Bath Bombs

[OverSoyed]

We are working on our new B&B products, and were wondering about Bombs.

I saw this recipe on the board.... good one?

Dry Phase

2 cups baking soda

1 cup citric acid

1 cup cornstarch

Wet Phase

1/3 cup Grapeseed Oil

1 T. Strawberry F/O from Brambleberry

2 T. Aloe Gel

Also, the bomb scoop... good investment?

Foil wrapper... will the foils effect the bombs in any way? I've seen a lot with regular plastic wrap, but they look blah!

Thanks

Tristan

[Scented]

Ha ha. You get to try it out and see if you think it's a good one ... seriously.

You won't know till you try and on top of that, you should be familiar with your product, which includes extended use of it.

As for packaging ... bombs in plastic wrap? Or bags? Ours currently are in a bag until we get through all 1,000+ I apparently ordered by mistake. Like for the color to show through.

Food grade foil might be ok, but why cover them? I might think I was buying an 8-ball or other drug. If you add fragrance, the foil gets in the way of sniffin'.

[cdesousa5]

I agree with Scented that the only way you will know if it is good is to try it. You could also compare it to other recipes that you find. Most companies usually test their products many times to see what works best for them.

You could also do a test market with your perfected Bath Bombs and see which packaging works better foil or plastic or something else.

Test, test, test & more testing is the success of most businesses.

Good Luck!

[OverSoyed]

Of course I will be testing them... that goes without saying. (Or at least it should... not always the case from some folks I've seen)

I'm just trying to get a good jumping off point. All of the recipes seem to be similar, with the exceptions of oils that are used. I've seen from regular vegetable oils, to sunflower and safflower, grapeseed, avocado, and more.

I just like to go a cost analysis before wasting time and money on creating a new product.

Are baking soda and SLSa interchangeable, do they have the same effects?

As for bomb scoops... they look as if they would work better than the plastic 2 piece molds... opinions?

Thanks

Tristan

[Guest jurnalynn]

baking soda and the citric acid mixed together is what makes the chemical reaction.......slsa is a foaming agent you can add it to the bombs to make iit a bubble bomb but i wouldn't recommend adding it till you have perfected your bombs they can be tricky it took me a lot of trial and error watch this

http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm?fuseaction=feature.display&feature_ID=371&ParentCat=115

its a great starting point i have tweaked this recipe adding my own special touches

hope this helps

Laura

[OverSoyed]

baking soda and the citric acid mixed together is what makes the chemical reaction.......slsa is a foaming agent you can add it to the bombs to make iit a bubble bomb but i wouldn't recommend adding it till you have perfected your bombs they can be tricky it took me a lot of trial and error watch this

http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm?fuseaction=feature.display&feature_ID=371&ParentCat=115

its a great starting point i have tweaked this recipe adding my own special touches

hope this helps

Laura

LOL... I actually just got done watching that... the outtakes are so funny!

[rcrafty]

I have tried several different recipes for bath bombs and the best one that I have come across is Cocapinks Bath Bomb Recipe, my bath bombs come out perfect every time. My kids have even dropped them on the tile floor and they survive.

Here it is:

Part 1

Dry

1C. Baking Soda

Wet

30gm Cocoabutter

5gm Shea Butter

FO & Color

Part 2

1/2 C + 2T. Citric Acid

Melt all wet ingredients together and add to baking soda. Mix well. You should have a paste that is nice and sticky. Try to keep everything warm so cocabutter does not start hardening which may dry everything out (just pop into microwave for 20 seconds).

Add Citric Acid and Mix until incorporated.You should have a mix that sticks together well, but still crumbles a little.

If the mix is too dry (it shouldn't be) you can spray with FCO. If you are in a dry climate then up the cocoabutter by 5gms in your next batch.

[OverSoyed]

I have tried several different recipes for bath bombs and the best one that I have come across is Cocapinks Bath Bomb Recipe, my bath bombs come out perfect every time. My kids have even dropped them on the tile floor and they survive.

Here it is:

Part 1

Dry

1C. Baking Soda

Wet

30gm Cocoabutter

5gm Shea Butter

FO & Color

Part 2

1/2 C + 2T. Citric Acid

Melt all wet ingredients together and add to baking soda. Mix well. You should have a paste that is nice and sticky. Try to keep everything warm so cocabutter does not start hardening which may dry everything out (just pop into microwave for 20 seconds).

Add Citric Acid and Mix until incorporated.You should have a mix that sticks together well, but still crumbles a little.

If the mix is too dry (it shouldn't be) you can spray with FCO. If you are in a dry climate then up the cocoabutter by 5gms in your next batch.

How many do you get out of a batch like that?

And do you use a meatballer? or the plastic molds?

Some of what I've been reading... people have said the plastic molds crack easily. :tiptoe:

[Scented]

Here's the thing, testing is about what cd said. It isn't something that goes without saying. It's just what it is, another of those countless things you do to get what you want. The ingredients for these things are relatively cheap, but you're still going to dissolve a lot of ingredients before you get the hang of making them or find what you want unless you happen to absolutely love the first recipe you pick and your other testers are ga ga over it too. Sometimes those gems happen.

Compare your oils online to know the benefits of them (if you decide you want an oil in them) ... look the ingredients up on sites. Most of them will tell you what the benefits are of a particular oil and in doing the reading and research, you find out that grapeseed oil is actually one that can go rancid quickly. It has a short shelf life of 3 months I believe.

My point is that with the reading and research is you may come across with interchangeables and wouldn't have seen the SLSa and baking soda aren't the same thing (at least I hope you would have seen it, but there are some recipe sites that don't give you that kind of info.)

Thing is ... before jumping in and saying we're going to start doing B&B ... try out the recipes and see how they feel, see how your testers like it etc. Find people willing to give you an honest review and that may take upwards of 20 some people.

Pull a few recipes and just make them.

I use the meatballer, but there are a ton of people who prefer the plastic pieces. I also make a bath bomb that bubbles and isn't the fizzy citric/baking soda combo, so in my instance, a smaller ball works great.

My particular recipe makes between 12-14 bombs using the large meatballer and more using the smaller one. I haven't done it yet (and if happens after this post you're in trouble lol), but the meatballer is prone to breaking. FO eats the plastic. There are advantages and disadvantages to both just like all else.

You just need to take some recipes try them and make them your own and learning about oils and properties is going to be part of the process. Same if you end up with a recipe that uses butters. The info isn't hard to find ... visit B&B/soap suppliers and there's a wealth of that info.

A BTW ... the SLSa is an irritant that will make you sneeze and probably the costliest ingredient if you go the bubbling route.

Not trying to frustrate you here. It's a fairly simple B&B item to make once you find the recipe you want. I don't really think all the recipes on this site are that similar.

[rcrafty]

The CocoaPink recipe only makes 3 round bath bombs - I use the clear round plastic balls that I got at Michaels. I have had 1 of my plastic molds crack but they have held up pretty well but I don't make bath bombs a lot. I want to get a meat baller and try that though, sounds like it would be much easier.

[asheebeans]

Food grade foil might be ok, but why cover them? I might think I was buying an 8-ball or other drug. If you add fragrance, the foil gets in the way of sniffin'.

OMG I totally just sprayed my screen with Pepsi!!! bwaaahahaha!!

[asheebeans]

When I am trying out a new bath bomb recipe, I usually cut it in half so I am not using up as much of my stock on R&D. Some recipes you can look at and tell they are no good. I would stay away from botanicals too. They look cool on the bomb but I sure wouldn't want lavender buds lurking in places they shouldn't be! :tiptoe: LOL There are some really cool recipes on this board. Try them out! You can find some other great ones online as well. ( BUT, if it is a bath cookie recipe--run like the wild dogs of Africa! That recipe is horrid!!) Good luck! Testing is the fun part--gives you a great excuse to go soak in a nice scented tub! :smiley2:

We are working on our new B&B products, and were wondering about Bombs.

I saw this recipe on the board.... good one?

Dry Phase

2 cups baking soda

1 cup citric acid

1 cup cornstarch

Wet Phase

1/3 cup Grapeseed Oil

1 T. Strawberry F/O from Brambleberry

2 T. Aloe Gel

Also, the bomb scoop... good investment?

Foil wrapper... will the foils effect the bombs in any way? I've seen a lot with regular plastic wrap, but they look blah!

Thanks

Tristan

[OverSoyed]

Thanks All... I appreciate the tips!

I have a few recipes that we'll be testing out... I'll post some results as they come!

[DeAnna_EC]

bath bombs are touchy for me, i love making them but the weather has to be just right or they just turn out gross and grow like the blob

definitely try and tweek a few recipes, make small batches at first, try different oils and do alot of testing.

i so hate botanicals in my bombs, lav buds look like dead flies floating in the water (yuck) and botanicals just stick to your wet skin. One little dried rosebud isnt bad, you can fish that out and toss it.

If you really want botanicals or anything else that will "float" in the water, put your bomb in a organza or muslin bag and toss the whole thing into the tub.

Ive never ever ever had luck with the plastic ornament molds, i use a piece of pvc pipe and a dowl that fits into it and i just pound the crap outta my bomb (tablets) its much easier for me to do multi colors that way.

Its just about finding your recipe and playing with it. Ive made bath bombs with a bath melt bottom so you get a 2 in 1. Just play, be creative and have fun.

[OverSoyed]

bath bombs are touchy for me, i love making them but the weather has to be just right or they just turn out gross and grow like the blob

definitely try and tweek a few recipes, make small batches at first, try different oils and do alot of testing.

i so hate botanicals in my bombs, lav buds look like dead flies floating in the water (yuck) and botanicals just stick to your wet skin. One little dried rosebud isnt bad, you can fish that out and toss it.

If you really want botanicals or anything else that will "float" in the water, put your bomb in a organza or muslin bag and toss the whole thing into the tub.

Ive never ever ever had luck with the plastic ornament molds, i use a piece of pvc pipe and a dowl that fits into it and i just pound the crap outta my bomb (tablets) its much easier for me to do multi colors that way.

Its just about finding your recipe and playing with it. Ive made bath bombs with a bath melt bottom so you get a 2 in 1. Just play, be creative and have fun.

I agree with the botanical... I'd hate having customers complain about rose buds stick in their.... anyway! I do like the idea of having them in a bag... almost like the bath teas.

I looked at the tablet maker, but I think we are going to do with the meat baller. They aren't going to be as large as what I'd like, but it's a start.

Wish us luck!

The journey of a thousand B&B products begins with one bomb!

And so begins the journey..... :tiptoe:

[DeAnna_EC]

and just think, whatever doesnt turn into a perfect bomb you can always use as a bath fizzy powder Ive had alot of that in my quest for the perfect bomb recipe.

Never waste it..add the botanicals with the stuff that doesnt quite work right, and make a fizzy bath tea, add the sea salt, heck ive even used what didnt turn out right as kitchen sink freshner because i just couldnt bear to toss it out.

[OverSoyed]

and just think, whatever doesnt turn into a perfect bomb you can always use as a bath fizzy powder Ive had alot of that in my quest for the perfect bomb recipe.

Never waste it..add the botanicals with the stuff that doesnt quite work right, and make a fizzy bath tea, add the sea salt, heck ive even used what didnt turn out right as kitchen sink freshner because i just couldnt bear to toss it out.

Great Ideas!

Thanks Hun

[DebbieTX]

I've tried a couple of different recipes and dont sell them but make them for myself. My favorite recipe is the one I got off here that was posted on this forum some time back by a supplier, i thought. It sticks together, dries beautifully, and my skin is always silky soft when I use them. HTH I'll look for the link.

Of course I will be testing them... that goes without saying. (Or at least it should... not always the case from some folks I've seen)

I'm just trying to get a good jumping off point. All of the recipes seem to be similar, with the exceptions of oils that are used. I've seen from regular vegetable oils, to sunflower and safflower, grapeseed, avocado, and more.

I just like to go a cost analysis before wasting time and money on creating a new product.

Are baking soda and SLSa interchangeable, do they have the same effects?

As for bomb scoops... they look as if they would work better than the plastic 2 piece molds... opinions?

Thanks

Tristan

[DebbieTX]

Here's the link to the one that I love. It's by Kangaroo Blue. I have to be very careful with bath bomb making in my area though. We have heavy humidity most of the year and sometimes they bubble up and sometimes they dont when hardening. So, I just make them for me. I've made this recipe in the ornaments. The ornaments dont seem to hold up that well though and will crack if you pack them too hard. I would think a metal press would work better. Good luck!

http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31232&highlight=bomb

[OverSoyed]

What about using a dehumidifier when making them? I was talking to the hubby about that, and we were thinking that it would work.

Has anyone tried that?

[Guest jurnalynn]

i keep wanting to buy a dehummidifyer but i didn't want to waste the money if it didn't work hopefully someone knows the answer to this one

[bugtussle]

This has nothing to do with bath bombs but we use a dehumidifier year round in our candle/b&b shop. Candles and cp soap don't like high humidity. We check the humidity and temp and keep it at less than 50% and below 80 degrees. In the summer the air cond takes out humidity so the dehumidifier doesn't run as much.

Granted, our temps here in Central Texas are very different from yours but we couldn't make it without our dehumidfier. Carole

[IndulgentCreations]

I'm the odd man out then...I started with the meatballer from KB and had no luck making them, they just wouldn't stick together. I switched to the clear plastic molds and have never looked back. They stuck and were perfect. I also run a dehumidifer in my workshop.

[Scented]

There's a trick with the meatballer. Sometimes cussing at it makes it perform perfectly through a whole batch. Sometimes not. I think it has a lot to do with the amount to be pressed and keeping the interior dry and dusted.

[OverSoyed]

There's a trick with the meatballer. Sometimes cussing at it makes it perform perfectly through a whole batch. Sometimes not. I think it has a lot to do with the amount to be pressed and keeping the interior dry and dusted.

:laugh2::laugh2:

I'll have to try that!