Bath bombs are great fun, dropped into the bath, they fizz and release their nutritive and aromatic ingredients. They make bath time an even more special occasion to relax and cleanse. Children find bath bombs fascinating and fun to plunk into the bath. Adults love the aroma and visual appeal, and they make wonderful gifts.

By making them yourself, you'll know exactly what's in them. Not all commercial or artisan-made bath bombs are all-natural, but you can make virtually all-natural bath bombs at home that fizz amazingly well. Making them yourself will also save you at least half the price of what equivalent bath bombs cost from artisans and bath bomb specialty stores.

Bath Bomb Recipe:

• 1 cup Baking Soda
• 1/2 cup Citric Acid
• 1/4 tsp. Powdered Herbs or 1/8 tsp. Pearlescent Mica for color and visual appeal (optional)
• 15 drops Essential Oil*
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Carrier Oil, preferably use a more stable oil like Jojoba since this recipe contains no preservatives (optional)
  Hydrosol or water (ideally in a spray bottle)

*Adjust essential oil quantity if using strong oils like Geranium and be sure to avoid oils that are strong skin sensitizers like Cinnamon and Lemon (or be sure to only use a drop or two of such oils).

Citric Acid: Citric acid is naturally found in citrus and other fruits/vegetables. As its name implies, it is acidic. Citric acid acts as a natural preservative and natural antioxidant and is found in an array of skin care products.

Baking Soda: Baking soda is the common name for sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda. Sodium bicarbonate is a naturally forming salt, but is most commonly manufactured synthetically. Because it is a salt that exists in nature, it's often considered natural, regardless of manufacture, and is used in natural products. In personal care, baking soda is known for its deodorizing and cleansing properties. Baking soda is a alkali that reacts wonderfully with citric acid in bath bombs.

Pearlescent Micas: Bath bombs don't need to be colored to be fun, and effective, but color can add an aesthetic touch to your creations. FD&C and D&C dyes have risks associated with their use, so use pearlescent micas when you color your bath bombs. Pearlescent micas contain naturally forming mica powder colorized with minerals like iron oxides and titanium dioxide. Pearlescent micas can have synthetic color additives, so its best to purchase it from a reputable source and check the ingredients of each particular mica that you use.

You wil need large and small melon ballers to form your bath bombs, but you can also experiment with ice, soap and cake molds of various sizes and shapes.

Directions:

• In a large, clean mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients. If possible, use a sieve or sifter when adding your dry ingredients to the bowl to ensure they are free of clumps. Mix well.
  
  
• Add your essential oil, drop by drop and stir into the dry ingredients. It is normal for the mixture to fix a little.
  
  
• Slowly add your carrier/vegetable oil while mixing the ingredients with your hand.
  
  
• Slowly add your hydrosol to the mixture while simultaneously blending it with your hands. Use a spray bottle to add the hydrosol or water to the mixture slowly, or add the liquid drop by drop if you do not have a spray bottle available.
  
  
• It does not take much liquid to dampen the mixture to the degree that you need to form bath bombs. The mixture should stick together when pressed firmly. Be careful not too moisten the mixture too much.

Forming Your Bath Bombs:
Press the mixture into molds, or use melon ballers to form your bath bombs. Set them onto wax paper to dry. Allow them to dry at least a day, depending on the time of year, temperature and humidity.

Drop one or two of the bombs into your bath for an aromatic and fizzy bath. Keep your bath bombs in an air tight container or bag otherwise they won't fizz as well at bath time. Also keep your supply of citric acid in an air-tight container or it will lose its "fizzing" power. If you included carrier/vegetable oil in your bath bombs, they should last for six months or so. If you did not use any oil, they will last a bit longer as long as they have been carefully stored away from air and humidity.

Have Fun!