bath bomb question

[rebeccajo99]

I must be very search incompitant because I've been doing a search for this for months and threads unrelated to what I'm looking for comes up:laugh2:(or so it seams)

I am trying to figure out why my bath bombs are leaving a white film on my tub and how to solve it. I LOVE how they make my skin feel after using them, but never send them off to testers because of that stupid white film. (I even get it when I crush up the bombs and mix with salt for a fizzy bath salt)

Is this something that is normal for bath bombs and I should just live with it or is there a way to get rid of it?

Thanks a bundle

[Judy, USMC]

Might be helpful to know what is causing it if we knew what recipie you were using ... and if you have hard water or not.

[rebeccajo99]

oops... that would be helpful wouldn't it.

here are the recipes I have tried.

• 1 c. baking soda
  
• 1/2 c. citric acid
  
• 1/2 c. corn starch
  
• 1/3 c. epsom salts (finely ground)
  
• 1/4 c. powdered milk (buttermilk will clump so don't use it) - i used goat milk
  
• 2T olive oil (tip: infuse calendula petals for an extra therapeutic bath)
  
• 2tsp melted cocoa butter
  
• 1tsp fragrance or essential oil
  
• water
  

recipe 2

4 ½ Cups Baking Soda

½ Cup Powdered Milk of Choice- used goat

2 ½ Cups Citrus Acid

½ Cup Epson Salts

1 Cup Corn Starch

2 0Z Oil of Choice (Light Oil- Olive, Grapeseed, Jojoba) - used olive

1.5 0Z Water

2 0Z Scent

[Scented]

Depends on what oils you're using ... I put butters in my bombs, but they don't leave a ring.

My guess is it's the cornstarch combined with the oils that's leaving the film. Have you tried your recipe using less cornstarch? Using less oil? and using less of both?

Edited August 15, 2010 by Scented

[LuminousBoutique]

I dont get a film, I wonder if its the milk? I've never used that... maybe try the recipe without that... trying different oils.. that kind of thing.

[rebeccajo99]

Depends on what oils you're using ... I put butters in my bombs, but they don't leave a ring.

My guess is it's the cornstarch combined with the oils that's leaving the film. Have you tried your recipe using less cornstarch? Using less oil? and using less of both?

Tried with less baking soda and with less corn startch, but not oils. I will try that next.

Do you have a suggestion on how much less? I also have Jojoba oil in the house if you think that would be better than olive oil.

[Loulougirl]

That is odd. I wonder if it's the milk too ... I've never used milk before, but everything else in your recipes if something I've tried in one way or another.

Just be sure to keep notes on what you change in each batch so you know what works!

I once made the BEST cuticle balm, took no notes, and couldn't for the life of me remember what was in it. LOL Oh well, live and learn! lol

[Scented]

I've used milk before -- not goat milk though, just powdered milk and did not have a film, so I don't think it is the milk powder ... but I haven't used it at 1/4 c either.

Maybe before you try cutting the oil, cut the milk down to an 1/8 c.

Try a different oil other than olive too. Jojo is expensive, but you could try it ... and I would use less, because it's more of a wax than an oil ... like a liquid wax and for those reasons I wouldn't use it ... you can try it if you want. What other oil choices do you have? Are you sold on having an oil?

[Scented]

.

• 1 c. baking soda
  
• 1/2 c. citric acid
  
• 1/2 c. corn starch
  
• 1/3 c. epsom salts (finely ground)
  
• 1/4 c. powdered milk (buttermilk will clump so don't use it) - i used goat milk
  
• 2T olive oil (tip: infuse calendula petals for an extra therapeutic bath)
  
• 2tsp melted cocoa butter
  
• 1tsp fragrance or essential oil
  
• water
  

recipe 2

4 ½ Cups Baking Soda

½ Cup Powdered Milk of Choice- used goat

2 ½ Cups Citrus Acid

½ Cup Epson Salts

1 Cup Corn Starch

2 0Z Oil of Choice (Light Oil- Olive, Grapeseed, Jojoba) - used olive

1.5 0Z Water

2 0Z Scent

Which one of these do you like best? We should just diddle with one recipe as opposed to two.

I can't see that baking soda would cause the film or the citric or the salts, because they all dissolve in water (at least enough water for a bath) but corn starch has always made a tub slick for me and I don't feel that it dissolves that well. It leaves a great silky feel, but I think a cup might be too much and 1/2 of that ought to impart something ...

The oils ... I don't really consider olive to be light like grapeseed and I don't feel that Jojo is that light and is a bit more waxy but also a great complement to the skin. FCO would probably be a better choice if you were sold on adding an oil ... otherwise you could try leaving it out and seeing what you think. You could also up your butter to replace it if you thought you had too ... I use 2 1/2 T of cocoa butter and I don't have a problem, but I don't add oil to my mix either.

[rebeccajo99]

Which one of these do you like best? We should just diddle with one recipe as opposed to two.

I can't see that baking soda would cause the film or the citric or the salts, because they all dissolve in water (at least enough water for a bath) but corn starch has always made a tub slick for me and I don't feel that it dissolves that well. It leaves a great silky feel, but I think a cup might be too much and 1/2 of that ought to impart something ...

The oils ... I don't really consider olive to be light like grapeseed and I don't feel that Jojo is that light and is a bit more waxy but also a great complement to the skin. FCO would probably be a better choice if you were sold on adding an oil ... otherwise you could try leaving it out and seeing what you think. You could also up your butter to replace it if you thought you had too ... I use 2 1/2 T of cocoa butter and I don't have a problem, but I don't add oil to my mix either.

I actually liked the first recipe the best for feel, but I liked the second for getting them to stick together in balls. I could get the first to stick together if I used my cupcake mold or half balls, but not a whole ball. So, lets work on the first since I liked the feel of that the best and that is more important than shape (I think )

[rebeccajo99]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will make up a new batch tomorrow. I don't have a whole lot of oil choices right now. In my workshop, I just have jojoba and olive oil. In my kitchen, I do have canola and possibly vegi oil (depends on which one my husband used for baking yesterday)

I don't need to use oil, just trying to make a great bomb.

[Scented]

Let us know how your tests go. You might try one without the oil. Keep the butter and maybe up it a little with the absence of the oil. It's just going to take some time with the process of elimination.

[rebeccajo99]

ok, I tried a new recipe this afternoon. Again, I couldn't get the balls to stick together I don't know if it is the recipe or I'm not getting it wet enough. Is there an actual cure time for bombs, or can I try these tonight?

This is what I tried

• 1 c. baking soda
  
• 1/2 c. citric acid
  
• 1/2 c. corn starch
  
• 1/3 c. epsom salts (finely ground)
  
• 1/4 c. powdered milk (buttermilk will clump so don't use it) - i used goat milk
  
• 2 ½ T melted cocoa butter
  
• 1tsp fragrance or essential oil
  
• water (ended up being 1 tsp)
  

[Loulougirl]

I think it'd be fine to use right away. I know I have.. lol If you were giving them away, you'd probably want them to dry a day or two, just to be sure they are dry all the way through.

Let us know how it goes!

[Scented]

Try to wet your ingredients more. They should stick together. I mix in witch hazel ... squirt and stir till I get the consistency of wet sand.

[singleyellowrose]

Your recipe:

This is what I tried

• 1 c. baking soda
  
• 1/2 c. citric acid
  
• 1/2 c. corn starch
  
• 1/3 c. epsom salts (finely ground)
  
• 1/4 c. powdered milk (buttermilk will clump so don't use it) - i used goat milk
  
• 2 ½ T melted cocoa butter
  
• 1tsp fragrance or essential oil
  
• water (ended up being 1 tsp)
  

This is what I would try:

1c baking soda

1/2 c citric

1/2c epsoms salts

2T cornstarch

2T powdered milk

2.5TB Melted CB

Fragrance

Witch Hazel

[rebeccajo99]

tested the recipe yesterday. I had a little left over that I poured into my bathroom sink and just soaked my arm. (little strange I know). I had people feeling last night both of my arms and asked if they could feel a difference. Everybody I asked (except 1) could feel a difference. They always said, that one feels softer or that one feels dry/rough. always indicating the correct arm (softer for the soaked arm and dry/rouch for the unsoaked arm). That was promising to me because I also liked the feel of my arm.

However, taking a full bath with a bomb last night was awful. I threw 2 halves in since I am hoping for the full ball. I didn't like it at all. My body felt oily and my tub looked greasy afterwards . Only left some whitish film on my tub mat which was good, but I had to actually clean my tub afterwards to get the greasy look out of my tub. I will try again using only half of the bomb. Maybe with this recipe you just need a smaller amount.

If that falls, off to tweeked recipe #2.

Thank-you singleyellowrose for the recipe idea. That is now recipe tweek #2.

[Judy, USMC]

I asked what type of water you use in the bath is because the bath bombs that I buy locally here in North Carolina work great - but I got that white film when I used it in Chicago. They use lake water and chlorinate the dickens out of it in addition to adding other chemicals.

On the other hand, I can get some that were made in Chicago and they will work fine in NC where we have wells that pull out of the water table.

I'm definitely not into making B&B, but that observation has put the "type of bath water" question in the back of my mind. It hasn't affected the oilyness - just the film issue.

[ah-soy]

My guess would be it's the cornstarch causing the white powder. I get that too with mine and we have very hard water. Have never tried it with soft water.

As for the oily tub, I cured that by adding a couple of tsps of poly 20...it's an emulsifier and helps disperse the oil into the water instead of settling on the tub sufaces.

[rebeccajo99]

I never really thought about the water. We have city water and I wouldn't consider it hard (we don't use a softener). I'm wondering if maybe I should throw some of these to my MIL as they have well water and a water softener. That is intreguing to me.

Ah-soy, what is Poly 20? I have seen a few recipes at snowdrift with that mentioned, but have not researched it a whole lot. Is it something that is "natural"? I'm trying to keep my products "natural as possilbe." I like fun scents so I do use FO's, so I like to keep that as my only "unnatural" item.

[Scented]

Polysorbate 20

[rebeccajo99]

Thanks Scented. I will research it.