Fix for Shower Steamers

[babypickles2544]

Hello all,

I made shower steamers yesterday and when I unmolded them they crumbled like fairy dust. What can I add to make these hold a molded shape?

Shower Steamers

• 2 cups baking soda
• 1 cup citric acid
• 2 Oz kaolin clay or sugar (I used sugar as it is cheaper)
• 1 table spoon eucalyptus eo
• 1 tablespoon peppermint eo
• 1 table spoon lavender eo
• 2 table spoon methol crystals - I grinded these in my coffee grinder
• I added a touch of green food color

Mixed together and put in Christmas shaped molds.

 

[Obsidian]

When I make shower steamers, I just use baking soda, scent and a little rubbing alcohol to dampen it. They always dry really hard.
Seems like a waste of money to use the other additive just to rinse them down the drain.

 

[Misschief]

The recipe I use (from FB's MoonCake Cult group) uses rubbing alcohol to melt the menthol crystals and that is used to bind the steamers.

 

[Complexions]

I personally haven't seen using sugar as a substitute for kaolin clay. Kaolin clay is a good hardener, scent anchor, and good for the skin for bath bombs that you soak in, but expensive to go down the drain for a shower steamer. You can try leaving it out all together, or try cornstarch as a substitute. Also, you need to spray rubbing alcohol or witch hazel into the mix and mix in quickly to keep it from activating to use as a binder to make the mix a uniform damp sand consistency before molding. Just the EOs alone are usually not enough to moisture to make it all hold together.

 

[babypickles2544]

Thanks for the replies. I will probably try remolding the ones I have.