So I’m new to bath bombs. I used a recipe I found online that included baking soda, citric acid, cocoa or mango butter, slsa or dry milk, polysorbate 80, mica and witch hazel to wet the ingredients. I made 3 batches and they did not turn out good.
First, I learned later if you want the bath water to be colored not to use mica and use FD&C dye. I’ve bought some and bloomed them then added to baking soda and dried it to use later in bath bombs. I made them extremely dark so I mix a tablespoon of the colored baking soda with white baking soda.
The second problem was it barely fizzed or foamed. A woman in a Facebook group told me it was because I used a butter and they keep them from fizzing and foaming and I should use an oil instead. I have grapeseed oil, unrefined coconut oil, fractionated coconut oil, avocado oil and sunflower oil.
The third problem was they dried bumpy and sandy looking. You could also see white dots of the mango butter in them.
The recipe said to knead the melted butter with poly 80 into the dry ingredients. I don’t feel this fully incorporated the mango butter. It also said it should feel like kinetic sand. I’ve never touched kinetic sand. I knew it should keep its form if I hold it in my fist. I’m wondering if one of my mistakes was spraying too much witch hazel? Also I read it contains a lot of water and 91% rubbing alcohol works better because the alcohol evaporates while they’re drying. I did buy some. Also I’ve read since that you should add the citric acid last. This recipe had me mix all the dry ingredients after they were sifted.
I use stainless steel molds and luckily had no trouble getting them out. I left them in the molds for an hour and then took them out to dry. 3 out the 4 batches dried hard. One didn’t. It was soft and crumbly. However all are useless due to looking like sand and not being smooth, not fizzing and foaming, the balls of mango butter and the water not being colored.
I found a new recipe that calls for oil instead of butter, adds kaolin clay or cream of tartar to help them harden, says to add citric acid last and says to use a stand mixer and mix the dry ingredients first then slowly add in the oil, poly 80 and fragrance oils. It also calls for 91 rubbing alcohol.
Since it’s winter the humidity in my kitchen ranges from 40-50%. I read multiple places that you can actually dry the bombs in the oven if you live somewhere with high humidity or don’t have time to let them dry for 2 days. It says to only set it on warm and to leave in for an hour and check. It says to place directly on rack but I’m afraid of them losing their shape so I bought chocolate bomb silicone molds that go in the oven to place mine in so they don’t lose shape and won’t crumble and fall to the bottom of my oven. Of course I haven’t tried this yet.
I would like advice on my experience and what I could do better. Is cream of tartar good to use for hardening? Is dry milk an ok replacement for slsa? I read many places it was.
I’ve been making body products for a long time but brand new to bombs. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Here are photos of my failed bombs. I’ve been using them in my baths since they smell good and still condition my skin. I hope they’re close enough to see the sandy texture. The other photos are of 2 broken ones because I packed the first 3 I made in so hard. I used the heel of my hand to pack it in. Then I read you don’t pack them. So 2 broke coming out of the mold. But it shows the weird texture.
First, I learned later if you want the bath water to be colored not to use mica and use FD&C dye. I’ve bought some and bloomed them then added to baking soda and dried it to use later in bath bombs. I made them extremely dark so I mix a tablespoon of the colored baking soda with white baking soda.
The second problem was it barely fizzed or foamed. A woman in a Facebook group told me it was because I used a butter and they keep them from fizzing and foaming and I should use an oil instead. I have grapeseed oil, unrefined coconut oil, fractionated coconut oil, avocado oil and sunflower oil.
The third problem was they dried bumpy and sandy looking. You could also see white dots of the mango butter in them.
The recipe said to knead the melted butter with poly 80 into the dry ingredients. I don’t feel this fully incorporated the mango butter. It also said it should feel like kinetic sand. I’ve never touched kinetic sand. I knew it should keep its form if I hold it in my fist. I’m wondering if one of my mistakes was spraying too much witch hazel? Also I read it contains a lot of water and 91% rubbing alcohol works better because the alcohol evaporates while they’re drying. I did buy some. Also I’ve read since that you should add the citric acid last. This recipe had me mix all the dry ingredients after they were sifted.
I use stainless steel molds and luckily had no trouble getting them out. I left them in the molds for an hour and then took them out to dry. 3 out the 4 batches dried hard. One didn’t. It was soft and crumbly. However all are useless due to looking like sand and not being smooth, not fizzing and foaming, the balls of mango butter and the water not being colored.
I found a new recipe that calls for oil instead of butter, adds kaolin clay or cream of tartar to help them harden, says to add citric acid last and says to use a stand mixer and mix the dry ingredients first then slowly add in the oil, poly 80 and fragrance oils. It also calls for 91 rubbing alcohol.
Since it’s winter the humidity in my kitchen ranges from 40-50%. I read multiple places that you can actually dry the bombs in the oven if you live somewhere with high humidity or don’t have time to let them dry for 2 days. It says to only set it on warm and to leave in for an hour and check. It says to place directly on rack but I’m afraid of them losing their shape so I bought chocolate bomb silicone molds that go in the oven to place mine in so they don’t lose shape and won’t crumble and fall to the bottom of my oven. Of course I haven’t tried this yet.
I would like advice on my experience and what I could do better. Is cream of tartar good to use for hardening? Is dry milk an ok replacement for slsa? I read many places it was.
I’ve been making body products for a long time but brand new to bombs. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Here are photos of my failed bombs. I’ve been using them in my baths since they smell good and still condition my skin. I hope they’re close enough to see the sandy texture. The other photos are of 2 broken ones because I packed the first 3 I made in so hard. I used the heel of my hand to pack it in. Then I read you don’t pack them. So 2 broke coming out of the mold. But it shows the weird texture.
