast infections. I'd give it a miss!


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## carebear (Aug 18, 2010)

Advice - you get what you pay for.

Borax - don't eat it and you should be fine.  and it doesn't feed yeast infections,

Cornstarch is fine in a bath.  Unless you keep getting yeast infections, don't sweat it.


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## pocalucha (Aug 18, 2010)

Thank you very much for your response. I have been researching how to make a bath bomb for my children and wanted to make sure that ingredients I use.
We appreciate if you could give other ingredients that could replace them.


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## carebear (Aug 18, 2010)

You don't need either, nor do you need to substitute for them.


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## Hazel (Aug 18, 2010)

You don't have to use cornstarch in bath bombs. You can just use citric acid and baking soda. I read somewhere that adding some kaolin clay will help make the bombs hard. I don't know what percentage of clay to the other two ingredients.

Maybe if you start out at approx 5% and see if this amount keeps them hard. If not, add 6% clay and see how they turn out. Sorry I can't help with percentage on clay but I haven't used it in bath bombs. I've only made tiny ones and they hold together just fine with only citric acid and baking soda.

Oops - I just saw that carebear already answered.


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## agriffin (Aug 19, 2010)

This really irritated me...

"Borax (sodium borate) is used as ant poison."

Let's use that same logic.
Chocolate and grapes are dog poison.
So don't eat chocolate or grapes.

Exactly, Hazel.  Use citric acid* and baking soda and go from there.  You can experiment with adding butters and oils as well.  

Good luck!

*Edited to change cornstarch to citric acid.


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## Tabitha (Aug 19, 2010)

> "Borax (sodium borate) is used as ant poison."
> 
> Let's use that same logic.
> Chocolate and grapes are dog poison.
> So don't eat chocolate or grapes.



Chocolate and dogs came to mind when I 1st read this thread too.


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## pocalucha (Aug 19, 2010)

My intention was not to irritate anyone. Just I was doing a research on how to make bath bombs and I found this observation.


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## pocalucha (Aug 19, 2010)

I'm new at this and I am just learning


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## agriffin (Aug 19, 2010)

pocalucha said:
			
		

> My intention was not to irritate anyone. Just I was doing a research on how to make bath bombs and I found this observation.



Oh no!  I'm so sorry!  YOU didn't irritate me.  People put information out on the web that is sometimes incorrect and plain absurb.  

My response was not directed towards you but towards whomever wrote that silly statement about borax and ants.    You asked if the statement is true.  No I don't think it is...and yes, statements like that are very irritating.

This is a great thread and a great topic.


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## pocalucha (Aug 19, 2010)

Thank you very much everybody. Today I will start doing my first steps in making bath bombs.


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## agriffin (Aug 19, 2010)

pocalucha said:
			
		

> Thank you very much everybody. Today I will start doing my first steps in making bath bombs.



Good luck and let us know how it goes!


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## carebear (Aug 19, 2010)

agriffin said:
			
		

> Exactly, Hazel.  Use cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) and baking soda and go from there.  You can experiment with adding butters and oils as well.
> 
> Good luck!



did you mean use citric acid and baking soda?


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## agriffin (Aug 19, 2010)

carebear said:
			
		

> agriffin said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



 
Lol, yes- thank you.


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## Hazel (Aug 19, 2010)

So you could use arrowroot powder in bath bombs? I had heard that adding cornstarch helps to soften the water. Since we have soft water, I never bothered with trying cornstarch. I had intended on using it to make body powder but it might be interesting to try it some bath fizzies. Although, I don't know what skin benefits it would have in a bath.

pocalucha - 

Don't worry about being irritating. I irritate people on this forum all the time.   

It's good to ask questions. How else can we learn and I've asked some stunningly idiotic questions. Also, there's a lot on the Internet that is incorrect and I've believed it until someone on the forum sets me straight.


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## agriffin (Aug 19, 2010)

Does arrowroot soften water also?  I thought it did, but googled and couldn't find anything.  Maybe it works like clay and helps bind the ingredients together a bit better.  The first recipe I used when making bath bombs had arrowroot...but now I want to know why.

I quit doing bathbombs awhile ago.  Texas humidity is just horrible.  Although I sometimes will make the mixture and package it in a jar with a scoop.  It still fun for kids and fizzes in the tub.


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## Hazel (Aug 19, 2010)

It might soften water but I don't know. I've read it can be soothing to some skin problems, kind of like oatmeal. 

Psst...but I saw that on the Internet so I don't know if it's true. More research is needed.  :wink:


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## agriffin (Aug 19, 2010)

Hazel said:
			
		

> It might soften water but I don't know. I've read it can be soothing to some skin problems, kind of like oatmeal.
> 
> Psst...but I saw that on the Internet so I don't know if it's true. More research is needed.  :wink:


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## AZ Soaper (Aug 21, 2010)

Chalk is also used to deter ants so you better not let your children play with it either! I said it on the internet so it is the truth.

Borax is a mined mineral that is actually natural. 

That being said i just make my bath boms with bakingsoda and citric acid.


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## Hazel (Aug 21, 2010)

Oh my!  :shock:  Hold on a minute while I dash over and remove the chalk from Junior's mouth. Sigh...I guess I can't use chalk as a pacifier anymore.

Thanks for the info, AZ!


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## Muzhik (Aug 21, 2010)

The original statement is also an errir ... errow ... eri ... that's also wrong in the first place.  While people may use Borax to deter ants, it is *Boric Acid* that is the poison.  And no, you should never use boric acid in your soap.  It is a totally different chemical from borax.


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## Hazel (Aug 21, 2010)

Muzhik, 

You're right! I totally missed that it didn't say boric acid. I even used boric acid years ago when I lived in this huge apartment complex. Not for ants...cockroaches...ewww!


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