DIY ESSENTIAL OIL BATH BOMBS

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DIY essential oils bath bombs are exactly what you need to re-create that spa-like environment in your home.

Making your own bath bombs is naturally a cheaper and healthier way to enjoy this fun product, compared to getting some from your local grocery store.

If you fancy giving these DIY essential oil bath bombs a try, then read this post for my best recipes and tips!

I’ll provide step by step instructions on how to make easy and fizzy bath bombs at home.

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Bath bombs are a great way to enjoy some me time at home, especially after a long week at work.

There is nothing more relaxing that a warm bath, after maybe lighting candles and turning on some soothing music, and just laying down while sipping some wine…..sounds divine, doesn’t it?

And why not treat yourself?

At the end of a very long day, after you have chauffeured your kids to their gymnastic and music lessons, after loading and unloading the dishwasher, and after the one hundredth load of laundry, you are absolutely craving some precious me-time.

I know. That’s me. Every. Single. Day!

So, if you are lucky, why not fill your bath tub with some deliciously warm water and add a gorgeous bath bomb to it?

WHY MAKE YOUR OWN DIY ESSENTIAL OIL BATH BOMBS?

Nothing says “spa” like a soak before bed. Even more so when you add the beneficial properties of essential oils to it!

And that’s why I’m a big fan of bath bombs!

But, bath bombs can be quite expensive if you get them from a store. You can be expected to pay anything between 10 and 20 Euros for a small selection of them.

Hence, making your own can help you save some hard earned cash.

DIY ESSENTIAL OIL BATH BOMBS

Homemade bath bombs are a natural and healthy alternative to the chemical loaded products you can get in any store.

Generally speaking, those items are filled with synthetic colours and fragrances, known to cause hormone disruptions.

ARE ARTIFICIAL FRAGRANCES HARMFUL?

For more info on the dangers of artificial fragrances, read my post:

BEST DIY NATURAL NON TOXIC HAND SOAP

On the other hand, when you make your own DIY products, you have total control over the ingredients used.

Furthermore, you can also choose one ingredient over another, based on your specific needs and tastes.

DIY ESSENTIAL OIL BATH BOMBS BENEFITS

Bath bombs are not only a nice addition to your daily routine. In truth, when you make your own bath bombs, they can have added health benefits as well.

Those beneficial properties come from the essential oils of course. Not only that: the Epsom salt and baking soda used in many DIY recipes will help your body detoxify.

Furthermore, the simple act of relaxing in warm water and breathing in the lovely aromas from the essential oils, will have a great impact on your stress levels and support a restful night.

Lastly, if you are feeling under the weather, and you are looking for relief from a congested nose, you could use oils such as Peppermint or Eucalyptus to help clear your airways.

bath bombs make lovely gifts 

DIY essential oil bath bombs make great gifts indeed.

You can make multiple batches at the same time, wrap them in lovely and colourful paper or maybe place them in a nice box, and give them to your loved ones or girlfriends.

These natural bath bombs are ideal for every occasion, whether it is for Valentine’s day, Mother’s day, a birthday, or even Christmas.

HOW TO MAKE BATH BOMBS

DIY essential oil bath bombs are very easy to make. After giving this DIY a try, I promise you will amazed at how simple and fun it is to create your own concoctions.

In addition to that, you can spend a lovely afternoon in the company of your children if you recruit them to be your little helpers.

what ingredients do you need to make DIY bath bombs?

In order to create DIY essential oil bath bombs, you will only need a few ingredients.

Depending on the DIY bath bomb recipes you use, you will need:

• baking soda;
• citric acid;
• corn starch;
• fractionated coconut oil (can be substituted for almond oil);
• a few drops of essential oils (or essential oil blend);
• Epsom salt (bath salts);
• natural colouring (optional);
• dried flowers or petals (optional).

ARE ESSENTIAL OILS SAFE IN BATH BOMBS?

Essential oils are very safe to use in any of you DIY beauty products. However, it is very important to follow some simple safety rules.

Firstly, and most importantly, you should only use pure essential oils.

If you are making DIY essential oil bath bombs for children or older people, you could just stick to milder oils, such as Lavender or Chamomile essential oil.

The same goes for people with very sensitive skin.

Alternatively, you could reduce the amount of essential oils used in the recipe.

If you are making bath bombs for yourself, it is best practice to use essential oils you have previously used. In that case you will be sure to avoid any skin reaction.

Furthermore, if you are making natural bath bombs using essential oils and have very sensitive skin, you might want to wear gloves while working on your DIY project.

WHAT ARE THE BEST ESSENTIAL OILS?

If you follow me along, you will know the answer to this question already.

In my modest opinion, there is no brand that provides essential oils of a higher quality and purity than Doterra.

I’ve been a fan of this brand for many years now, and I just can’t imagine using any other product. Doterra simply produces the best essential oils.

Yes, Doterra essential oils are not the cheapest. But I’m a firm believer that you can’t have high quality and purity, and demand low price tags as well.

When it comes to essentials oils, you certainly get what you pay for.

Why is it important to buy high quality essential oils?

Whenever you are purchasing products that you will use on your body, or when thinking of making DIY cleaning products to use around your home, it is very important to do your research.

Many essential oils companies claim to use only the best plants to extract their products, but that is not always the truth.

Furthermore, very often some brands label their oils as being 100% pure and unadulterated, but, again, that is seldom the case.

Due to gaps in our legislation, any company can bootle up some oils and call them pure and undiluted. They are indeed not obliged to fully disclose the list of the ingredients on the label.

Therefore consumers need to do their research before invest in one brand over another.

ARE DOTERRA ESSENTIAL OILS 100% PURE?

The answer, in short is yes!

Doterra only uses 100% pure, organic and undiluted essential oils in their bottles (unless you are buying a pre-diluted product, in which case the label will clearly state that there is also fractionated coconut oil in the bottle)!

You can read more here!

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THE COMPLETE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO ESSENTIAL OILS!

If you are interested in learning more about how you can: 

• Use essential oils safely and effectively in your home;
• Make your own DIY beauty products;
• Create all natural cleaning products for the entire home;
• Make your own blends to support your family’s health and wellbeing;
• Cook using essential oil to naturally flavour and enhance your food; 
• What are the various uses of a specific oil or blend;
• And much more;

Please visit my Etsy store and get my “THE COMPLETE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO ESSENTIAL OILS”!

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DIY ESSENTIAL OIL BATH BOMBS: FROM THE DOTERRA BLOG

You can read the following info about homemade bath bombs on the Doterra blog:

“Creating a spa-like environment in your home can easily be done using simple household ingredients and essential oils. Bath bombs are a fun way to add excitement to your senses while enjoying the benefits of essential oils. 

Bath bombs are excellent gifts for both adults and children. When making for kids, try adding some color to the mixture. Not only will they love that the water changes colors, but they’ll also love the fizz from the bath bomb.

Note: If you don’t have a bathtub, these bath bombs can still be effective in a shower. The water will help dissolve the bath bomb and release the aroma of the essential oils into the steam”.

what essential oILS MIX WELL TOGETHER FOR BATH BOMBS?

When it comes to create your own beauty products, the great advantage you have is that they are totally customisable to suit your needs and taste.

DIY essential oil bath bombs can be made using a large variety of essential oils, depending on what you want to use them for. For example you could add Lavender essential oil for relaxation or Peppermint essential oil for an invigorating effect.

Alternatively, when mixing 2 or more essential oils to make homemade bath bombs, you can just use what you are most drawn to.

Simply open a few bottles and while holding them together start smelling them from side to side. This way you will know if they blend together or not.

Here are some of my favourite oils to use in my DIY essential oil bath bombs:

• Lavender essential oil;
• Peppermint essential oil;
• Wild orange essential oil;
• Vetiver essential oil;
• Eucalyptus essential oil;

HOW TO USE BATH BOMBS

There is nothing difficult about using a bath bomb.

Fill your tub with warm water and then, just as you are ready to soak yourself in a relaxing bath, drop your DIY essential oil bath bomb in the water.

The baking soda and citric acid contained in the homemade version will create a little chemical reaction when in contact with water. The bath bomb will start to fizzle and slowly the essential oils will release a gorgeous aroma.

That’s it!

Now, get yourself a nice book or relaxing music and enjoy! 

HOW TO MAKE DIY ESSENTIAL OIL BATH BOMBS

Here is the basic recipe I always use.

It is also the recipe as shared on the Doterra blog.

INGREDIENTS:

You will need:

• Silicon or metal molds;
• 1 cup citric acid;
• ½ cup cornstarch;
• 1 cup baking soda;
• ½ cup of Fractionated Coconut Oil;
• 8–10 drops of your favorite essential oil or blend;
• Dried herbs, flower petals, food colouring (optional, but fancy!).

Instructions:

Place citric acid, baking soda, cornstarch, and oil in a medium size bowl.

Add 8 to 10 drops of essential oil or blend of choice. Then, slowly add the fractionated coconut oil.

Mix well with a spoon until a soft dough is formed. It should have the consistency of damp sand. If the mixture is too wet, try adding a little more baking soda and cornstarch until you reach the correct consistency. 

At this point, you may add food coloring, dried herbs, or flower petals to the mixture. Rose petals in my opinion add a classy touch to the finished product. However, this step is totally optional.

Place mixture in silicone moulds. Let sit 24 hours before removing from moulds.

To use, drop in a hot bath or shower and allow to dissolve.

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How to Make Bath Bombs with Essential Oils: a second recipe!

Although I really love the recipe shared above (from the Doterra website), I recently discovered this recipe from a great blog. 

The reason why I like this recipe is because it uses Epsom salt, for added detoxifying properties.

INGREDIENTS:

You will need:

• 1 cup of baking soda;
• 3/4 cup of citric acid;
• 3/4 cup of Epsom salts;
• 4 tablespoons of fractionated coconut oil;
• 1 tablespoon water in a spray bottle (optional);
• witch hazel (optional. Use it to substitute the water);
• 10-12 drops of essential oil or blend of choice;
• metal molds.

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, combine together baking soda, citric acid and Epsom salt.

You can use a fork to break up any clumps that might form.

Make sure to mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients: the fractionated coconut oil and the essential oils of your choice.

At this point, slowly add the wet ones to the dry ingredients.

If the mixture is too dry, you can add a little bit of water. Do not add too much liquid though! You are aiming at wet sand consistency. 

Fill your molds with this wet bath bomb mixture to get your preferred shape.

Leave it to dry overnight.

diy bath bomb recipes with essential oils

There are endless possibilities when it comes to choose what essential oils to use in your homemade bath bombs recipe.

Here’s a few suggestions.

RELAXATION

Lavender, Chamomile, Vetiver, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Peace blend.

RESPIRATORY SUPPORT

Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Air, Lemon and Lime.

SORE MUSCLE RUB

Peppermint, Rosemary, Lavender, Deep blue blend.

MOOD LIFTER

Lemon, Lime, Wild Orange, Bergamot, Citrus Bliss blend.

floral blend

Lavender, Geranium, Rose.

COMMON PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS WHEN MAKING DIY BATH BOMBS

When making your own beauty products, small issues can arise.

Here’s a little guide to some of the most common problems you can encounter.

THE BATH BOMB WON’T COME OUT OF THE MOLD

If that happens, gently tap on the sides of the molds before trying again. That should do the trick.

Alternatively, let the bath bombs dry a little longer.

WHAT IS THE RIGHT CONSISTENCY OF THE BATH BOMBS MIXTURE BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN THE MOLDS?

You are aiming at wet sand consistency: not too dry and not too wet. The mixture needs to be wet enough to hold the shape when pressed into your molds.

IS CITRIC ACID NECESSARY?

The Citric acid is what makes the bath bombs fizzy, so yes, it is a necessary ingredient. 

Why do bath bombs halves not stick together?

Bath bombs that do not hold together but fall apart, are the result of incorrect filling of the molds.

In many online tutorials you will be advised to press the mixture in each of the 2 halves and then to press them together.

Unfortunately that is the wrong away, as in doing so the 2 halves don’t even touch. Therefore they cannot stick together!

Instead, you need to overfill each half, and then press them together.

WHY DO BATH BOMBS CRACK? 

Several reasons can cause your homemade bath bombs to crack.

Firstly, it could be due to your mixture getting too dry while you are still working on your project. Remember to add just a little bit of water while mixing your ingredients, and aim for a wet sand consistency.

Secondly, when you are putting your mixture in the mold, make sure to press it firmly. Bath bombs can crack easily if the mixture is not pressed enough to make it hold its shape.

Lastly, make sure to let your bath bomb dry in a spot with not excessive moisture (for example, avoid the bathroom or near your cooker in the kitchen). Too much moisture in the air will cause the bath bombs to crack.

WHERE TO PLACE THE BATH BOMBS WHILE THEY ARE DRYING?

Following up from the previous point, it is very important to choose the right location  when deciding where to place your bath bombs while they are drying.

Avoid sunny areas and moist ones. Both the excessive heat and the extra moisture will interfere with the normal air-drying process needed to achieve the best bath bombs.

As a result, avoid the kitchen and/or the bathroom or laundry room (if you are lucky enough to have one!).

For best results, a dry, shaded and cool place is ideal. For example the family room, the pantry, or a bedroom.

Keep your bath bombs away from direct sunlight, so do not place them on a windowsill.

ARE METAL OR SILICON MOLDS BETTER FOR BATH BOMBS?

When it comes to buy the best molds for your DIY essential oil bath bombs, I always recommend to get stainless steel.

Stainless steel is very durable. Most importantly, essential oils cannot leach into it, leaving it virtually intact and ready for whatever you use you might have.

On the other hand, a plastic or silicon mold, can break or crack easily.

However, metal molds are more expensive, so if you are on a tight budget you might prefer to opt for plastic ones. 

If you really are on a pinch, you can use a muffin tin or ice cube trays as well.

DO HOMEMADE BATH BOMBS EXPIRE?

As with any homemade beauty product, bath bombs that only use natural ingredients and not artificial preservatives have a limited shelf life.

Generally speaking, you should discard them after 6 months max.

This rule applies only if you are storing them in the correct way of course.

Keep in mind that homemade bath bombs do slowly absorb moisture. Therefore, they start to lose their fizz and scent over time. 

HOW DO YOU STORE HOMEMADE BATH BOMBS?

As previously explained, you need to store your DIY essential oil bath bombs in a dry place, away from direct sunlight and excessive moisture.

Most importantly, you need to store them in an airtight container, such as a glass jar with a lid, or a food container. Zip lock plastic bags will work too.

A very good idea is to wrap your bath bombs individually in cling film or wrapping paper. This will prevent them from being exposed to moisture, and also will keep them neat and tidy in the container of your choice.

can you leave diy bath bombs out in the open?

Whatever way you decide to store your bath bombs, never leave them out in the open.

The baking soda will draw moisture from the air and they will lose their fizziness. Once your bath bombs have absorbed enough moisture, they won’t react, and they will lose their scent.

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If you liked this post, why not check “HOW TO MAKE A SUGAR BODY SCRUB”

HOW TO MAKE A SUGAR BODY SCRUB

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Well, I hope you enjoyed this post.

Also, let me know if you try my recipes. Please leave a comment in the below section and let me know what are the combinations you tried. I’d love to hear from you.

As always, feel free to get in touch if you need any help in getting started on your journey to a natural lifestyle. I’m here to help!

IMPORTANT: when using Essential Oils, make sure to use only CPTG Certified, Pure, Tested Grade ones, like Doterra Essential Oils. The content of this blog post and any information provided here has not been evaluated by any government entity or medical practitioner. It is NOT intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, illness or condition. It is NOT intended to be a substitute for medical counselling. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or suffering from any medical condition or illness or injury, you SHOULD consult a qualified healthcare professional before using any product.

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