Today I'm giving you the secret to making bath bombs float! I'm going over everything, but I can guarantee it's from adding too much wet, packing it with too much, or not letting them dry enough.
Even I STILL have trouble getting them to float. So don't feel bad. Be patient; let them dry & try decreasing liquid.
Bombs float best when they're fully dry & light in weight. Some ingredients, like clay, are heavier and require more wet ingredients to bind them together, making bombs even heavier. Also, humectants, like salt, draw in moisture which may make your bomb heavier & could even cause premature reactions.
RULE: Use a balanced mix of wet ingredients to the correct ratio of dry ingredients. . Heavy liquids like oil, butter, & polysorbate 80 weigh more, don’t dry well nor quickly. But they rarely cause premature reactions & are necessary. Thin liquids like water, witch hazel, COA betaine, or castile soap, dry effectively & a lot quicker. But will cause premature reactions (which will also make bombs sink), especially if added without a thicker liquid to act as a buffer.
RECIPE: 1 cup (250 grams) baking soda, 1/2 cup (100 grams) citric acid, 1/4 cup (30 grams) corn starch + 8 milliliters fragrance oil, 5 milliliters water (or liquid color), 5 milliliters carrier oil, 4 milliliters polysorbate 80. *You should never have to use more than 20-25 milliliters of liquid total*. If humidity is high, decrease liquid (perhaps 18-20).
GOLDEN RULE 1: Don’t add too much liquid or the bomb will be heavy, take more time to dry, & it may cause premature reactions. *Wet the mix JUST enough so it sticks together.* You don’t have to add all of it; stop adding once the mix is right. Add wet ingredients slowly while whisking. You can also add citric acid last (after the wet) to limit premature reactions. The mix should be only slightly damp & fluffy. ***Add the LEAST amount of liquid as possible: Keep decreasing liquid until you get away with using the least amount in your recipe. If bombs start to crack & crumble, then you've decreased liquid too much. ***
GOLDEN RULE 2: Do NOT overpack the mold. Just like with wet, only use what you need; no extra. Fill the mold, pack it, & sprinkle loose mix on top. You may also poke the mix with a sharp object to create air pockets [whatever works]. Smoosh the 2 sides together then tap to release. {Mold probably doesn't have enough mix in it if bomb releases without being tapped first.}
GOLDEN RULE 3: Allow bombs sufficient time to dry. Dry them for 24-48 hours. Wrap them & dry 3-5 days more (they will dry even when wrapped). Fully dry bombs float & also reach optimal performance in the water. You should NOT have to dry them more than 10 days, however, it could take 30-60 days (depressing, I know). When I first started making bath bombs I had to dry most of them for 3-4 weeks to float. Sometimes 6 weeks… But they ALL eventually floated if given enough time to fully dry. Store them in a dry place; not in high humidity or next to a water source.
TIPS & TRICKS: Bath bombs still sinking? Try these tricks.
Add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (SLSa) to recipe. Bombs float, but will be slow, lathery, & have little-no vigor. Try thin molds with ample surface area. Or make a geode or bowl-shaped bath bomb.
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CHAPTERS
0:00 - Introduction
1:23 - Things to Know
1:50 - Balance Wet Ingredients
2:51 - Recipe
3:25 - Golden Rule 1
4:07 - Golden Rule 2
5:00 - Golden Rule 3
5:33 - Tips & Tricks