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Homemade bath bombs and the science behind the fizz

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

Posted on April 24, 2017April 29, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

My 12-year-old son has had a headache for the past two months. Fast forward five doctor appointments later, and we now think he has a concussion. He found baths soothing and he likes the Lush bath bombs that his sisters gave him for Christmas. They’re pretty expensive at $7 each, so we decided to make them ourselves.
DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

An interesting Teachable Moment is the science of bath bombs. My son noticed that when he’s in the bath as the bath bomb gets crazy fizzy, that he feels a cold sensation coming off from the bomb. What is that? I think it’s the carbon dioxide gas that is generated from the chemical reaction.

When baking soda and citric acid are mixed and are then put in water, they undergo a chemical reaction. These bubbles that make the water become so fizzy are made of carbon dioxide gas.

DIY Lush Bath Bomb Recipe

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 1/2 cup citric acid
  • 1/2 cup Epsom salts
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 2 teaspoons essential oil
  • 3 teaspoons olive oil or melted coconut oil
  • 5 to 15 drops food coloring of any color you want or more (more food coloring makes a stronger color in the bath)

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

  • two bowls
  • whisk
  • bath bomb mold
  • wax paper
  • towel

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in the other smaller bowl. Mix well. If you are using the coconut oil, melt that first in a ceramic bowl and add to the wet ingredient bowl. You’ll have to work a little faster than if you use olive oil though.

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

We tried different combinations of essential oils as well. Peppermint feels invigorating and our bath testers commented on a tingling feeling from it. We also tried a combination of citrus-scented essential oils: sweet orange, grapefruit, lemon, and lemongrass. They were a hit. Lavender is my personal favorite but it gives an old fashioned “grandma” scent association to my kids. Perhaps mix your lavender with another scent.

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

Set up your unmolding area. Fold a fluffy towel in half and then cover with wax paper. You will be unmolding your bath bombs onto this to dry overnight.

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix thoroughly. If there is a slight reaction, don’t worry. Just keep mixing but don’t compress the mixture. You want it nice and fluffy.

The tricky part of this entire operation is molding and unmolding the balls. We found that:

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

  • Make sure the mixture is fluffy.
  • Overfill each half of the mold and then press together gently.

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

  • Carefully unmold onto the wax paper.

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

  • The DIY Lush bath bombs will flatten on the bottom. If this bothers you, rotate the spheres as they dry.

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

  • Let the bath bombs dry and then they are ready to use!

p.s. My daughter went really fancy on her third try. She split the recipe into four different bowls for four different colors and then molded her bath bombs.

DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz

p.s. I found the least expensive prices for supplies on Amazon.

Citric Acid, 1 pound for $4.49

Epsom Salts, 4 pounds, $5.36

Essential Oils, 6 for $12.89

Food Coloring, 4 Neon colors for $7.25

 To examine any item more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.

Homemade bath bombs and the science behind the fizz

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10 thoughts on “DIY Lush Bath Bombs and the Science Behind the Fizz”

  1. maryanne @ mama smiles says:
    April 24, 2017 at 11:49 am

    Those multicolored bath bombs are neat!

    Peppermint oil can make skin feel cold – I’m not sure why, but it does. Were those the ones your son commented on? Otherwise I think your chemical reaction explanation is plausible.

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 15, 2017 at 12:35 pm

      Thanks MaryAnne!

      They are fun to make and they are just like the ones that you can buy at Lush!

      Reply
  2. Mother of 3 says:
    April 24, 2017 at 4:21 pm

    Sorry to hear he had an untreated concussion; hope he’s feeling better soon, Such a fun science project and they’ll make great Mother’s day gifts!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 15, 2017 at 12:36 pm

      Thanks so much Mother of 3,

      He’s slowly getting better but it’s taking nearly a year.

      Reply
  3. Patricia Tilton says:
    April 24, 2017 at 6:04 pm

    What a great project for children! They will make great gifts! Hope your son is feeling better.

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 15, 2017 at 12:37 pm

      Thanks so much Pat. He seems better now that it’s summer and he can sleep in.

      Reply
  4. Dena says:
    April 25, 2017 at 3:34 pm

    My kids will love this project! Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 15, 2017 at 12:39 pm

      Hi Dena,
      It takes a bit of time and energy to gather up the supplies but the rest is pretty easy and it’s a really fun sensory project! My hair stylist says to wear a mask though because of the fumes.

      Reply
  5. Dean says:
    May 2, 2017 at 4:03 pm

    This is SO COOL!! Thank you for sharing!! I’m totally going to do this with my kiddos. 🙂
    xo

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 15, 2017 at 12:49 pm

      Hi Dean,
      It’s a fun project and we’ve been enjoying the results!

      Reply

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