bath bomb ingredients

[Jessrof]

So I am a complete newbie at bath bombs and just getting started... I have a question about ingredients and why or why not to use them.
Polysorbate? Why use it? I am trying to stick to all natural things....
Kaolin clay? I know it makes the bomb hard but when I made a practice bomb (citric acid and baking soda) it was pretty hard... Can I use any clay? (I have sea clay...)
How do I add oils? How much? I want to do either some grape seed or avocado oil as well as powdered goats milk. Is this possible?
Finally, how do I get the fizz to last longer? I love how long the lush bath bombs fizz but when I did the pure baking soda/citric acid one it fizzed out pretty quickly. I added some Epsom salts and it fizzed out even quicker...
Thank you for any help!

 

[innerdiva73]

Lush has other stuff in them that cause that reaction

Sodium Bicarbonate , Citric Acid , Cream of Tartar (Tartaric acid) , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Lavender Oil (Lavandula augustifolia) , Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax tonkinensis pierre) , Tonka Absolute (Dipteryx odorata) , Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata) , Lauryl Betaine , Cocamide DEA , *Coumarin , *Linalool , Fragrance , Propylene Glycol , FD&C Red No. 4 , D&C Red No. 33 , D&C Red No. 27 , FD&C Blue No. 1 , Iridescent Glitter (Polyethylene terephthalate and Acrylates copolymer)

They clays are good (any) but just remember to research them to get your desired result and in case someone asks you about them if you plan on selling or giving them away.

 

[lsg]

Here is my all-time favorite recipe. Choose your favorite Lush recipe and use additives similar to theirs only use the Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate for bubbles.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUTeFnauLK8[/ame]

 

[Robert]

So I am a complete newbie at bath bombs and just getting started... I have a question about ingredients and why or why not to use them.
Polysorbate? Why use it?

You would use that only if needed to disperse some water-insoluble ingredient in the bath water, such as an oil. Fragrance oils don't need such dispersal, since they're just going into the air anyway.

Kaolin clay? I know it makes the bomb hard but when I made a practice bomb (citric acid and baking soda) it was pretty hard... Can I use any clay? (I have sea clay...)

Bentonite clay might work too, but how hard do you need your bombs? Are you planning to ship them?

(Not a maven on the oils, so no comment on that.)

Finally, how do I get the fizz to last longer? I love how long the lush bath bombs fizz but when I did the pure baking soda/citric acid one it fizzed out pretty quickly. I added some Epsom salts and it fizzed out even quicker...

Some makers use cream of tartar, which may prolong the fizz, but you'll need to adjust the other acid in the recipe if you use it. Carbonated beverages sometimes use phosphates to prolong the fizz in the water; you might be able to get both a fizz-prolonging and water "softening" property that way. Lush may be encapsulating the powders in some way to get slower release; oils would probably help there.

 

[100%Natural]

If you're using say 1 Cup Citric Acid to 2 Cups Baking Soda, your bath bombs will fizz and will fizz well. The only thing I've found to stop them from fizzing like they should is if I add too much oils and if the humidity has gotten to them before I've had a chance to use them.

A good book to grab about Bath Bombs is Bath Bombs by Elaine Stewart. Lots of information in there regarding amounts of oils and botanicals to use and some really inspiring ideas.

 

[Jessrof]

Thanks! I do want to use some oils, but no polysorbate so air assume the oils will just sit on top of the water?

 

[Robert]

Thanks! I do want to use some oils, but no polysorbate so air assume the oils will just sit on top of the water?

Yes, and then onto skin as you emerge from the water--which is an effect that's usually sought with bath oil anyway. Also sticks to the tub, though.

I'd just like to remind other posters that Jessrof isn't having a problem with the amount of fizz the bomb produces, but the duration of the fizz. "This formula fizzes like crazy" often means it fizzes so fast its effect is used up quickly. In other words, she's looking for a way to slow its act down.

 

[lsg]

Jessrof, I don't know which Lush bath bomb you used, but some of them include tartaric acid in the formula. You can also use Turkey red oil, (sulfated Castor oil), in your bath bomb. Turkey red oil acts as an emulsifying agent for other oils so they won't coat your skin or the tub. There are a lot of recipes using Turkey red oil, just google "Turkey red oil and bath bomb recipe."

 

[savonierre]

Thanks for that video lsg..

 

[Jessrof]

Thank you for the clarification Robert! Yes, the reaction fizzles out too quickly. I will def try the turkey red oil!

 

[paillo]

I've used various clays in mine, clay provides a lovely natural color. My favorites for bath bombs are French Pink, French Green and French Yellow. I've also used Sea clay, Zeolite, and Kaolin.

Great tip on the Turkey red oil, thanks! Except I see this on one supplier's site: "Very irritating. NOT for direct use on the skin.
NOT recommended for persons with allergies to sulpha-based products." Any thoughts on this?

 

[lsg]

I am assuming the warning is for someone not to rub undiluted on the skin. You shouldn't use many ingredients undiluted on the skin including surfactants and essential oils. No more than is used in a bath bomb should not cause irritation. Of course one should always post a warning for customers to do a spot check on skin before using the product. So many bath and body ingredient suppliers sell it that I can't think it is harmful in bath bombs. If you look at the MSDS for many ingredients it would scare you. Here is one for cetyl alcohol.

http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9923363

Am I saying use Turkey red oil? Not at all, what I am saying is if after doing research, make your own decision and use it if you wish.

 

[paillo]

Thanks Isg, very sensible, ordering some today

 

[Robert]

Great tip on the Turkey red oil, thanks! Except I see this on one supplier's site: "Very irritating. NOT for direct use on the skin.

NOT recommended for persons with allergies to sulpha-based products." Any thoughts on this?

"Sulpha" or "sulfa" is usually slang for a class of antibacterial drugs, which is nothing like this, so that's a spurious term to use there. Turkey Red Oil is AFAIK the oldest sulfonated surfactant (unless you want to count the taurate compounds in bile salts), and I don't know of any "allergies" to sulfonated surfactants in general. I'm sure that as with anything, there could be people who have a rxn against TRO specifically. Of course you won't be using it directly on skin, although a tiny bit will touch the hand of the person who handles the bomb.

Using this to disperse the oil in bath water would be similar to using the polysorbate compound you mentioned above. I don't know of any large or even medium scale toiletry makers using TRO these days, so maybe polysorbates are superior, though I can't vouch for that. I can say that polysorbates would never be said by anyone to be "very irritating", but considering what that maker wrote about "sulpha", I'm not sure I trust that warning anyway.

 

[Loolee]

The other issue with not using the polysorbate is that the oils you use will make the tub slick and could possibly result in someone slipping. NOT good PR for your bath bombs! The polysorbate disperses the oils throughout the water and it rinses the oils away quite well without leaving the tub greasy.

 

[rainbowdrops31]

Hi, I have the same problem with the duration of my fizz, if I do a basic recipe bicarbonate and citric 2:1 my bomb fizzes like mad but not for that long:cry:

If I make a recipe with more citric and kaolin clay and polysorbate80 my bomb will fizz and foam and last ages and are rock hard.I just suppose I will have to mess around with my basic recipe :-|

I don't have much luck with the round bombs. :?