Thief Thursday, Bath Bombs

Well, with no job and no way to personally pay for Christmas presents like I'm used to doing, I decided to turn to Google and Pinterest for homemade ideas. I actually found some really amazing ideas, one of which was homemade soap. I've always wanted to try making my own, but never remember to buy glycerin when I'm at a specialty store. Maybe I'll remember one day. Maybe.

Anyway, it reminded me of what I buy my mother in law every year: a gift box from Lush. If you never heard of them before, click on the link. They're located all over the world and are absolutely amazing! Only problem? The price. Seriously? $4.95 PLUS tax (and shipping if you don't live close - like us) for a bath bomb?! I'm a mom! I do NOT have the money to pay $5 for a fun bath every time I want it or have a stressful day. Solution? Make my own! That way, I can even make smaller ones so I don't feel so wasteful and they last longer.

I found two favorable recipes:
1.) XO Vain
2.) Maria's Self

I wasn't sure which one I liked more, so I combined them both to make my own. I made a very small batch so that I could try it out without risking wasting too much of it if it fails (Chemistry is not my strong suit). Here goes:
Note: my supplies and cost is only for the amount I made, which was very tiny. The more you make the more ingredients you will need to purchase and more money will spend.

In a small bowl, mix together:

-1 Tbsp Epsom salt ( $0.88+ at Walmart)

- 1 Tbsp Citric Acid ($3.97+ at Walmart)

- 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch ($0.96+ at Walmart)

- 2 Tbsp Baking Soda ($0.54+ at Walmart)

(I will post amounts needed for a larger batch at the end of the post)

In a small container, combine:

- 2 tsp Olive Oil ($3.98+ at Walmart)

- 2-3 Drops Essential Oil (Optional; I paid $5.95 here.)

Slowly drizzle liquid mixture on top dry ingredients. 

Mix together.

In a spray bottle, add some water and a few drops of coloring (optional - I bought mine here). You don't want to use food coloring, as it may stain your tub. I DEFINITELY recommend using small, travel-size spray bottles instead of big ones, but I can't find mine. We didn't use any color in this batch, except for a few drops added to hers later for green, and some in the middle of one of mine. 

Slowly spray/mix in water until you get a chunky consistency that is crumbly, but moldable and still looks dry. We didn't do more than 2 sprays at a time because our mixture began to fizz and we didn't want that to happen too much before we got them into the bath tub! 

Then, stuff mixture into molds (I cut a small ornament in half and we stuffed both sides and put it together, and I filled a heart cookie cutter) and set out on wax paper. Let set forever. Okay, so it's only 24-48 hours, but it feels like forever!

Touch gently to make sure they are dry and hard all the way through. Then, have fun in the tub! We stored ours inside of the plastic bag. They should stay good for a while, but make sure to store them in an airtight container of some sort. 

Here's the recipe for a larger batch:

- 2 cups Epsom Salt

- 2 cups Citric Acid

- 4 cups Baking Soda

- 3/4 cup Cornstarch

- 1/4 cup Olive Oil

- 10-15 drops Essential Oil

Here's a picture of mine in action. Ah... So relaxing!  I cannot wait to make more of these and give them out at Christmas time, along with several other homemade bath products I've made this week! 

P.S.- Here is where I bought my color.

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