Bath Bombs

Our fizzy bath bombs conjure-up memories of chewy, fruit sweets. This aroma takes me on a swift journey to the alleyway next to my house in the 1970s, illicitly chewing sweets that my mother certainly didn’t approve of. The uplifting citrus aromas of this blend are designed to bring an impish, child-like smile to your lips. Despite being a low dilution be aware that lime oil in particular is phototoxic. The usual guidelines are to avoid direct sunlight for at least 12 hours after using, though this shouldn’t pose a problem to Europeans in December. Many thanks to Aromatherapist friend Julie Lever for sharing her favourite nostalgic blend recipe with us.

Bath bombs are easy to make and fun to use, but measure your ingredients carefully. The water content must be just right – not enough and your bombs won’t stick together, too much and they’ll fizz too early. This recipe makes approx. 8 x 20g bath bombs, or will fill an average sized ice cube tray. You can buy your bath bomb making kit, with all your essential ingredients, from us here.

You’ll need:- to make 10 to 12 bath bombs using the size mould (4cm diamter) provided with the kit
1-2 40g plastic bath bomb / silicone moulds. You can re-use moulds when making bombs from the same batch, or use an ice cube tray.
150g citric acid
300g bicarbonate of soda
8g water – use a small measuring cup or a pipette to make sure you don’t over-water your mix.
Decoration – optional. As its Christmas why not invest in some biodegradable glitter (avoid usual craft glitter, as it will end up being washed down the drain which isn’t good for our delicate eco-system). Alternatively, flower petals or seeds look lovely.

Essential oils ( Allow 6 to 8 drops of oil / bomb)
11 drops May Chang (Litsea cubeba)
11 drops Lime (Citrus aurantifolia)
32 drops Mandarin (Citrus reticulata)
32 drops Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)

1. Thoroughly mix the bicarb with the citric acid in a large bowl. Bicarb can get lumpy, so either sift it or break up any lumps with a spoon.
2. Mix in the glitter or flower petals, if using.
3. Add the drops of essential oil and mix well
4. Add the water with pipette sprinkling over the mixture and mixing quickly to prevent fizzing.. Your mix should still look fairly dry but should stick together when you squeeze it.
5. Fill both halves of the bomb moulds. Push the halves together and compress. Brush off any excess mix. Make sure the moulds are fully filled with no gaps.
6. Gently open the moulds and remove the bombs (you might find it easier to let them dry in the moulds for a little while before removing them). Leave them for a couple of hours to dry completely before wrapping.
   (6. If using an ice cube tray simply fill the tray, pressing the mix into each ‘cube’, so that there aren’t any air gaps. Wipe any excess mix from around the edges. You can let them dry in the tray before gently popping them out.
7. When ready to use, simply drop a bomb into your bath, inhale the sweetie aromas and enjoy the fizz!)