It's difficult making something you don't use yourself!

[PuddinAndPeanuts]

I've started working on my bath bombs, and it's interesting (and challenging) to make a product I neither use nor enjoy. With other stuff, I can start with the question "what do I like/value in this thing I'm making?". When the answer is 'ugh! I hate 'em all!', that gets tough! The other problem is it's difficult to test it myself- I assure you- I will hate mine too! Luckily my friends teen daughter is a bath bomb addict; I strongly suspect she's going to be benefiting from this situation!

I will say in this situation in particular, reading former posts has been an amazing God-send. I've never had much luck doing searches for specific info here, but just reading every bath bomb related thread for the past 7 months has been phenomenally educational. Even topics that seem uninteresting and pointless often take informative turns.

 

[Susie]

Exactly! I am a dedicated shower gal, and I would never, ever add a bath bomb to a tub of water I had any intention of sitting in, anyway. I have no one able/willing to take these and try them. I am seriously considering not carrying them if and when I sell.

However, this forum is a God-send. Loads of pertinent information hidden in every thread. To everyone who is brave enough to ask the questions, thank you! It helps tremendously! To everyone who has contributed to my knowledge, thank you! Literally every thing I know about bath bombs is from y'all!

 

[BattleGnome]

What about shower fizzies?

It's almost a bath bomb but at the same time not.

 

[navigator9]

I find it takes the joy out of making things when you don't actually like them yourself. Back when I was making jewelry, I enjoyed making funky, interesting pieces. But customers wanted beads on a string. So now I just make jewelry for myself, and I make what I like. So I know how you feel, and I hope you can find some way of enjoying the process, even it it's only to think of the pleasure people take when they use your bath bombs. I agree about bath bombs by the way. :Kitten Love:

 

[MySoapyHeart]

I don`t make bathbombs for myself, or others, seems no one I know really use those things, or even have a bathtub at all! Even if I had a bathtub (which I don`t) I am not sure if I would use a bathbomb myself.

I mean... after all, there are *cough* areas that are *cough* sensitive enough that I wouldn`t have exposed to essential oils, fragrance or even citric acid, no matter how small ammounts. I mean, water do get in every nook and cranny. I couldn`t see myself marinate in a bath for 15 minutes without isses after a while. But that`s probably just me.

Unless there are some rubber panties out there, that you put on? Like a tight and sealed swimmingcap for your... uhm, lower parts?? (Yeah, like I need anyting else in my life that enhance more of my jiggly bits.)

I digress!

So what I do instead is making them for the feet. It is like a footsoak, but in a solid form instead of a powder. A bath for the feet is something anyone can enjoy, even if all you have is a bucket with water, no need for fancy things.

And you can use essential oils at recommended ammounts that clear up the sinuses as well as make someone feel refreshed and happy. Lovely for the cold feet in winter!

I use half a teaspoon of essential oils in 1 teaspoon of carrier oil, which is enough to make 1 batch, that gives me 7 at a time. I dry them for 24 hours and wrap them tightly in shrinkwrap if they are larger ones, and cellophanebags if I give smaller ones. 1 foot soak weighs around 40-90 gram, depending on how I make them. Meaning - I sometimes make some smaller ones (40 gr.) so people can mix& match! If they want to mix 1 small lemon + one small peppermint, they can do that instead of using one larger one with only peppermint.

And the scent will hold up very well, mine smells lovely after 6 months (shrinkwrapped), and I have peppermint ones that I made over a year ago, it has faded with around 40% compared to the fresher ones. But that is still great after a full year, and no artificial fragrance in there either. (I do keep them i a bucket with a lid so I am sure that helps!)

Peppermint/Lemon/lime is my favourite, it is like therapy in solid form. And you can enjoy a good cup of tea while the bubbles tickle your feet.

They fizzle, bubble and are entertaining, and they are great stressrelievers for those who needs it! I have given away a TON of these, and the feedback is great.

Btw - I make in all types of shapes and forms.I made a pamphlet with ingredient, and instructions that were made with humor, so people can smile and enjoy the gift.

Here is what I currently made - I made a collage so it wouldn`t take up too much space. Bags have either lavenderbuds or Marygolds, and your suppose to dump everything in the bucked and steep your feet - like a bag of tea! : P

I am not sure this was helpfull, but just threw it out there just in case it was something that could inspire you in some way : )

 

[Susie]

What about shower fizzies?

It's almost a bath bomb but at the same time not.

I thought about them, and that may be the way I go.

Mysoapyheart-that is inspired! I can get behind those, as well. And BTW, I share your opinion on the bath and the bath bombs, ew!

 

[Luviesmom]

You all are killing me.. Bomb haters! :'(
I do understand some with sensitive lady parts want to avoid. Maybe I should make them just for men in a grenade form. Ha!

 

[Susie]

You all are killing me.. Bomb haters! :'(
I do understand some with sensitive lady parts want to avoid. Maybe I should make them just for men in a grenade form. Ha!

I just simply do not take sit down baths. It is nothing personal, I assure you!

 

[earlene]

But little girls love baths, at least my granddaughter always did. And it's because of her wanting to make Bath Bombs that I ever even learned. She still likes them, even though most of the time she only has time for a shower before school anymore. But week-ends, she likes a luxurious bath.

When traveling, I also love a luxurious bath with a bath bomb or even only bath salts. At home, my tub is too large and my hot water tank too small to make baths enticing, so I splurge when traveling whenever possible.

 

[Steve85569]

You all are killing me.. Bomb haters! :'(
I do understand some with sensitive lady parts want to avoid. Maybe I should make them just for men in a grenade form. Ha!

"Pull the pin and drop it in"

HA!
I just could not resist that one. It just popped out.:twisted::mrgreen:

 

[Dahila]

I make BB even my daughter loves them, we wanted to know what is the big deal and I took bath, for this reason. Nice. I do not put essential oils into them but FO. Never put peppermint EO, The bath is nice, I am a shower person so I take my shower with shower fizzies, and it is so good. All shower people would love it

 

[navigator9]

You all are killing me.. Bomb haters! :'(
I do understand some with sensitive lady parts want to avoid. Maybe I should make them just for men in a grenade form. Ha!

I'm sure there are some bath bombs I would love. Something relaxing with lavender or sandalwood maybe. I like bath salts. What I was talking about are bath bombs like these, that spin and twirl and shoot out rainbow neon colors and glitter. Well I suppose I may have liked them when I was a teenager. Wait...no, I wouldn't. LOL This is what I'm talking about.:shock: [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlSSSm5hs0E[/ame]

 

[makemineirish]

I understand that it is hard to feel motivated to make something that you do not enjoy. However, I think that in some ways it is easier. I adore baths, but am not so into the bath bombs. However, I have a couple of people on my Christmas list who love them. I think it makes it easier to objectively identify the failings and successes of a product when I do not have any real bias of my own. Rather than simply discerning whether I like or dislike the result, it forces me to isolate clear objectives (do not want residual oil/ botanicals left in the tub, need emollient oil to combat drying aspect of baking soda, etc).

It also helps me to re-frame the objective and look at it as a challenge: "I will make one so amazing that even I can love it (or at least tolerate it)." I do this with personally distasteful scents in B&B...and with ingredients in food. I am not on the tea tree, lavender, patchouli, or floral bandwagons. However, I utilize all of those FOs in unconventional mixes that please me and fulfill the disparate desires of my friends and family. Likewise, I experiment for a while to come up with a variety of methods to sneak nutrient-rich foods into a meal that I (or those I care for) are not so good about eating - dark leafy greens, nuts, FRESH garlic, forage fish. I now enjoy a kale Caesar salad that incorporates ALL of those ingredients, and no one is more startled than me.

As usual, I spent a couple of paragraphs articulating thoughts that could have been stated in a few sentences. I hope my rambling is useful to someone.

:bunny:

Save​

 

[MySoapyHeart]

As usual, I spent a couple of paragraphs articulating thoughts that could have been stated in a few sentences. I hope my rambling is useful to someone.

:bunny:

This is how I feel too.

I try soooo to make it short and sweet, and edit post over and over just to not make it a huge novel with me babbling away, but fail miserably.

Every time.

Thank you for making me feel less alone : D

Ps. No, you didn`t ramble at all : )

 

[PuddinAndPeanuts]

I find it takes the joy out of making things when you don't actually like them yourself. Back when I was making jewelry, I enjoyed making funky, interesting pieces. But customers wanted beads on a string. So now I just make jewelry for myself, and I make what I like. So I know how you feel, and I hope you can find some way of enjoying the process, even it it's only to think of the pleasure people take when they use your bath bombs. I agree about bath bombs by the way. :Kitten Love:

I actually almost always enjoy formulating. My process is to read and read and read. By the time I start, Every ingredient always has its own function and reason for being- I know why it's there, I know what logic says happens if there's more, less of it, or none at all. THIS is the best part.

But- it's difficult. I spent $32 at Lush on 4 bombs both to get inspired by the $$$ to be made and to use them. If success is measured in sales volume, then presumably those are the gold standard. So I use them and I will attempt to make bombs that I feel are icky in similar ways. Once I do that, I can hand them over to my friends daughter for her to test.

Navigator- you said you like making funky interesting jewelry. I'm right there with you! I do assemblage jewelry out of funky vintage weird stuff (military medals, pocket knives, opera glasses, old jewelry, etc). I find that being careful about the shows I do largely determines my success. I know what demographics work and which ones don't. Even then, I have a wide range of funky- from far out statement pieces to stuff more palatable to the less wildly imaginative. There's definitely a difference though between what I make to feed my soul and crap I make strictly to feed my wallet.