We have several amazing groups here at Bubbly Belle that make thousands of bath bombs a day. I went around and asked them if they would share some tips and tricks for others out there who are looking to make their own bath bombs. We get a lot questions every month from customers looking for the secret sauce to making bath bombs. We share some, but we can't reveal all our secrets :).
There are several different factors that can contribute to the making of a quality bath bomb and our great staff here at Bubbly Belle is more than willing to share some of those with you.
Here is several tips that they all agreed were the best ways to start:
1. Ingredients make all the difference. Over the years we have tried just about every brand of baking soda and the best performing brand is Arm & Hammer. It seems to make a significant difference in the bath bombs cohesiveness and smoothness. Getting your bath bombs to stick together and stay stuck together is a real treat. Arm & Hammer will do the job.
2. We use two different types of citric acid. Fine powder and ground are mixed 50/50 for the citric acid portion of the recipe. We are not sure why this makes a difference but it consistently does. The fine powder also helps with the appearance of the bomb as it gives a smoother feel and look. The ground citric acid can be harder to find than the fine, though most candy making suppliers will have some.
3. After trying many recipes we have found two ingredients that do not help your bath bomb stay together. Both ingredients are found in many recipes. Salt(Epsom salt or sea salt) and corn starch. Both ingredients inhibit the chemical reaction that occurs when you add water which in turn binds the bomb together. We add a small amount of sea salt to our recipe as our customers prefer to have it in the ingredient deck, but we do not recommend it. If you must add it, add it sparingly.
These are just three simple tips that will ensure your bath bombs start off right. They will be smooth and stay together and if not, experimenting is always fun. Don't stress out or give up, you got this and they will work out.
Head over to Bubbly Belle to order some of our one-of-a-kind bath bombs.