Another DIY beauty post for you today, in the form of making your own relaxing bath bombs right in you very own home.
So, I am no stranger to having a go at making my own bath products. There is just something about making your own pamper products that I love. From a Bubble Bath Bar to Jo Malone Inspired Bath Salts there is something out there for everyone.
In this post, I thought I would share with you a recipe to make your own relaxing bath bombs at home. It is a crazy time out there are the moment, so it is important to look after yourself and practice a bit of self-care. I gave these bath bombs away to a few of my NHS colleagues, as you know, working in healthcare at the moment is on another level. I thought this would be a great way to boost morale and help a few of the staff relax after working many long shifts.
Relaxing Bath Bombs – Lush Inspired
So, these relaxing bath bombs have been inspired by Lush’s Twilight bath bomb. However, it is not a direct dupe, only taking some inspiration from the ingredients used in this. The main take away from this bath bomb is the scent used with lavender and ylang-ylang essential oils, two of the essential oils used in Lush’s version. Not 100% the same, but still super relaxing to place in your bath.
Lavender essential oil is one of the main go-to oils when you think about relaxing and helping you get those 8 hours of beauty sleep. I love lavender oil, it really does have a calming scent to it. Not only that but lavender is also great at soothing to the skin, promoting healing and is full of antioxidants.
Ylang-Ylang essential oil is another that is great for relaxing, as well as boosting your mood. A perfect mix to go with the benefits of the lavender oil. It is also known for lowering stress levels and fighting anxiety, as well as having antiseptic, and antibacterial properties to name a few.
Relaxing Bath Bombs – Make you own
With the knowledge of the two main essential oils, it is time to have a go at making a few bath bombs. Now, the recipe below made approximately five medium-size bath bombs and a small size bath bomb. If you are keeping for yourself, that is 5-6 relaxing baths for you to have!
Let’s get crafting!
What you need:
To make these relaxing bath bombs you are going to need the following ingredients and items.
*Some items are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase of that product through the link, I may earn a small amount of commission. This is at no extra cost to you but does help keep Aimsy’s Antics running. All affiliate links are marked (*) *
- 1 cup of Bicarbonate Soda
- 1/2 cup Citric Acid*
- 1/2 Cup of Cornflour /Cornstarch
- 3 TBSp Epsom Salt
- 1 TBSp Coconut Oil
- 1/2 TBSp Polysorbate 80*
- 1.5ml Lavender Essential Oil*
- 1.5ml Vanilla Essential Oil
- 0.5ml Ylang-Ylang essential oil
- Witch Hazel in a spray bottle
- Purple soap colourant
- Dried Lavender buds*
You will also need the following items to make the relaxing bath bombs:
- Bath Bomb Moulds* – medium size
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Measuring pipettes
- Microwavable jug
- Spoon
Step 1 – Combine all dry ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, you want to measure out the dry ingredients of bicarbonate of soda, Epsom salts and cornflour. Cornflour can be a little messy so be careful when placing this into your bowl, you don’t want to end up covered in it. Then, you want to add in the citric acid. This is added in last so that there is less chance of it reacting and fizzing. Mix all together until combined.
Step 2 – Prepare wet ingredients
In a microwavable measuring jug, place in the coconut oil. The coconut oil will be set at room temperature, but for the relaxing bath bombs, we need this to be runny. Pop the microwavable jug into the microwave and gently melt the coconut oil on short bursts of 30 seconds at a time until melted.
Then measure out your essential oils. You don’t really want to exceed more than 1-2% of the total weight of the ingredients. This will make the bath bombs safe for your skin. As lavender is more gentle and can be applied directly to the skin in small amounts, I slightly increased the amount in this recipe. Ideally, you would do a ratio of 1.5ml, 1ml and 0.5ml to get the 1% for the essential oils. Mix the oils into the coconut oil.
When the essential oils are mixed it is time to add in the Polysorbate 80. Polysorbate 80 is basically an emulsifier and surfactant, which allows the oils and colour to mix in with the bathwater. This allows for more even distribution and stops the soap colour and oils from laying on top of the water. It also helps reduce the ring around the bath afterwards. Give this a really good mix in with the coconut and essential oils. You will find that the oil mixture might go a bit gloopy and thicker. This is partly because of the polysorbate 80 and the face the coconut oil will be cooling down.
Step 3 – Combine
When the oil mixture is ready it is time to combine it with the dry ingredients. Gradually add in the oil to the bath bomb mix, stirring and mixing in thoroughly as you go. Mix this quickly to help reduce the chance of the citric acid reacting and fizzing. You don’t want it to fizz now, but when it goes into the bath!
You may find that it is easier to mix it in thoroughly by hand when you get to near the last of the oil. Make sure you wear disposable gloves for this to maintain good hygiene if you are giving away to others.
Step 4 – Add colouring
Now, is the time to add in your colouring. I chose to use a mixture of liquid soap dye and mica powder for my relaxing bath bombs. You could also not add any colour, and leave the bath bombs a white/cream colour. Just be careful when adding in the liquid colourant, as you will want to gradually add this in and mix fast. Again, the citric acid may react to the colourant. Mixing with your hands can help to break up pockets of the colour too, to enable a more even colour throughout.
Step 5 – Form the relaxing bath bombs
Once you have your desired shade, it is time to actually form the bath bombs. Grab the spray bottle with witch hazel in and spritz the bath bomb mixture gradually, mixing fast, again, to stop the fizzing. You really want to do this part with your hands so that you can feel the mixture changing. You want to aim for damp sand consistency, but be careful that you don’t get the mixture too damp. The mixture should be able to be clumped into your hand, holding its shape as you pass it from one hand to the other. When the mixture does this then you know it is ready to be moulded. Check out my Video to check your consistency.
Use a medium-size bath bomb mould, this will give you the most decent size bath bombs. You can always use the larger bath bomb moulds for a Lush sized bath bomb, but you may only get about two from this mixture.
Place some dried lavender buds into one half of the bath bomb mould. Then begin placing in the bath bomb mixture loosely into the mould. You want to keep adding the mixture so that the mould half is overfilled. Repeat the process with the next half, leaving out the lavender buds this time. Then, when both halves of the mould are over-filled you want to bring these together, using gentle but even pressure to push them together. By pushing evenly, you give the bath bomb a better chance of remaining formed together and create an even pressure throughout the bomb.
To remove the bath bomb from the mould, gently tap each end with a spoon to help loosen the mould. This will help relieve some of the air pressure that may have formed in the bath bomb and remove the mould easily. Remove one side at a time, holding the exposed size gently. The bath bomb will be very delicate at this point until it is fully dried out. If your mixture is a little dry then this is where you will find out, with the bath bomb crumbling. If the mixture is too damp or wet, you may see it fizzing and expanding out of the mould here.
Step 6 – Allow to dry and harden
Place each of the bath bombs made onto a tray lined with baking paper. Make sure they are evenly apart and aren’t touching each other. Allow the relaxing bath bombs to dry and harden for at least 24-48 hours before using them. Your house will smell amazing as they begin to harden!
Then you have your very own relaxing bath bombs to pamper yourself or give away to others!
What do you think of these bath bombs? Will you be having a go at making these? Let me know in the comments below!
Check out more Beauty DIYs if this has inspired you to give them a go!
Relaxing Bath Bombs Video:
You can find the video version of this post here over on my Youtube Channel. If you are having difficulty with the consistency of the bath bomb mixture, then hopefully you will be able to see in the video. Don’t forget to give the video a like and subscribe to my channel if you have enjoyed! It will be helping me out so much!
Relaxing Bath Bombs – Pin it!
If you have enjoyed this post, why not share the love and pin it!
Omg these look amazing. really good post, instructions where super detailed and I feel like I really could give this a go, I’m usually awful at these sort of things. Xxx
Have fun having a go at the bath bombs if you do decide to make them! Glad the instructions are easy to follow!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
These bath bombs are gorgeous. They would be a lovely gift.
Oh, they would make a lovely gift. They seemed to go down well with my colleagues!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
These look amazing! And so easy to make. I think I may be doing some ordering tonight to make some of these myself – who doesn’t love a bath bomb?
Oh a bath bomb is just perfect for relaxing in the bath, isn’t it? Have fun making, you will have to let me know how they turn out if you do have a go!
Aimsy xoxo
Beautiful photos and excellent post! Thanks for sharing!
Aww, thank you! I am trying to up my photography game so that is lovely to hear!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
Wow they look amazing! I love bath bombs but I’ve never tried making my own before. Will definitely be saving this and giving them a try one day XX
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
Glad you like them. They are so easy to make once you know-how, and overall work out a lot cheaper than buying them!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
These looks absolutely amazing! I have never thought about making my own bath bombs before, but I do love using them and making the bath water look super cool haha. This is definitely something I need to add to my list of all the things I would like to make so thank you for sharing 😀
Chloe xx
http://www.chloechats.com
They are so easy to make once you get the hang of it. Perfect to add a bit some pampering to your bath!
Would love to see how yours turn out if you do give them a go!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
These look so professional! If you told me you’d bought these from a shop, I wouldn’t question it! I’ve never considered making bath bombs. I really wouldn’t know where to start so this is really helpful! xxx
Aww, thank you! I’m glad they look like shop-bought ones, means I am hopefully making them right!
i love making them, especially when they are drying out, the house always smells amazing!
Aimsy xoxo
I’ve never thought about making my own bath bombs, but after reading this I really want to give it a try! They sound fun to make and you have a lovely product to use afterwards. Lavender and ylang-ylang sound like the perfect mix to create a calming and soothing atmosphere. It is so kind that you gave these to your NHS colleagues, what a nice way to unwind and relax at the end of a busy day. Thanks for sharing the tutorial Aimsy, fab post! <3 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
Thanks for your lovely comment!
They are really fun to make, it definitely is great to experiment with different scents and how well they mix together. I must admit I found the ylang-ylang a bit overwhelming in this, but they went down great with the colleagues at work! Hopefully, it has helped a few of them relax!
Aimsy xoxo
These look amazing Aimsy! They look like the ones you would buy in Lush! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Glad you like them! I think the lavender buds make them look so pretty and give them the Lush look.
Aimsy xoxo
I’ve always wanted to make my own bath bombs! I can’t wait tot try this 🙂
-Hillary
http://www.hillarybush.com
Oh, they are so easy to make once you get the knack of it! Looking forward to seeing how yours turn out!
Aimsy xoxo
Wow these look so cool and so fun to make! Might need to have a go since Lush is closed. Thank you for sharing 🙂 x
They are fun to make, and so easy once you get the hang of it!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
They look incredible! I love that you gave some to your colleagues too, such a nice small gesture to boost spirits. They definitely sound a little trickier than some of your other DIYs but the instructions are so thorough. I might attempt some of these for my mum x
Sophie
They went down really well at work. Will have to make some others for them to try out!
These would make a perfect gift for your mum!
Aimsy xoxo
This looks professionally made and neat. The color shade even made it look beautiful and I sure your colleagues will love it. Thank you for being so kind.
The colour is gorgeous, isn’t it? My colleagues loved them!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
I’ve got a Lush order arriving tomorrow, but this will come in handy for when its finished. What a great idea 🙂
Definitely great to make your own at the moment. I know Lush’s orders are taking a while to be dispatched because of the current situation, so a fab way to fill in the time between orders!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy
These are amazing! Definitely going to try these!
Love, Amie ❤️
The Curvaceous Vegan
Glad you liked! Enjoy making them!
Aimsy xoxo
I used to love buying bath bomb making kits as a kid but haven’t tried for years. Maybe now is the time!!
Sarah x
I’ve never even thought about making my own bath bombs! These look beautiful, I can almost smell it through the screen! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you liked! They are so easy to make!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
The color of these bombs remind me of the lilac bush flowering in my yard. And lavender is one of my favorite scents.
I cannot wait to give this a go; the last bombs I made were a crumbling disaster, but I love a good, hot soak in a foamy tub.
Oh, how lovely! I bet the lilac bush is in full bloom at the moment and smells divine!
Oh, hopefully, you will have better luck this time. I would love to know how they turn out if you do have a go!
Aimsy xoxo
I will let you know how these turn out; on a side note, those banana muffins with ginger were lovely. 🙂
Look forward to hearing about them! Oh, I am so glad you liked them and they turned out well!
Aimsy xoxo
Very cool! I just tried these for the first time this week and I loved bath bombs. I’m dying to try more!
Hope you like these if you make them! It’s quite fun making bath bombs isn’t it?
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
These look awesome and would be great gifts to give. Thanks for sharing!
Definitely great gifts to give out! Glad you liked!
Aimsy xoxo
What a great idea! These look amazing! I love bath bombs, so this is so interesting! Thank you for sharing Xxx
Glad you liked! Bath bombs are great, aren’t they?
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
I love them. It’s my go to for a bit of a pamper xx
Deffo my go to too!
Aimsy xoxo
I have always wanted to try making my own bath bombs! I would love to do this sometime! Thanks for sharing!
They are really easy to do once you get the hang of it!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
This is sooooo kind of you Aimsy! I love that you’ve chosen oils specifically for their healing and antiseptic qualities, as well as their fragrance. And they look beautiful too, 100% something I would pay money for. I had no idea that you could make them from home, this was super helpful, thank you 🙂 Lisa x
There are so many essential oils to choose from, and they are so beneficial for you as well! I love them!
They are so fun to make once you know-how, and even the disasters can still be used in the bath!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
Oh wow these look amazing! Never even thought about making my own!xx
Oh, they are so fun and easy to make, once you get the hang of them!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
Omg!!! These look AMAZING.
I’ll have to give these a try. I’ll have to try making them. Maybe with enough practice mine will look half as good as yours do. Lol.
Would love to see how yours turn out if you do give them a go. With a little practice, I am sure yours will look fab and better than mine!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
Wow, these look so good. I loved seeing the process and it seems so so easy. I definitely want to try this one out, just not with lavender as both my hubby and I cannot deal with the scent of lavender (we get very sneezy/teary eyes). But it seems that you can do whatever scent you want and I cannot wait to experiment and make some delicious smelling ones.
Oh, for the coconut oil, can you melt that another way? I don’t have a microwave any more and no plans on getting a new one (no room in my new home).
Oh, you can definitely use something else than lavender. I usually use a cotton pad and mix a few drops of different essential oils to see which mix I like best. Glad you found the process easy, it is really easy once you get into it!
Yeah, you can use a double boiler method for melting the coconut oil. I usually place a bowl over a pan of hot water and gently melt them. You can always use a different oil that is already ‘liquid’ like almond oil or even olive oil. It shouldn’t change the make-up of the bath bomb too much!
Hope that helps and thanks for commenting!
Aimsy xoxo
I am glad to hear that, I think experimenting with scents is going to be so much fun. Ah, thanks for letting me know, so just like chocolates, but this time coconut oil. 🙂 Oh, I got plenty of Olive Oil (use it for baking), so I could also try that one out. *rubs hands* I am excited about this!
It definitely helped, you’re welcome!
I absolutely LOVE a bath bomb! I can’t believe I’ve never thought about making my own. In my new house we have the bath of my dreams, so investing in bath bombs or making my own is something I definitely need to do.
Thanks for sharing x
Kate | thelittlecrunch.co.uk
I didn’t realise how easy they were to make before I started experimenting with them a while ago. I love that you can create whatever scent/colour that you like….and a bit cheaper than buying from Lush all the time!
Thanks for commenting!
Aimsy xoxo
I love the idea of making your own Bath Bombs especially when so many stores are closed. This is also a great gift for Mother’s Day.
It comes in very useful with the store closures! Definitely a great gift for mother’s day.
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
These are so cool! I love bath bombs that use ylang ylang so this sounds fab 🙂 x
https://www.femaleoriginal.com
They are, aren’t they? I can find ylang-ylang a bit overpowering, but the balance int these is nice. They went down well at work anyway!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
I love making bath and beauty products with essential oils! I’ll have to try to make these bath bombs soon. These will give me a great excuse to take more baths. Thank you for sharing!
It’s a great little craft to get into, isn’t it? Quite relaxing whilst making them too! Definitely a great excuse to make a few more!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
This looks so easy to follow! My partner and I have been wanting to make our own for a while now and haven’t found anything that we’ve thought we could realistically follow. They either look too complicated or they were experimental and just fall apart at the end of it haha. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, I didn’t know you can make something like that.
Looks so wonderful..
It is great that you can make these yourself, isn’t it?
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
I would’ve never thought to make my own bath bombs! I miss going to Lush picking up my favourites. Your video is really helpful too and these look so lovely. Thank you for sharing! xx
Oh, I know, I miss heading into Lush and just smelling it from down the street!
Glad you thought it was helpful!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
This is such a good post!
I’ve tried many times to make my own bath bombs but they never seem to go the the shape of the mold haha!
I’ll have to try your tips!
Love Lozza xo
http://girlygabble.com
Oh no! It does take a bit of trial and error with them. The first batch try for these did not go well!
Hope the tips help!
Aimsy xoxo
This is so interesting! I love bath bombs but I’ve never thought about making my own
Glad you liked! They are great to have a go at making!
Aimsy xoxo
First…. I LOVE Lush and these look just like theirs! Second, I didn’t realize these had so many ingredients to them. I’ve never made a bath bomb before. I have most of what is needed but not everything. Homemade gifts are awesome. I’ll appreciate homemade bath bombs much more after reading this. Thanks for sharing!
It is surprising how many ingredients are included in bath bombs, isn’t it? I have seen others that have more than this in them.
Definitely a lot of love and work goes into making a handmade bath bomb to give away as gifts!
Thanks for commenting!
Aimsy xoxo
Gah, the bathbombs looks super!
My sister made my mum and I bathbombs as a Christmas present but I’m yet to use mine as having a bath is a rare occurance for me since having my son last year.
Thank you! They turned out great, didn’t they? I bet that was a lovely gift for you to receive and hopefully, you will be able to take a bit of ‘me’ time and use it in a bath!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
Glad you liked the post and learnt something from it!
Aimsy xoxo
I have been looking at the bath bomb kits for a little while – however, found it is probably going to be nicer to buy everything separately to put together the scents I actually want etc. I go through phases of being obsessed with making bath products at home! whipped soap & lotion looks cool – not sure what whipped soap is like to use though.
Hayley || hayleyxmartin
Definitely great to buy it all separately, then you can experiment with whatever scents you want to add as well as make more batches.
Oh, I definitely go through phases of making loads of bath products. They are great at giving as gifts though, aren’t they?
I haven’t tried whipped soap, might have to pop that on my list!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
I’ve never thought to make my own bath bombs before but yours look so amazing! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ellie x // elliekblog.blogspot.co.uk
Oh, they are so good to have a go at making, easy once you get the hang of it!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
Your bath bombs are so pretty! I took a class a couple of years ago to learn how to make these but mine fell apart. I think I’ll try your recipe instead. They seem to hold up a lot better! Pinning!
Glad you like them. Bath bombs can be a bit tricky to get them to stick together properly. You can still use any that crumble, they just don’t look as pretty, do they? Hope your next ones are a success!
Thanks for commenting and pinning!
Aimsy xoxo
These look amazing and like something you would buy out of Lush. Go you! I am loving your ‘make your own’ posts, they’re so great for a time like this so thank you for sharing, seriously!!
Holly x
http://www.adailydoseofholly.com
Glad you are enjoying these posts. I love making all sorts and sharing them, especially if it inspires others to have a go and get creative! Definitely needed in a time like this!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
I remember making bath bombs years ago but these ones look GREAT!!
Glad you like them! They’re fun to make, aren’t they?
Aimsy xoxo
I absolutely love Twilight bath bomb and all lavender bath products tbh! So sweet that you gave some away, I am sure they all really loved that! This is a really helpful post, I have always wanted to make my own bath bombs so I am pinning this to reread when I decide to get crafty! x
Oh lavender bath bombs are just so relaxing, aren’t they? This doesn’t smell exactly like the twilight bath bomb (which is one of my favs) but it is still relaxing with the blend of lavender and ylang-ylang.
You will have to let me know how you get on when/if you do have a go at these!
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
This is such a cool post idea I love that!
I’ll definitely have to give it a try 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Have fun making them, you will have to show me how yours turn out! Hope you have a nice relaxing bath!
Aimsy xoxo
These are gorgeous but seem to fizz out quickly. What am I doing wrong?
Glad you like them! It could be that the mixture is becoming too damp/wet when making them, so the fizzing is happening before the bath bombs are fully made. Try mixing everything together without the citric acid, and then add this in as the last step before moulding. That way the citric acid has less time to react with the wet ingredients. If that makes sense?
Hope your next bath turn out fab!
Aimsy xoxo