My bathbombs crack! WHY??

[WillZ]

I simply don't get why my bathbombs somtimes crack. I've searched the net, and come to the conclusion that they're either too dry or too wet, or maybe too hard packed or too soft. Can someone please tell me WHAT MAKES A BOMB CRACK (PLEASE).

 

[jcandleattic]

I simply don't get why my bathbombs somtimes crack. I've searched the net, and come to the conclusion that they're either too dry or too wet, or maybe too hard packed or too soft. Can someone please tell me WHAT MAKES A BOMB CRACK (PLEASE).

Everything you mentioned can make a bath bomb crack. They are very temperamental, and any change (in the weather, a slight gram or 2 off, the ambient temp in the room) can cause changes in the outcome of bath bombs.
What might be helpful is your full recipe, in what order you add your ingredients and your method of molding and drying the bombs.
With that information people might be able to get you close to the reason.

 

[WillZ]

4oz baking soda
2oz arrowroot
2oz citric acid
2oz epsom salt
1½ tsp water
enough essential oil to make it smell nice
1½ tsp olive oil
some soap coloring

I mix the dry engredients in a bowl, and the wet in a cup. I then add the wet to the dry until I can make the dry stick together when sqeezed. Normally I have liquid left over.
I then mold them, and remove the bomb from the mold straight away, and then leave them to dry. In about 30% of the time, I'll wake up next morning to see them cracked.

 

[shunt2011]

One recommendation is not to use water. Alcohol or witch hazel work better. I don’t use arrowroot or Epsom salts so that could possibly. Be attributing to your problem as well

 

[Lynnz]

I cannot help with your question but just wanted to say that Bathbombs are on my list of new things to try. Thought it would be nice to learn to make them with my daughter, she loves them and buys the L**H ones at quite a price! Have a few Lush dupes on the way from Nurture

 

[lsg]

I use melted cocoa butter, (no other liquid except EO or FO), for my bath bombs and have had no trouble with cracking.

 

[jcandleattic]

I also don't use water, but I do use witch hazel, and if I paint any mica on I use an alcohol based solution to paint the color on.

I also add the citric acid last to everything. I put all dry ingredients (save the ca) together, mix with the liquid phase, then after it's thoroughly mixed, I will add the CA, then if additional liquid is needed that's when I spritz with the witch hazel.

 

[WillZ]

Thanks all for your suggestions. I'll try witch hazel instead of water. Let you know how it goes.

 

[SideDoorSoaps]

I feel your pain! Mine cracked this week for the first time. and they were a weird gummy texture that I think was the FO. After I mixed together with my witch hazel, the mixture felt different.

 

[Ashley]

Newbie bath bomber! I have tried atleast 7 different batches with different recipes and only one has turned out right and that’s the original recipe I started off with. It oozed out of the molds some but came out perfect and smooth. I remade with the same original recipe a few days ago and the halves did not form together like they should, maybe too dry? But I made it EXACTLY like instructed to. The other batches always come out cracked, crumbly, grainy. I’ve put them in the stove(turned off) to dry, in the freezer, left them out. I don’t know what is going on. Can anyone modify my recipe to make them come out better? I live in south Alabama so it’s humid here all the time. I use
1c BS
1/4c CA
2 Tbs coconut oil
2 tsp WH
Spritz with WH/91% Alcohol mix if needed
1/4 c cornstarch
1/2 c Epsom
A few drops coloring
Enough EO to smell real good
Metal molds
Mix all dry (minus CA) with wet, then Add CA when throughly combined.

 

[Dahila]

salt attracts moisture and when they crack it is too much moisture, while they dry they crack. The feel of powders with (I use 50/50 which hazel+Rubbing alcohol) mixed and finished mix must be like wet sand, not to wet though, damp sand, When i make bb with Epsom salts I try to keep dry basement (my worshop is there) I had never used any stove method and do not have cracked bb. I use dehumidifier though.

 

[Ashley]

salt attracts moisture and when they crack it is too much moisture, while they dry they crack. The feel of powders with (I use 50/50 which hazel+Rubbing alcohol) mixed and finished mix must be like wet sand, not to wet though, damp sand, When i make bb with Epsom salts I try to keep dry basement (my worshop is there) I had never used any stove method and do not have cracked bb. I use dehumidifier though.

That’s just it, the last batch I made was “wet sand” and stayed clumped together when I squeezed and dropped it in the bowl. I’ll try eliminating the salt on the next batch.

 

[shunt2011]

Bath bombs are quirky beasts. Sometimes I can have great success others they are crap. Even with the same recipes and process. I think weather and gosh knows what else possesses them.

 

[Ashley]

Bath bombs are quirky beasts. Sometimes I can have great success others they are crap. Even with the same recipes and process. I think weather ant gosh knows what else possesses them.

It gets very frustrating lol. Is there anything I can do to the ones that have split in half to get them to form together so I’m not throwing away money and materials?

 

[shunt2011]

I would break them up really good and try again. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, depends on how old they are.

 

[lsg]

You can always break them up into small chunks and call them bath rocks.

 

[LilyJo]

Or into smaller pieces as bath powder or bath dust.

 

[Lin19687]

Weather and humidity play such a Huge role.

Try making a simple recipe without adding WH into the mix, but use a sprayer of 91% Alc to moisten the mixture
Get rid of Cornstarch and Salts and see how it goes --- you may have to lower the CO a bit too.

I am by no means good at these but after a month of searching, writing and thinking many say those 2 things are not worth it.

 

[Dahila]

That’s just it, the last batch I made was “wet sand” and stayed clumped together when I squeezed and dropped it in the bowl. I’ll try eliminating the salt on the next batch.

wow, today I am making ones with epsom salts it is Wilson but tweaked a lot. I hope it will be good
getting rid of Corn starch will make them heavy and sinkers

 

[Ashley]

I recently changed from cornstarch to kaolin clay and now they’re sinking. I’m not sure if it’s the clay or the coconut oil.
Recipe: 2 c BA
1 c CA
3 teaspoon kaolin clay
2 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 Tablespoon 91% RA
1 teaspoon Poly 80
Any advice?