Homemade {ALL NATURAL} Lavender Bath Fizzies for relaxation

 Have you ever tried using a bath bomb/fizzy to help you relax in the tub? Did you know buying them at a body shop can cost you almost $7 just for one?  

   I am a big fan of taking "Mommy time" and because I don't get very much time to myself, when I do, it usually means a bath. Its quiet, relaxing and FREE (in more ways than one).  Sounds like my kinda time alone.   I did a little research and found a few recipes for these bath fizzies. Turned out they are pretty darn easy to make at home, not to mention cheap compared to those shown above! I made a few batches of these for Mother's day, as well as some to hand out to my son's teacher and his soccer coaches. For a teacher or coach gift, just add a little tag that says "you're the bomb! Thanks for...." These fizzies are so fun you simply drop them into a warm bath, and watch them fizzle and slowly dissolve until you can smell the heavenly scents of your oils and feel them soften and moisturize your skin! If you are not a bath taker, these can work on the shower floor as well. You would benefit from the scents but obviously not from the skin moisturizers, and they don't last as long.   Once I started making these bath bombs, I couldn't stop! I wanted to try new flavors and textures, and now I am totally addicted! Did you see my last post on all natural bath bombs for "Man colds"? They are great for congestion, sore throats and sinus pressure.   I had to share this recipe with you as well so you can try them for yourself. Happy bomb making.... uh-hem happy Mommy time that is. :)   **NOTE: I have tried at least 5 different bath bomb recipes. I have adapted this recipe to have all natural ingredients since I use these bath bombs while my kids are in the tub. I wasn't interested in making them with borax or anything that could be harmful if ingested.  

 

Homemade Bath Bombs for relaxation

Recipe source: Emmy in her Element

 

{dry ingredients}

1/2 cup citric acid (found on the canning aisle)

1/2 cup corn starch

1 cup baking soda

1/4 cup ground oats (optional but do help to soften skin)

 

{wet ingredients}

2 1/2 tablespoons sunflower or almond oil (must be a light oil)

3/4 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon lavender or lavender and chamomile essential oil (less if your oils are strong)

1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E oil (I just used 3-4 capsules and squeezed the oil out)

1/4 teaspoon glycerin (found in the cake decorating section, or at your local craft store)

Witch hazel (needs to be poured into a spray bottle) this can be found in the pharmacy section

Food or natural coloring (optional)

 If you are adding textures into your bath fizzies such as oats, add a few whole oats to the silicone molds before adding the mixture on top. This way when you pop the bombs out of the molds, they will have a pretty oat texture on top! If you are making bath bombs for a friend who has celiac or goes Gluten Free, make sure your oats are gluten free oats!

 

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together baking soda, starch and citric acid and ground oats (optional). In a second small bowl mix together sunflower oil, water, E oil, essential oils and then glycerin and coloring (optional). Whisk this mixture together and slowly and carefully poor into dry ingredients. Mix together with a fork until a crumbly consistency appears. Then use your hands to finish mixing together until it reaches a smooth consistency. Spray 3 times with witch hazel, and finish mixing with hands. It will hold together slightly, almost like wet sand. This is just what you want. Do not spray more than 3 times with the witch hazel or the bombs will not dry properly.

 Spoon mixture into your silicone baking tray. Press down until packed and firm. At this point you can choose to leave your bath bombs out to dry, or bake them if needed for use right away. If letting air dry, let the bombs sit in silicone pan for about 12 hours. Remove from pan and let sit out an additional 3 hours to make sure they are fully dry before storing. If baking, heat oven to 320 degrees F and bake for about 20 minutes. Let the bath bombs cool about 10 minutes in the mold, then remove and use right away. The only downside to baking them is that they puff up a little more in the oven. If you are trying to make them keep their perfect mold shape, air drying is a better option. To me they are pretty either way.

 

Store bath bombs in a zip lock bag or can with a lid. Be sure to keep out of reach of children as they may think the bath bombs are food. Always supervise your children if using bath bombs in the bathtub. These are so fun to toss in warm water and watch fizz!

 

Ingredient list:

If you don't have these ingredients on hand, let me help you find them. They can be in tricky spots.

Citric acid: It comes in powdered form. You will find it with the canning section at the grocery store. Make sure you get citric acid and not "fruit fresh" with citric acid. I made this mistake and my bath bombs did not hold together.

Sunflower oil: this will be with the "light" oils on the baking aisle along with olive and vegetable oil.

Witch Hazel: this is a plant based liquid is used for healing and as a skin soother. It is found in the pharmacy section by the band aids. Make sure and get a small spray bottle to use it.

Vitamin E oil: I used this in capsule form, you can find them in the pharmacy section. I had some on hand and I just poked the 4-5 capsules with a needle and dripped the oil into my mixture.

Essential oils: I like to use the oils in their purest form. If you do not have essential oils, it is likely someone you know sells them or knows where you can buy some.

Glycerin: Glycerin is used in fondant making so I was able to find a bottle at my local craft store. This may also be found in the cake decorating section of your grocery store.

 

 

 

 I am learning more and more about the many uses of essential oils and I am excited to continue to learn self reliance through making my own homemade cleaning items as well as trying some homemade laundry soap! If you have any tips tricks or experiences, I would love to hear your thoughts and recipes.