Though they feel rather thin and floppy, these molds are rated for heat, so they should be fine for body bars (lotion bars) and molded bath melts. You can get really creative with the products you can fit in here.

I would like to sell these two at cost ($12 each) to a creative beta-tester to see how they work. If you’re interested, just email me: info@excellentlivingguide

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Fragrances

* It’s sick season!  Try experimenting with peppermint, eucalyptus, spearmint, rosemary, and other medicinal-type scents.  Be careful with essential oils, though — fragrance oils with these scents will contain some of the essential oils, too, just in moderate doses.

* Beware the usual suspects.  You way want to steer clear of holiday spice, Xmas spice, pumpkin spice, fir and spice, etc.  These “holiday” scents get over used — the default impersonal gift is a seasonally-scented set from Bath and Body Works.  It can be seriously overkill, especially if you’re a woman who works in a large office or church!  You want your stuff to be useful after the holidays, as well.

* That being said, I can’t get enough of fig/spice and “pomander,” which is usually orange, lemon, clove, and musk.  Kind of like a fruitcake, but not sweet.  Beware using actual clove and cinnamon essential oils, though — they can be irritating.

* Also try heavier and old-fashioned florals, like rose, jasmine, violet, and narcissus.  Often, Oriental perfumes are classified as “winter.”  You can create a quick blend with a nice designer duplication that you doctor up with something unexpected.

* Real spruce, pine, and fir essential oils can come across as Pine-Sol-tastic.  For some people, that’s a good thing, but if you don’t want that, try softening them with a light, clean citrus or floral fragrance oil.  Berries + fir often comes out to cough syrup.

Sizes (based on my own mold sizes)

* Small bath bombs are very gifty and have many packaging options.  Try this page to see specific suggestions for this size.

* Medium and large bath bombs sell the best, individually.  However, in our store, they often cracked. Make sure you let them cure for 48 hours before selling or giving — most cracks will occur during that time.  The other problem is splitting along the seam, so minimize the seam, and make sure you press hard enough when molding your bath bombs.

* You can hide prizes inside, starting with the large.  Extra large and Jumbo are the best, but are more challenging to mold!  (XL is 3.5″ diameter, and Jumbo is 4″ diameter.)  For small prizes, try sponge capsules, waterproof fortunes (printed on waterproof paper), small coins, or pewter charms.  For the XL bath bomb, I’d love to see someone try hiding a friendship bracelet or a charm on a chain!  I’d also like to see

* To help the XLs and Jumbos stay together, try adding white clay to the bath bomb mix.  You’ll have to experiment and see what works the best.

Special Ingredients & Gimmicks

* XLs and Jumbos are awesome for including oatmeal, Epsom or Dead Sea salts!  To make a really effective mineral bath, you need at least 1/2 cup of salts in warm, not hot, water.  With the larger two sizes, you can include 1/2 cup or more of salt per bomb and still have a bath bomb that holds together.  I originally got the XL size to make my “Earth Bombs,” with 2/3 cup of oatmeal!

* Exotic butters and oils are still in.  Grate, don’t melt, the harder butters and waxes — it’s a lot easier.  You can “cut in” the softer butters with a pastry cutter (or use your fingers.)

* Sugarcraft.com has wafer paper flowers and other decorations — this is what Lush uses for its famous jasmine Sex Bomb.  Just put the wafer paper rose in one end and pack the bath bomb mix around it.  You can make a holiday-themed one with a snowflake or something — no one does this enough, and in person, these things sell like crazy.

Anything to add?  Just email info@excellentlivingguide.com, and I’ll include it.

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I’ve seen this done a few times at places like Bath and Body Works, Lush, etc, but their packaging isn’t generally that eco friendly.  I asked the bath bombing list for suggestions, and it opened up discussion for any cool bath bomb packaging, whether it’s single or in a mix and match fragrance set.

On our list, we try to be as eco-friendly as possible.  So, reusing and repurposing containers, buying packaging that is easy to reuse, using biodegradable stuff, etc.  Here are suggestions:

Wrapping the individual bath bombs.

• Heat shrink bags are the most popular choice.  They take up very little bulk and are easy, but many people don’t like to use them because they aren’t that eco-friendly.
• Real cellophane bags are completely biodegradable and pretty easy to find.  Pop the bath bombs in a bag with twist ties and a tag.  For the smaller bath bombs, which tend to be stronger, you can put 3 or 4 in a large cellophane bag (like mini donuts!)
• You can also wrap bath bombs in real cellophane sheets, waxed paper, or parchment paper.  There will be some fragrance “bleed,” but not too bad.  This is the most bulky and labor intensive option.

Gift packaging.

• Mercedes suggests: “What if you wrapped each in plastic wrap to keep scents separate, then pretty tissue paper over that, tied at the ends with thin ribbon or string, to look like candy? Then you could store in a candy jar!”
• Annie says, “You could use any thrift store cannister (preferably glass) find something funky for the lid, like a kids teacup and saucer, etc.”
• Melissa had some great ideas: “If I wanted to go fancy, I’d probably venture out to the kitchen/storage dept at IKEA.  When I made bath salt favors for a bridal shower, I found glass canisters (with airtight lids) at IKEA and tied a coffee scoop to the canister’s lid.  I embellished the scoop with beads I wired around the handle.  But back to the bombs….glass canisters, Lucite bathroom drawer organizers, wicker baskets (boring), a fancy cloth wine bottle gift bag, a hat box, or the ever popular – cellophane bags.”
• Karen recommends using dollar-store cardboard wine canisters!
• Chris also had some dollar store recommendations: “What about using some of the interesting glass vases at the craft stores?  If the bombs are wrapped, it would preserve the fragrance, and you could top it with tulle or lace and ribbon to finish.  Large drinking glasses and vases from the dollar stores might also work.”
• Jacquie recommends using a plastic cylinder that can be cut to size, such as the ones at http://store.visipak.com/home.php.
• Keri asks, “Are the smalls the right size to fit in an egg carton? bath and body works is doing that with their mix n match wallflowers for the holiday season and it’s super cute! especially a clear egg carton where the label can be covered or peeled off…”  Good question!  And so eco-friendly.

My own thought was to use tins, since they have a high reuse value — Papermart has a good selection here: http://www.papermart.com/Product%20Pages/Product.aspx?GroupName=INDEX_TINS&GOCMP=Papermart%5FCampaign+%231+%96+Main&GOMTC=Phrase&GOKEY=tins&gclid=CN_Hhv2QnKUCFYK5KgodbCUJJQ

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Bath melts should be smaller, since a little goes a long way when it floats on top of the bath water. Most of Lush’s are 1 ounce, and that is too much for a lot of people, especially those with compact bath tubs.

I’ve also seen a combination of bath bomb and semi-solid butter also described as bath melts. They have the bonus effect of fizzing slightly while the oils and waxes melt. See “Le Bath Melt” on Snowdrift Farm’s page here.

Anyway, no need for me to reinvent the wheel, especially since I’ve never actually made any bath melt or massage bar like products. Here are some links to basic bath melt recipes — the majority use cocoa butter and sweet almond oil, which you can probably find at your local health food store if you don’t want to wait to order online (though it’ll cost you.) Massage bars often use beeswax to make them harder.

As with bath bombs, the fun in making bath melts is elaborating on the basic recipe and creating your own versions — especially the appearance! You can have a lot of fun with different mold shapes and packaging.

Cute! Tub toads wrapped in hoppin’ green foil.

Bath melt with milk powder.

Nice looking recipe for tub truffles.

Massage bar with beeswax.

PS
Does anyone have a nice photo I can use? I didn’t want to use anyone’s picture without permission, and it would be great to showcase a member’s handiwork!

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The Aromatherapy Angle
According to several sources, the purpose of shower steamers is aromatherapy. You make them with essential oils, get them a little wet, and put them out of direct range of the shower spray. The steamy heat from the shower helps the essential oils circulate, creating an aromatherapy steam-room environment.

I thought that was pretty cool. There are few products that enhance the shower atmosphere — just the bath — and leveraging the humid heat is clever. I’ve done shower sprays with mint and eucalyptus, but I never thought to repurpose the bath bomb in this way.

How To Make ‘Em
I checked the ingredients on several sites, and they are exactly the same as a bath bomb: citric acid, baking soda, essential oils. Some have borax, possibly to alter the pH balance or make the tub easier to clean. All of them have to have good essential oils, of course, and some knowledge of aromatherapy is required.

As far as I can tell, you can just make a basic bath bomb with essential oils and call it a shower steamer. If I’m wrong about this, be sure to email me and let me know, but my research supports this conclusion.

If you don’t know how to make bath bombs, you can start by downloading my free Fast Guide, a 48-page instruction manual on bath bomb making.

Packaging
I didn’t want to steal anyone’s product photos, but if you search Google images for “shower steamer,” it’ll give you a good idea what other people are doing.

The format is either a small bomb size, such as the 2 ounce size, or half a 4 or 6 ounce bath bomb. They are usually wrapped in colored foil, rather like a Valentine’s Day chocolate, with a sticker holding it together.

As the shower steamers contain essential oils, they need to be stored in an airtight environment. The foil must provide a good air block, but I don’t see why the right clear bag would do the trick as well. I suspect the foil is also to distinguish it from a normal bath bomb, if the sellers provide both products.

To find the foil, search google for “confectionery foil,” or start here at Sugarcraft, where there are all kinds of good things for the creative bath bomber.

As a marketer, I do not like the look of many of these shower steamers because of the confusion with candy. For bath bombs, it makes sense — it’s bath candy — but the cognitive dissonance of cheap candy packaging + semi-poisonous essential oils + luxury spa experience? Not so good, in my opinion. I’d prefer a more natural look to go with the aromatherapy angle.

Cautions
I do not recommend using corn starch. It will make the steamer softer and possibly provide food for mold. People will leave the shower steamer out, and heat + moisture + air = uninvited growths. The chemical salts may help deter spores, but don’t count on it… there are some very hardy strains of mold out there. It’s their job.

I also do not recommend using clay, since it will leave a slushy residue as the steamer melts down. Not that there’s any reason to use clay, but since some people do use it in bath bombs, I thought I’d mention it.

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Although bath bomb presses can be a wonderful solution for people producting bath bombs in bulk, they do have their disadvantages.

I asked Michelle, a bath bomb maker I know who uses a press in her shop, how she likes her Willow Way bath bomb press. What she told me was kind of surprising.

“Actually, the press isn’t as good as using the handheld molds.” she said. “It’s about 4 times slower than producing them ‘by hand,’ but we just use it because it saves our aching forearms.” The shop, which sells handmade bath and body products, makes 200 bath bombs per day!

Michelle said that a second drawback to using a bath bomb press is that you don’t get as good a feel for the bombs. This is important if there’s a problem with the mix or recipe. A big part of judging if your bath bombs are “mold-worthy” is in the molding process itself. When you hand-mold them, you can instantly feel if the bath bombs are going to come out.

Although I don’t make hundreds of fizzies per week like Michelle, I can definitely imagine the “oh sh*t” feeling of hundreds of bombs crumbling and cracking on the drying tray right before my eyes! If you do make mass quantities of bombs… maybe you should consider hiring an assistant instead of buying a press. It might be cheaper in the long run!

Buy Citric Acid Online

Online is cheapest, even with shipping, but you do have to wait for it. If you want instant gratification, order some online right away, and then buy a small amount in physical stores listed. This will tide you over until your shipment comes in.

You may want to team up with a few local bath bombers and go in together on a 50 lb bag. It’ll at least give you an excuse to meet other bath and body DIY-ers in the area!

• MMS – $2 / lb or less. 1 pound minimum. Located in Utah.
• Bramble Berry – $2.25 / lb or less. 1 pound minimum, next size up is 10 pounds. Located in Washington.
• Coastal Scents – $2.56 / lb or less. 3 pound minimum. Located in Florida.
• Chemistry Store – $3 / lb or less. 2 pound minimum. Located in South Carolina.
• Mountain Rose Herbs – $3.25 / lb or less. 1 pound minimum. Located in Oregon.

Citric Acid on Ebay

This is pretty safe. Normally, I’d advise against getting soapmaking supplies on Ebay because you just never know what you’re going to get… but there’s not a whole lot that can go wrong with citric acid. And you can buy from other crafters, which is always nice.

Search Citric Acid on Ebay

Sam’s Club / Costco

I’ve heard of people finding 5 pound buckets of citric acid at Sam’s Club or Costco. Can anyone confirm this?

Home Brewing Stores

Citric acid is used by home brewers, and you can find it for a pretty penny. I’ve heard reports of $.42 / oz.

Health Food Stores

Whole Foods by my apartment has citric acid for $.62 / oz (!)

The Grocery Store

Citric acid goes by the name Sour Salt – it’s in disguise! You can find it in the Kosher section or the spice section, and buy a few bottles of it because you don’t get very much in one bottle. It’s expensive, so I would only go this route in emergencies. As an added minus, it comes in heavy glass bottles that I don’t want to throw out. I think, “Surely, I can use them for something…”

Auto Garages, Landscapers, Lawn Care, and Other Businesses That Use Chemicals

I was looking online for a reader who needed 50 pound bags of citric acid, and I found out something that might be of use. Many businesses, such as auto garages and lawn care services, use citric acid. Why is this? Just like us, they use it to alter the Ph balance of various things (like soil.) If you ask around, I’m sure you’ll find some leads. And it saves having to pay for shipping!

The Pharmacy

I’ve heard rumors of people finding citric acid at the pharmacy, but I don’t know what size package it comes in. I haven’t checked this out, but I will inquire at the local CVS.

Bath bombs were invented – as far as I know – by Lush, the international bath chain; however, they have really caught on over the past 5 years with independent soap boutiques and soapmakers, and a couple other bath and body chains. These days, you can even find them at CVS, though I can’t vouch for their quality.

They sound simple, but once you try a bath fizzy or two, you may very well get hooked. If your spouse doesn’t understand your obsession with luxury bath products, just give him or her a bath bomb, and you’ll probably never have to hear about it again.

Lush is probably the most famous seller of bath bombs; in fact, they claim to be the originators. Most people are buying their bath bombs for $4 or more at Lush and other stores, but those in the know can make them for less than $1.

Making bath bombs is a little tricky, but you can learn to whip them up perfectly with the free Fast Guide, available right here.

Buy a printed version from Lulu here – $11.95:

Love Lush’s bath bombs, but don’t love their prices?  Ever suspected that you could make your own bath bombs at home… if you only knew how? All you need is the 48-page ebook, “The Fast Guide To Making Bath Bombs.”  It tells you everything you need to know to make these fizzy bath treats yourself for only a quarter each.  Plus, you get to customize them with any scents and ingredients you want.

The Famous — and free — Bath Bomb Guide.

When I wrote The Fast Guide To Making Bath Bombs in 2005, I never dreamed that it would get tens of thousands of downloads. I learned how to make BBs from working at a bath and body manufacturer.  When that company went down in flames, I thought I’d write the guide to pass on my knowledge to the few bath bomb enthusiasts I knew.  Plus, it was fun to write! Now, my bath bomber list has over 3000 4000 members, many of whom have their own stores or Etsy shops.

You, too, can be a “bath bomber”… .

..starting with the Fast Guide. As seen in Ready Made Magazine’s blog (thanks, Megan of notmartha.org!) The FREE Bath Bomb Fast Guide is probably the only guide you’ll ever need to “debug” your bath bombs. It’s long, 48 info-packed pages, but it will only take you a few minutes to locate the section you need if you’re a more experienced Bath Bomber.

• Discover the “amazing secret” to making rock-hard bath bombs every time! (Hint – it’s called practice!)
• Make your own creative bath bomb recipes full of cool ingredients!
• Stop spending $5 per bomb when you can easily whip them up for $.50 each!
• Have a way to make thoughtful homemade gifts whenever you want!

File issues finally fixed – click here to download the Fast Guide directly.

Join the Bath Bombers List!

Get notified when the next update of the Fast Guide is out, and get “first dibs” on the coveted stainless molds.  The limited supply is very annoying, but my list members always get first pick.  I’m usually sold out in 3 days when I get the popular sizes in, so I can’t list any extras on my Etsy shop.

Once you confirm your subscription to the Bath Bombers List, the latest Fast Guide will be automatically sent to you in an email attachment, along with “Anatomy of a Bath Bomb,” and some info on stainless bath bomb molds, just so you have it.

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If you’re a beginner to making bath bombs, here is a quick overview of the ingredients and process. You will see that there’s nothing to it — seriously. Three whole ingredients for the basic bath bomb!  Of course, it’s pretty boring, but this is the foundation of bath bombing.  Everything else, the color, fragrance, oils, corn starch, etc, is just icing on the cake, so to speak.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Baking Soda
• 1 cup Citric Acid (Sour Salt)
• Spray Bottle with Tap Water

• Optional: 5 – 20 drops liquid food coloring
• Optional: 1 or 2 teaspoons of massage oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, or almond oil
• Optional: 1 tsp. skin-safe fragrance oil

Why do I say those last three are optional? Because they are. You don’t need anything other than baking soda, citric acid, and a little water to make bath bombs. You can even hand mold them! Yes, they’ll be boring bath bombs, but they will fizz in the bath.

Process

Combine your oil, fragrance, and dry ingredients in a large, wide mixing bowl. If you’re using coloring, drop the coloring in at this point. It will fizz a little and ball up in the dry stuff, that’s normal.

Start with two or three spritzes of water into the bowl, and rub the mix between your palms. This way, the color will break up and distribute evenly. You will get some fine speckles, but I figure that it’s part of the beauty of a handmade product

When the bath bomb mix packs easily, but still doesn’t feel wet, it’s time to mold ‘em.  For your first batch, use an old measuring cup that you don’t mind being scented (if using fragrance.) Press the mixture in like you’re trying to make a sand castle — the firmer, the better.  Then, flip the mold upside down and unmold. If you do your mixture right, your bath bombs should unmold immediately; you don’t have to wait for them to “set” in the molds, or anything.

I have to warn you, plastic stuff doesn’t make the best molds.  It tends to get pitted with tiny holes, and they act like Velcro to a bath bomb.  You can flex the mold around the bomb and that will usually help, but the best thing I’ve used are the stainless steel bath bomb molds.  You don’t need those to start, though!

Put your molded bath bombs on a tray to dry overnight. Of course, you can use them immediately – after all, they’re just going to get wet again! But you should not wrap them or store them until they are fully dry. If they retain moisture, the bath bombs will start to “fizzle out” over time. It’s a slow process, but it does happen. starts to clump together when you squeeze it, you should stop and test its mold-readiness, even if you think it’s too dry. Mold one bath bomb, and see if it holds together.

If it does, mold the rest. If it kind of falls apart, add another spritz or two, and do another test mold.

Put your molded bath bombs on a tray to dry overnight. Of course, you can use them immediately – after all, they’re just going to get wet again! But you should not wrap them or store them until they are fully dry. If they retain moisture, the bath bombs will start to “fizzle out” over time. The bath bombs will be hard and dry, but their fizzing power will be disappointing. It’s a slow process, but it does happen.

Bath Bombing Is A Process, Not A Recipe

There are a lot of “recipes” for bath bombs around, but it’s really a process.  One of my readers has compared it to making a pie crust.  You can’t think rigidly about following a recipe because it’s dependent on the humidity of the air, the heat, etc.  Plus, you’ll never come up with your own creative versions, and that’s the fun part.

To help you through the bath bombing process, I’ve written the now-famous “Fast Guide To Making Bath Bombs,” a 48-page monster all about the process.  It’s very plainly formatted with no photos, but it continues to be the best instructions on the net for making these fizzy devils.  You can download it by joining my bath bombers’ list here:

Once you submit the form, you’ll get an automatic confirmation email asking you to confirm your subscription. Click the link, and you’ll be sent the Fast Guide in an attachment, along with “Anatomy of a Bath Bomb,” which shows you how easy it is to recreate one of Lush’s most popular bath bombs, and an info sheet for the molds — just because people keep asking about them!

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