Is Rubber Ducky your idea of fun in the bath? Grow up! Discover
the fizzle, fun and wild aromas of popping a bath bomb in your
tub! Follow this guide into making one.

1. Dry Ingredients:

Citric Acid

It is a white substance like powder. Citric acid is not Vitamin
C. It is the substance responsible for the tart taste of citrus
fruits like lemons, limes and gooseberries. The acid is
extracted from the fruit juice and chemically processed to be
transformed from liquid to solid. As a solid substance, it has
many uses such as metal polish and flavoring for foods and
beverages. For the bath bomb, you need only 2 tablespoons.

Cornstarch

This is another powdery substance but of finer crystals. It
comes from the pulverized white heart of the corn kernel. It is
used to thicken sauces and fillings give pastries a delicate
texture. You also need 2 tablespoons of this.

Baking soda

This is a rising agent, activated by mixing with acid. When
mixed with acidic liquid like sour milk, yogurt and lemon
juice, baking soda produces gases that make a flour mixture
rise. This is the secret to our bomb! You will need 1/4 C of
this.

2. Wet Ingredients:

Essential oil

Oils extracted from plants and responsible for the plants’
odors. These are found in the pit, flowers, leaves and trunk of
the plant. They are used in perfumes, food flavor, and drugs.
The most common way of extracting them is to grind and press
large amounts of plant parts until the oils come out. The oils
may also be extracted by distilling with steam. Because very
large batches produce only a small amount of highly
concentrated product, essential oils are commercially sold in
small bottles. The oil is potent that it is used in drops or
teaspoons. It should be packed in dark-colored bottles as the
oil loses its efficacy when exposed to light. To be sure that
you are buying high quality essential oil, smell it before
buying. When the aroma is very strong, almost overpowering,
then it is a good product. Common essential oils are: dill,
cardamom, wintergreen, cinnamon, camphor, peppermint,
spearmint, thyme, clove, eucalyptus, jasmine, lilac, vanilla,
rose, almond and lemon. For this recipe, you need 1/4 teaspoon.


Food color

Natural and synthetic dyes that can be eaten and used to color
foods such as beverages, cake icing and candies. The most
familiar form of food coloring is liquid, though there are also
powder and paste varieties. Like essential oils, food coloring
is very concentrated so only very little is used at a time. For
this recipe, use 4-6 drops.

Vegetable Or Nut Oil

to hold everything together, use base oil extracted from plant
sources like vegetable and nuts. These plants are odorless and
widely available, thus generate more oil and cost less than
essential oils. Examples are almond, hazelnut, rapeseed,
safflower, canola, olive and coconut oils. Use 3 tablespoons
for this recipe.

3. Preperation Tools:

- Mixing Bowl
- Small cup
- Plastic Mold
- Water-proof and colorful wraps
- Ties
- Watertight containers

4. Directions:

- Sieve all dry ingredients to make sure there are no lumps
formed in the mixture.

- Mix all the dry ingredients together with a fork to make sure
that there is an even distribution each of the ingredients in
the mix. For added refinement, you may sieve them into the
mixing bowl, altogether.

- In a different bowl or a small cup, mix the wet ingredients:
base oil, essential oil, and food coloring.

- Slowly add the oil mixture into the dry ingredients, making
sure to mix very well as you add them together. At this point,
it is safe to use your dry hands so you can feel the right
consistency. You need not use up all the oil mixture. Stop
adding as soon as the combination forms a lump. Too much of the
oil mixture can make your bath bomb too wet, and not hold
together.

- Press the mixture onto the plastic molds. They will be
hardened within 2-3 hours though allow a day or two before
storing them. If you live in a very humid area, you may choose
to bake the bath bombs in a 200-degree oven to really dry them
out.

- Wrap the balls in colorful paper and store in watertight
container, in a dry area of your bathroom. You may also give
them away as gifts to share the sizzling experience with family
and friends.

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