17 DIY Bath Bombs & Homemade Bath Bomb Recipes

I don't know about you, but I love taking baths, especially warm ones. Baths let me relax, rejuvenate, and forget about my other troubles. Between work and the family, I don't always get to sit in the tub for hours I'd like, but I try to make time for at least one bath a week. I call it “tub therapy” and nothing makes bath time more pleasurable than using my own DIY bath bombs! If your hands are ready to start mixing, here are the recipes you must try!

DIY Bath Bombs: The Tub Therapy We All Deserve

 

1. Fizzy Cupcake Bath Bomb

All cupcake lovers will love whipping up this DIY bath bomb. Pick your favorite color, add some sprinkles, and your fizzy cupcake bath bomb is good to go! I don't know about you, but I noticed tons of bath products designed like desserts as if desserts aren't tempting enough! Anyhow, I think this makes for a great bathroom decor as well as an awesome DIY gift idea for your friends and family.

What you'll need:

Cake:

• 8 oz baking soda
• 4 oz citric acid
• 4 oz cornstarch
• 4 oz Epsom Salts
• 2 ½ Tbsp. coconut oil
• ¾ tsp water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 drops food coloring

Frosting:

• 3 Tbsp. meringue powder
• 6 Tbsp. warm water
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

 2. Lemon Bath Bomb

Bath bombs come in all different scents. But if you love the smell of citrus and fresh lemon, then these lemon DIY bath bombs are perfect for you! It's a simple bath bomb to make. By adding the right amount of lemon essential oil, it'll smell just as lemony as you want. After a trip to the grocery store, you can get started on this recipe in just 10minutes!

What you'll need:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp. Epsom salts
• 3/4 tsp water
• 2 tsp almond oil
• lemon essential oil
• yellow food dye (optional)
• Wilton icing daisy
• plastic ornament mold
• meat baller (optional)

 3. Grapefruit Bath Bomb

Who doesn't want freshly made DIY bath bombs? For a fresh and healthy scent, try adding grapefruit extract. You can add a drop of beet juice to give this grapefruit bath bomb the perfect shade of pink that matches the grapefruit scent.

What you'll need:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid (buy online or health food stores)
• 2 Tbsp. Epsom salts
• 3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp beet juice (I use the juice from canned beets)
• 4 drops grapefruit essential oil
• 1 tsp water (or more if necessary)
• large ice cream scoop or bath bomb molds for full circular shaped bath bombs

 4. DIY Bath Bombs

https://www.facebook.com/DIYProjects/videos/985097561623497/

Want to see just how easy it is to make your own bath bombs? Watch this video! In just a few minutes, you will have the power and freedom to make your own DIY bath bombs depending on your preferences. Get creative with the scents and colors!

What you'll need:

• 2 parts sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
• 1 part citric acid (Lemons, Oranges, Limes)
• a small amount of water

5. Lavender Bath Bomb

Nothing can calm me down like the scent of lavender. There is no valid excuse why we shouldn't make lavender DIY bath bombs (yes, everybody should make one!). After a long, tiring day from work, I always look forward to a warm bath and my homemade lavender bath bomb. It relaxes me and gets me ready for bedtime without any leftover anxieties. Don't forget to add some dried lavender flowers too while you're at it!

• 3/4 cup citric acid (bought online from Amazon)
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 3/4 cup Epsom salts
• 1 cup baking soda
• 8-10 drops lavender essential oil
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tsp of water (Note: Be careful not to add too much water or you'll ruin your bath bombs!)
• bath bomb mold (I ordered mine from Amazon.)
• large mixing bowl
• small mixing bowl
• whisk
• food coloring (optional)

6. Ice Cream Scoop Bath Bombs

Have some fun with your bath bombs! Turn them into different flavors of ice cream with an ice cream scooper, food coloring, and fragrance. From essential oils to extracts, your ice cream scoop bath bombs can smell like vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate. These bath bombs will make you hungry for some real ice cream scoops!

What you'll need:

• 2 oz cocoa butter
• 1 oz shea butter
• 1/2 cup baking soda (I found aluminum-free baking soda here.)
• 1/4 cup citric acid
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 2 tsp all-natural food coloring (we used red for a pink “strawberry” look) or  4 Tbsp. cocoa powder (for color and flavor)
• 2 tsp fragrance (We used vanilla extract for both strawberry and chocolate flavors, but essential oils work great too! We love Living Libations and Aura Cacia.)

7. Kid-Calming DIY Bath Bomb

Using a kid-calming DIY bath bomb is a great way to enjoy bath time with your kids while also calming them down before bedtime. They'll love watching the bath bomb disappear before their eyes like magic! They can even help you out when making the bath bomb by picking their favorite colors and their favorite scents! This will make them look forward to bath times too.

What you'll need:

• mixing bowl
• spray bottle with water
• ¼ cup citric acid
• silicone baking mold
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ cup baking soda
• 20 drops (more or less depending on your preference) lavender essential oil

8. Pumpkin Spice Latte Bubble Bath Bomb

It's fall season and there's no better flavor to try than pumpkin spice! This fall-inspired scent will be more than enough to satisfy your pumpkin spice cravings. You might even ditch the latte for this one! It's one of the unique bath bomb recipes out there. But after I gave it a try, I couldn't be happier! Now if only I can add some cinnamon?

What you'll need:

• about 10-12 bath bomb mold & package
• 3 1/2 cups sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
• 1/2 cup sodium lauryl sulfoacetate – SLSA
• 2 cups citric acid
• 3 Tbsp. powdered goat milk
• 2 oz coffee butter
• 6 ml pumpkin spice fragrance oil
• 5 ml espresso fragrance oil
• 11 ml polysorbate 80
• dutch processed cocoa powder
• sunset orange mica
• witch hazel in a spray bottle
• 3 droppers

9. Oatmeal Bath Bomb

Oatmeal is an excellent natural exfoliant. If your skin is irritated or sensitive to the different bath bomb ingredients, give this one a try. Although fragrance and color-free, it will not provide a lackluster bath experience, trust me. Now if you want a nice, relaxing scent, go ahead and add your favorite essential oil fragrance into this nourishing oatmeal bath bomb recipe for sensitive skin.

What you'll need:

• stainless steel bath bomb mold
• 4 cups baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
• 2 cups citric acid
• 1 oz colloidal oatmeal
• 4 oz cocoa butter
• 1 oz oat extract
• 0.7 oz oatmeal milk and honey fragrance oil
• 0.6 oz polysorbate 80
• witch hazel in a spray bottle
• cyclomethicone (optional)

10. Rose & Milk Bath Bomb

Nourish and moisturize your skin with a DIY bath bomb. This rose and milk bath bomb is a true luxury. Rose oil and dried rose petals make the bath bomb smell good and look pretty while also taking care of your skin. If you made extra, don't hesitate to give to your mom, sister, or girl pals!

What you'll need:

• 1 cup baking soda
• ½ cup citric acid
• ½ cup cornstarch
• ¼ cup dry milk
• 3 Tbsp. Epsom salts
• handful dried rose petals
• 1 tsp water
• 3-4 tsp almond oil
• 15-20 drops rose oil

11. Midas Touch Bath Bomb

24k magic on your skin? These Midas DIY bath bombs are perfect for an eye-catching gift or for ultimate self-pampering. The mix of fragrance oils creates the perfect scent for a luxurious relaxation in the bath. The cocoa butter creates a smooth and silky feeling.

What you'll need:

• 6-8 bath bomb mold & packages
• 3 cups baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups citric acid
• 7 ml champagne fragrance oil
• 7 ml orange peel cybilla fragrance oil
• 1.5 oz meadowfoam oil
• 1 oz cocoa butter
• coral orange la bomb colorant
• King’s gold mica
• 99% Isopropyl alcohol
• witch hazel (optional)

12. Sweet Orange Bath Bomb

Looking for a therapeutic DIY bath bomb? Look no further. The orange DIY bath bomb has a fresh, fruity smell that calms and relaxes. Use natural food coloring to make sure the bath bomb is a bright orange color. Add body glitter for some sparkles in the tub.

What you'll need:

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup Epsom salts
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup citric acid
• 2 tsp coconut oil, in liquid form
• 1 tsp essential oil (I used sweet orange essential oil)
• a few drops food coloring
• a few spritzes water

13. Moisture Rich Milk and Honey Bath Bomb

Do you feel like your skin needs a well-deserved R&R? Well, this skin rescuing bath melt is what you need! But before we go further, I'd like to tell you that bath melts are similar to bath bombs, except bath melts are used to moisturize and hydrate the skin. This recipe we have here is made from mango butter, sweet almond oil, honey, and milk — you can only imagine how good it is on your skin!

What you'll need:

• 1/3 cup mango butter or shea butter
• 1/3 cup almond oil
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 cup powdered milk
• ½ cup powdered milk (for rolling)

14. Frozen Snowflake Bath Bombs

If you're like me whose kids still adore Frozen's Anna and Elsa after all these years, then this is a peppermint DIY bath bomb that you can enjoy making with the kids. The snowflake design is perfect for the coming winter season and well, it does invite you to just chill, if you know what I mean!

What you'll need:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup Epsom salts
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp water
• 2 tsp peppermint essential oil
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 3-5 drops blue food coloring
• snowflake silicone mold

15. Colorful Epsom Salts Bath Bomb

Now, this is a DIY bath bomb recipe with a fun twist! Instead of coloring the mixture, you will color the Epsom salts instead. Of course, you have to choose your favorite colors. Mine probably be pink and purple, just because I want my bath bombs to look pretty all the time! Further, due to the ability to customize the colors, I think this makes a great homemade gift for your beauty lover pals!

What you'll need:

• 3 Tbsp. Epsom salt (or coarse sea salt)
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup citric acid
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• spraying bottle with witch hazel
• liquid food or soap coloring
• essential oils (optional)

16. Green Apple Bath Bombs

It's time to pick some apples, everyone! And if you're an apple lover, we've hit the jackpot right here! Make your own DIY green apple bath bomb and enjoy soaking in a relaxing warm bath while enjoying the charming scent of apples. One important note: Follow the amount of water needed for this recipe, otherwise, it will ruin your bath bombs!

What you'll need:

• 8 oz baking soda
• 4 oz citric acid for fizz
• 2 tsp water
• 4 oz cornstarch
• 2 tsp apricot oil (adds vitamin E to soften skin)
• 4 oz Epsom salts
• 2 tsp green apple essential oil for scent and aromatherapy
• Supplies: round molds, measuring cups, green food coloring, essential oils, bowls, sticks, and leaves for decorating.

17. Cold and Sinus Relief Bath Bombs

Guess what, bath bombs aren't just for relaxation and rescuing the skin, it can also relieve colds and sinus pain. The secret to this cold and sinus relief bath bomb are the essential oils used, eucalyptus and peppermint in particular. Whenever I use this, I feel a lot better.

But I just want to put it out there, please be careful when using this bath bomb because it won't work the same for everybody. And if you have allergies from essential oils, better stir clear from this one.

What you'll need:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp. Epsom salt
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• witch hazel and a spray bottle for it to go in
• peppermint essential oil
• eucalyptus essential oil
• green food coloring
• bath bomb molds

 

Isn't it fun to make DIY bath bombs and bath melts? If you enjoyed this roundup, you can try your hand at making lotion bars with the help of Better Shea Butter's video tutorial:

What are you waiting for? Gather the supplies and don't wait too long to start making these little babies! They're fun to make, even my kids enjoy making it with me. I forgot to mention, I've been saving money too by making my own DIY bath bombs. You'd be surprised how much bath bombs are marked up when you buy them in stores. Since it's almost holiday season, these bath bomb recipes will definitely be on top of my DIY gift list!

Did you like this roundup of DIY bath bombs? Let us know in the comments section below which one is your favorite!

Up Next: 17 Brilliant DIY Laundry Room Organization Ideas and Tips

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 24, 2017, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.