Bath Bombs are great fun in the bath as they fizz around in the water as well as providing fragrance and colour.

The two basic ingredients for a bath bomb are Sodium Bicarbonate and Citric Acid. It is the chemical reaction between the two when added to water that starts the fizzing process. As dry ingredients nothing will happen, but as soon as water is added the fizzing starts and is very difficult to stop.

However, on their own they would produce a pretty dull bath bomb and so other ingredients tend to be added such as fragrance, colour, butters, oils, foaming agents and the list goes on.

So let's start with the basics.

First take a look at our quick video to get you started.

How to Make a Bath Bomb

We've also got a handy download you can view.

Now you know the basics, you can start being more adventurous. Take a look at the Bath Bombs Book by Elaine Stavert for excellent help, advice and recipes.

Fragrance Oils are manufactured oils.  They can contain essential oils and many fragrance oils such as Orange and Lemon do.  However, they will also contain synthetic ingredients to produce delicious fragrances such as Christmas Spice or Seaweed and Juniper or even Chocolate Orange.  They are man made in a factory and while they may contain some natural ingredients they cannot boast a claim as being a "natural product."

Essential oils are pure and natural oils that are usually obtained by distillation from the originating plant.  Many are available, all with different prices and all with different properties.

Both our fragrance and essential oils are concentrated and so should not be applied undiluted directly to the skin.

Fragrance Oils will produce a huge range of different scents.  Whereas Essential Oils may have other therapeutic benefits.

Remember that if you are using Essential Oils to check that they are suitable for your application.  Some oils for example have a limit to their usage in cosmetics.

We've put together a short video on the basics of making a bath bomb.

Take your basic ingredients 

sodium bicarbonate

citric acid

a binder - witch hazel, or sweet almond oil for example

fragrance and colour

Mix the dry ingredients together and slowly add the wet ingredients to be like the consistency of wet sand.  Pack your moulds with the mixture and wait for the base to harden.