Bath Bomb Recipe Perfect Yesterday, Terrible Today!

[StuMur]

Your recipe looks good and corn starch isn't the problem. I think it's the EO's. (now you are probably more confused!).

Haha.. Yes, you're definitely right CW.. very confusing! Tbh, the only oil I used was a fragrance oil for the orange smell, and a dose of coconut oil for a binder and silky bath feel. The orange oil wasn't specifically called a fragrance oil, but it definitely was more that than an essential oil. It was only midrange quality too.. so I do understand that would be most of the problem. I think I'll switch to the much better BrambleBerry fragrant oil, and forget about using EO's entirely. And also switch the coconut oil to apricot kernel oil or similar for a binder. I hope that might work.. :-/

 

[sappington]

Like 2 parts baking soda, 1 part citric acid, and a teaspoon of cornstarch. Then mix in the fragranceoil/essential oil into the oil you are using (coconut may work just fine, but another oil may be a lighter choice, but it is all up to what you have and what you feel works for you.

Spray with a mix of water/alcohol, or just alcohol. I never use plain water in mine anymore, it makes my results way too variable, so now I spritz with rubbingalcohol and add my oils (sheabutter/cocoabutter) and fragrance/essential oils, and work everyting into a wet-sand paste. Working with smaller batches and working fast is my method of consistansy and success.

Do you use shea butter/cocoa butter in place of something like coconut oil?

 

[StuMur]

Do you use shea butter/cocoa butter in place of something like coconut oil?

I can do that??

 

[shunt2011]

I use cocoa butter in my BB's. You really need to do way more testing on your product before even considering selling. You need to know how much fragrance oils or essential oils are safe to use. You also need to make sure your product has a good shelf life. Once you are ready to sell make sure you have insurance. Huge liability if someone has a reaction or gets an infection. Not worth the risk.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

Do you use shea butter/cocoa butter in place of something like coconut oil?

Apologies for not seing this until now!

Yes I do : )
I mix everything really well with my hands, squishing and working it so it turns into a workable mixture, easy to press. And after three hours the fizzies are rock hard in normal, dry air, but fizzes like crazy in water.

I make sure I work the dough really well though, so the butter is evenly distributed without clumps of butters. When ready it is then easy to shape the fizzies.

What I especially like making them without water or alcohol, is that you get much more working time with it, it doesn`t dry out like it does with just water/alcohol as the liquid, and i you get less stress if doing larger batches.

 

[StuMur]

Yes I do : )

I make sure I work the dough really well though, so the butter is evenly distributed without clumps of butters. When ready it is then easy to shape the fizzies. What I especially like making them without water or alcohol, is that you get much more working time with it, it doesn`t dry out like it does with just water/alcohol as the liquid, and i you get less stress if doing larger batches.

Thank you MSH. In that case, where you mix without water OR alcohol, what do you use in their place to make the mixture a little moist? I've tried mixing without coconut oil or water or alcohol, but I can't get it wet enough to just want to stick together.. and I mix it all very well too! Perhaps it's because I add the citric acid last of all, so that I minimise any fluid-based fizzing reaction.. when I do this (ie adding the citric acid LAST instead of INITIALLY with the BiCarb), it always seems to be a much drier mixture - all things being equal otherwise. Not sure how to moisten it without adding water etc.. enough to clump. Is witch hazel used for moistening the mix, or hardening the mix?

 

[SunRiseArts]

I can do that??

You can use any oil you want

I would not use heavy oils, they might make them sink.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

Thank you MSH. In that case, where you mix without water OR alcohol, what do you use in their place to make the mixture a little moist? I've tried mixing without coconut oil or water or alcohol, but I can't get it wet enough to just want to stick together.. and I mix it all very well too! Perhaps it's because I add the citric acid last of all, so that I minimise any fluid-based fizzing reaction.. when I do this (ie adding the citric acid LAST instead of INITIALLY with the BiCarb), it always seems to be a much drier mixture - all things being equal otherwise. Not sure how to moisten it without adding water etc.. enough to clump. Is witch hazel used for moistening the mix, or hardening the mix?

You are welcome!

The witch hazel is for moistening the mix to get a wet-sand type of mixture. It is used in place of alcohol.

All I add in my mix is the melted sheabutter, polysorbate80 (up to 6%), and fragrance - either fragrance oil or essential oil.

Nothing more than that, no water, no alcohol, no nutti`n.

I add all powders together, I always add the citric acid together with the bicarb, I have never added it later, so I can not really say if it could be an issue in your case. I have seen youtubers that say they add all the wet into the bicarb mix (including color & fragrance) and then add the citric last, to prevent prematurly fizzing. But I have never felt the need to do that.

For what it`s worth, my mixture doesn`t really feel like that so called "wet sand" stage that I see people swear by. Mine is a tiny bit drier, but when I press it together using whatever mold it just sticks together and feel tight and quite solid, and it takes just a few hours before it feels rock hard and I can bang it together on the table without cracking or chipping.

ETA: I do use alcohol/water mixture when I make fizzies without the butters. I then use a teaspoon or two of other oils, lik almond, acocado etc. etc.