A few weeks ago I ran across this blog post about making your own bath fizzies (or bath bombs) on The Coterie Blog. I loved her idea for using essential oils (like eucalyptus) in the bath bombs and dropping them in the tub to help sick kiddos feel better.
But being the selfish person that I am...the first thing that came to my mind was....WHAT ABOUT MOMMY? All you Mom's know what I'm talking about...when your kiddos are sick, YOU are STRESSED!
Well, instead of adding eucalyptus essential oil, substitute LAVENDER, which is known for its ability to help calm stress and anxiety and to help promote sleep. Then both Mommy AND kiddos will be feeling better. :-)
So these bombs are for you Mom!
Bath Bombs For Stressed Moms
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup citric acid
1/2 cup corn starch
Mix dry ingredients together until completely combined and smooth. (I ground up oats in my blender and added about 1/4 cup of that too. It gives the bombs a cool textured look AND it's good for your skin as well.)
Wet Ingredients:
2 1/2 Tbsp sunflower or other light oil (almond oil would be good too.)
3/4 Tbsp water
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Lavender essential oil (depending on how strong your oil is)
1/4 tsp Vitamin E oil (optional, but recommended - an antioxidant which preserves the oils)
1/4 teaspoon borax (an emulsifier)
witch hazel in a spray bottle (it doesn't come in a spray bottle, you will have to put it in one)
vegetable or other natural colorant (I didn't feel like messing with color, so I left them white)
Whisk all of the wet ingredients and Borax together in a large bowl.
Drizzle slowly onto the dry ingredients and blend thoroughly.
Mix with your hands until all of the ingredients are combined.
Lightly spray the mixture 2-3 times with witch hazel.
The mixture should just start to hold together when pressed in your hand, like slightly moist fine sand. If it's not sticking together, spray a little more witch hazel.
Let the bath bombs dry and harden overnight before you pick them up. I got a little impatient (who, ME?) and tried to take them out of the molds a few hours later and they would not cooperate. In the morning, however, the ones I hadn't messed with were hard as a rock. Silly me. No worries though, the crumbly stuff works just as well in the bath. :-)
This recipe made about 16 bath bombs that were 1-5/8" inches in diameter. Can't wait to make some more!
Turning your bath into a calming and relaxing...delicious smelling...skin softening HEAVEN....is today's.....
These look really good. Will have to try making these. I think they would make great gifts.
ReplyDeleteWe can't get Borax here in Norway, what else could I use instead? This is a fab idea and one I'm eager to try, thanks for sharing :o)
ReplyDelete♥LOVE♥!!!
ReplyDeleteI think I'll make these for all my mommy friends for Mother's Day. I have cute little rose shaped silicone pans that will be perfect for this!
Anony in Norway....I have searched and searched and haven't come up with a good answer. I have read a few different things that are possible substitutions for Borax as an emulsifier: glycerin, lecithin, xanthum gum, even OxyClean. But I'm not certain about any of them. If you try any of them out and have success...be sure and let us know! :-)
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to try these! Maybe Lavender and Rosemary. Or even Lemongrass. So many possibilities!
ReplyDeleteJane Foster: Lemongrass bath bombs? That sounds AMAZING!!!
ReplyDeleteJill: Your posts make me wish I lived somewhere with a real craft store! My husband and I are constantly finding stuff we want to try to make, but our local WalMart is the closest we have without driving an hour or so! Thank goodness for Amazon!
Sold! I'm totally making these! Love this. I am so glad to see that it is all natural!! Yay! I've just bought some essential oils today!! I bought eucalyptus, sweet orange and peppermint. I will buy some lavendar next time..but right now I am stuffy and bought the eucalyptus for the bath water...I will go ahead and make these bombs with eucalyptus. Can't wait to make these. By the way, I've been reading your blog everyday for a couple of weeks now and I am loving it!!! What a great blog you have.
ReplyDeleteThese look fantastic! how much oatmeal did you use?
ReplyDeleteYou don't actually HAVE to have the borax - the only REQUIRED ingredients are baking soda, citric acid, and either water or witch hazel to hold it together. Everything else is nice, but optional. For a really good guide to the basics of bath bombs, check here: http://www.excellentlivingguide.com/2009/11/bath-bombers-unite/
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