Bath bombs are an approachable project for makers at any skill level. They are designed to fizz when added to water, releasing fragrance, color, and other ingredients as they dissolve. This reaction happens when citric acid and baking soda come into contact with water and combine, releasing carbon dioxide. The steady stream of bubbles creates the fizzing effect that helps disperse scent and additives throughout the bath.
Many bath bomb recipes also include ingredients that help control how quickly that reaction happens. Small changes to texture and composition can help control the fizz while supporting consistent molding and durability. Common additions include ingredients like cornstarch, clays, cream of tartar, or milk powders.
Check out Bramble Berry’s bath bomb supplies, bath truffles, and shower steamers. Each offers a different way to experience fragrance and fizz while sharing similar base ingredients and techniques. Bramble Berry’s bath bomb project kits include clear, step-by-step instructions and come with all the ingredients needed to get started.
Popular Additions for Custom Bath Bombs
- Epsom salts: Added for a relaxing bath experience and to soften the skin. Fine-grain Epsom salts blend more easily into recipes and help maintain a smooth texture.
- Botanicals: Dried flowers, herbs, or plant materials add natural texture and decorative detail as they release into the water once the bath bomb dissolves, sometimes referred to as bath teas.
- Shaped embeds: Small decorative pieces made separately and added to the bath bomb for design detail. Common examples include hearts, stars, flowers, and holiday shapes that dissolve as the bath bomb breaks down.
- Biodegradable glitter: Adds shimmer and shine. Always use biodegradable glitter so it can be safely washed down the drain and is environmentally friendly.
- Scent-layered embeds: Decorative embeds that allow fragrance to release in stages during use.
- Fizz boosters: Concentrated pockets of citric acid and baking soda added as embeds that help extend the overall fizz time during use.
- Color-change layers: Layered designs that reveal new colors as the bath bomb dissolves.
Color is central to bath bomb design, and Bramble Berry offers several creative ways to customize how finished projects look. Bath bombs can be painted by mixing mica with isopropyl alcohol and brushing designs onto the surface, as shown in projects like the Painted Rose Bath Bomb Project. Many bath bomb recipes also include polysorbate 80 as an emulsifier to help oils and decorative elements combine better with water, rather than floating on the surface.
What are scent-layered embeds?
Scent-layered embeds are small decorative pieces made separately and added to a bath bomb to control when fragrance is released. This allows fragrance to release in stages rather than all at once, adding subtle variation as the bath progresses. Fragrance can be added to different layered elements or shaped embeds, so the scent and visual details change in tandem as the bath bomb dissolves.
How do I make shaped embeds for bath bombs?
Shaped embeds are made by using a standard bath bomb mixture or a slightly adjusted version with a finer texture. The mixture is pressed into small molds and allowed to fully dry before being added to the main bath bomb. Makers often use shaped embeds to introduce holiday elements, color-change layers, scent-layered designs, or fizz boosters that activate at different points as the bath bomb dissolves.
How does biodegradable glitter work?
Biodegradable glitter is made from plant-based materials rather than plastic. It adds a soft shimmer that catches the light as the bath bomb fizzes across the bath. The materials are designed to break down more naturally over time once they go down the drain.