first bath bomb results

[rebeccajo99]

I made my first batch of bombs last night. They smell great and look great. Look smooth like all the other bombs that I have seen before. I can't wait to test them out!!!

Have a question about the results though. They are staying in a nice shape so far, but I tried making balls and the 2 halves just wouldn't stay together. Stuck good while I put them in the mold, but after letting them sit for about an hour and then tried to demold them they broke at the "seam". Does that mean that I did not have it quite moist enough?

Thanks

[LuminousBoutique]

Do you use water or witch hazel in your recipe?

My guess is when being initially mixed it started the chemical reaction (aka fizzing), because there is too much moisture in the mix. Too much liquids will cause the bombs to crack during curing and often times crumble also.

First reduce your liquids, especially the water or witch hazel amount used. Do not use water based food coloring, this will add to the moisture content and begin the reaction phase also.

Weather and room conditions change in areas through out the year so you may need to adjust during these times if your perfect formula begins cracking after a few months,

Sometimes those who choose to dry them in the oven will experience the same problem, too quick curing times of moist bath bombs will cause cracking.

I havent had a single bomb crack since using only oils.... wait.. knock on wood!! LOL... but yeah, I would guess it was liquid. It forces the two halves apart... there really isnt much you can do at that point. It used to happen to me all the time, and it is so frustrating!!

PS I demold each one as I make them, and set them to dry on a drying rack... Sometimes I can use the same mold (although mine are stainless steel) to make 24 bombs... I have seen others who leave them in the molds though.. is that method taught somewhere? It perplexes me a bit, just because I've never seen it done that way. You must have a ton of molds!

Edited March 31, 2010 by LuminousBoutique

[rebeccajo99]

Thanks, I did not use any water or witch hazel since after i added the melted shea butter oil and FO it felt like wet sand to me.

It was a small batch, so it only made 4 bombs :smiley2: Did not want to make too large of a batch just for it to "bomb" out on me.

I will cut down on the oil and see if that makes a difference. I'll try another batch tomorrow.

Is there anything that I can do with this batch or is it trash?

[LuminousBoutique]

They make great fizzy bath salts! You can crush them up with a rolling pin, or put them through a food processor and mix them with a bit more sea salt.. I use broken or dented ones for my kids and me too

[rebeccajo99]

They make great fizzy bath salts! You can crush them up with a rolling pin, or put them through a food processor and mix them with a bit more sea salt.. I use broken or dented ones for my kids and me too

Thanks for the hint. Would I grind up the salt for these, or keep it as is? Is sea salt better than epson salt? I used Epson since that is what my recipie called for (and i could get it at my local grocery store.)

[LuminousBoutique]

You could use epsom, thats nice to soak in too! I dont grind up the salts, just the bath bombs and then mix the two together.