These bath bombs and shower fizzies are perfect for self-care or gifting. I’ve even created an adorable free printable label!
Bath Bombs and Shower Fizzies: Part 1
Homemade bath products are amazing and make for well-received gifts. Over the past month, I spent a lot of time testing recipes and now have tons of bath bombs and shower fizzies packaged up and ready for gifting! Join me for a quick list of recipes that molded well, stayed together, and produced an awesome fizz and aroma. If you are looking for some hostess, girlfriend or self-pampering gifts, these are a such a wonderful place to start.
To the bath bombs and shower fizzies… Today I’m going to be sharing the most simple mix I’ve tested repeatedly: simple because it uses the least amount of ingredients. Before we get to the recipe, I wanted to mention that I provide detailed instructions for making bath bombs, as well as a plethora of recipes and tips on my Exclusive Content for Email Subscribers page. There is just too much to put into a single post, so I’ve put the majority of the tips there and will be sharing additional recipes in future posts. If you are new to making bath fizzies, consider making it your starting point. To subscribe, just click here and you will get access to the link.
A few things included in the extras for subscribers:
- What molds should I use? What works, what doesn’t?
- Gloves, spoon, or whisk? Which is best to incorporate the ingredients and color to produce a lump-free, spot-free bath bomb?
- Color: what is the best colorant? How much should be used?
- What do you do when you mix won’t mold? Don’t toss it! Sometimes you can turn that failed recipe into wonderful bath bombs and shower fizzies!
Supplies
The supplies for this ‘oil-free’ bath bomb are:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup citric acid
- 15-20 drops essential oil** (can be a combination of oils); for this layered look, I used vanilla and lemon essential oils and only colored half the mix
- a glass (or metal) bowl
- a spray bottle of witch hazel (you’ll only need a very small amount, so phone-a-friend if you don’t have any on hand)
- coloring, optional – I use gel colorants from the craft store (Wilton brand)
To save money, pick up all of these supplies on Amazon (get the baking soda at Costco):
Instructions
**Just a quick note on the use of essential oils on children: While some sources (and manufacturers) of essential oils state their use is safe for children under 12, please note that other sources do not, namely Essential Oil Safety, a definitive resource for health care professionals and a highly referenced EO text. An excerpt of this book (and the use of essential oils on children) can be found here, and specifically cites eucalyptus and peppermint (among others) are not to be used on young children. If you want cited studies, click here. We choose not to use eucalyptus and peppermint, among others, with our three year old – I am specifically calling out peppermint and eucalyptus because they are so widely referenced with regards to children.
Mix the dry ingredients together (baking soda and citric acid). Mix the essential oil and colorants into the dry ingredients. Add a small amount of coloring (notice I had a toothpick for the gel coloring) – a small amount will go a long way. Yes, that’s purple coloring – you’re so observant – I needed to use my photos from my lavender batch using this recipe because the light was better. Use your hands to incorporate the oils and color very well.
Note: if you want two (or three) colors, separate your mix after adding the oils. Color half and then layer them after they are moistened with the witch hazel.
Use your spray bottle to add the witch hazel to the top of the mix. If you have a large bottle like mine, spray two to three times and then mix it for a solid minute or two before spraying again. If you’re using one of the 3-4 inch spray bottles (travel size), use about 5-8 sprays and then mix. Mix it well, using your gloved hands to get the witch hazel off the sides of the bowl.
When it sticks together without crumbling (photo below) you can begin packing it into your mold. Push it down with your thumb or a tamper, just get it in there tightly. I used the photo from my lavender batch because it was the best shot to show you that the mix is mostly sticking together.
If you are using a full circle mold, stuff the mix in, pack it down, and then add a heaping amount to the top. Squish the two pieces together until the mold is a sphere again, and leave it for about a minute before you remove it from the mold gently. Drape a towel over a muffin tin and place the bath bomb on top of the towel.
If you are using a half circle mold, pack it in and rest it in a muffin tin, flat side up. If you are using a hard silicone mold (not soft), leave it over night before attempting to remove. I like the two colored look using half of the ornament mold, so I layered yellow, then white, and topped with a bit of yellow again.
I put this recipe to the test, just like the other two that I am sharing in this series. I made multiple batches of each, and can safely say that this one works best when left in the molds for a full 24 hours. They aren’t ready for packing at that point – they should be left to dry for at least another 24, but I would suggest 48. This works well for the half ornaments and shapes, but I haven’t tried leaving the full sphere in the mold for more than an hour yet – that’s my next test batch – but read below for more on this.
PROS:
This simple recipe is by far the most fool-proof that I’ve tested. I have made this recipe repeatedly with no errors and have dubbed it the ‘easiest to reproduce consistently.’
Also, this one is great for the majority of us because one doesn’t need a lot of supplies to make bath bombs and shower fizzies that really put out the bubbles and aroma!
CONS:
You will tie up your molds for a day. If you are making a large number of favors, this might not be the best recipe.
Additionally, it takes about 30-45 seconds of constant attention to get them out of the mold (a few massages and taps with the back of the spoon got mine out with absolutely no breakage). I really liked these in the half ornaments and some smaller shapes but haven’t yet tried it with the full sphere because I think it would just result in a study in frustration. Some of the recipes I’m sharing with oils in them would work better for the full sphere shape, a la the humongous LUSH bath bombs.
Bath bombs are a great gift to give or receive – they always smell so nice and can be used for a mental break. If you (or your gift recipient) isn’t into taking baths, you can do what I do on occasion: drop one in the bottom of the shower and let it release all of the yummy smelling ‘insta-mind-vacation’ goodness.
Shower Fizzies for Stuffy Heads and Coughs
Sometimes the cold and flu season passes without incident and other times it kicks you (or the whole family) in the can. If you or your kids are sick, consider putting together these simple homemade shower soothers for coughs and colds from Gym. Craft. Laundry.
DIY Gift Bath Bombs and Shower Fizzies
I have named my vanilla / lemon combination, “Sweet Shoppe Lemon Drop,” and created a little wrap to jazz it up a bit. I have included a free printable: a PNG file that can be easily sized for your bath bombs or shower fizzies. Pair it up with a simple bath accessory and you have a sweet, citrus-smelling luxurious gift!
One more thing before we’re through here – go ahead and heat shrink these into a cello bag. Doing so makes them look nice, doesn’t it? It’s not hard to do and you don’t need any special equipment, although I commandeered my hubby’s heat gun to wrap all of this weekend’s batches. I include instructions in my exclusive content section for packaging and heat shrinking these bath bombs and shower fizzies. If you’d like access, click here.
If you feel inclined to do so, click on that handy-dandy (and kind creepy) list of floating sharing buttons on the left, and share to Pinterest. After all, they’re there to share!
Perhaps you’re looking for more handmade gifts or favor ideas? How about checking out our handmade gifts page or some of our other bath and beauty projects:
Lavender Bath Bombs 
Peppermint Bath Bomb Recipe 
Lemon Vanilla Bath Bombs 
for Disney Avengers Movie 
DIY Easter Bath Bombs 
Bath Bombs: Simple Recipe 
Bath Bombs: Epsom Salt Recipe 
Bath Bombs: Moisturizing Recipe 
Easter Egg Bath Fizzies 
Rainbow Bath Salts 
Bath Tea Recipe and Bonus! 
Three Foot Soak Recipes 
Mother's Day Foot Soak 
Lavender and Rose Water Dry Scalp Remedy 
Spa Day with Kids 
Get More Sleep Naturally Part 1: Insomnia and Stress 
Avengers Bath Salts 
Monica @HappyandBlessedHome.com says
Our bathtub is out of order. But when it’s fixed, I am totally making these!
Jen says
I love lemon smelling things, that essential oil smell is one of my favorites! I have a birthday party for a friend next week and this would be perfect! I even have most everything sitting in my cabinets.
Just pinned!
Jen invites you to read Mommy Reality #26: Breaking Bads
Winnie says
I LOVE bath-bombs, and buy them all the time
Never though of making them myself
Pinning!
Sarah Nenni-Daher says
Thank you so much for the pin, Winnie. It is amazing to me that you can make them (and without all the chemicals that some companies put into theirs). I can’t wait to see what other bath products I can make.
agy says
Wow, I never knew they were this easy to make!
agy invites you to read Furoshiki – Eco Christmas Wrapping
Sarah Nenni-Daher says
It’s amazing, Agy, but once you get the feel of the wet mixture, it’s all pretty easy from there. I tried a lot of recipes that failed, but the ones I am sharing are working every time. Thanks for stopping by, Agy.
Heather {Woods of Bell Trees} says
Mmmm I can just imagine how yummy these smell! I LOVE bath fizzies! :D
Heather {Woods of Bell Trees} invites you to read Gingerbread House Alternative