the Soap Making Forum

[Manchy]

i've made few of them, and like them so-so. what i wonder is what are the benefits of bath bombs? like, what's each ingredient good for.
i gave it a thought, and this is what i came up with:

citric acid - softens water, thus making it more easily absorb to and cleanse your skin.
sodium bicarbonate - cleanses
salt (if added) - nourishes your skin with minerals
almond oil - nourishing
essential oils - nice, therapeutic effects...
color - fun

am i on to something with this?? i'm especially worried about the first two, cause i have no idea really is that true at all??

also, if i make a globe shape or dome shape, after some time they flatten a bit. how do i prevent this? i'm happy with the end product's firmness - in 12 hours they're rock hard, so i don't know what should i do that it keeps it shape in first few minutes, or hours??

p. s. i make mine with sodium bicarbonate (2 part)s, citric acid (1 part), almond oil, essential oils and a little bit of color.

[carebear]

Now remember, I'm a cynic. This said...

citric acid can chelate minerals so I guess it might be true that it softens water. but it doesn't make it absorb or anything. it might have a small effect on soap scum but you don't have soap in bath bombs
baking soda doesn't cleanse - it also might work as a water softener but I don't know about that
colors are fun - that I agree with

salt - nourishing? I am not a believer but some thing dead sea salts have a therapeutic effect. regular salt is tasty but I don't know that you can say any more than that. Epsom salts do have a benefit but I don't know how much you'd need to use, and only for people with a deficiency I believe (magnesium?)
almond oil - moisturizing
EOs - therapeutic would depend on what you add, I guess
_________________
You can't cure stupid.

[Manchy]

weeell, i was just trying to thin out the most of it, cause it got me dubbed - what's it good for?? so, i was trying to go all the way there, as that could be the only imaginable benefits.. so, the conclusion is: bath bombs are fun bcs of fizziness and color, may be therapeutic if specific eos in specific amounts are used (so, scratch that), and almond oil is moisturizing (yes, that's the word i was looking for, actually!).

i guess this does not satisfy me.. anyone can say why do you enjoy bath bomb? why would one go through the process of making or even buying (often very pricey) bath bombs?? why is it better than just soaking in a tub, adding few drops of moisturizing oil and some nice eo's? it sums down to fizzy fun in the end, doesn't it??

btw, i guess i'm cynical myself, too - that's why i have these worries

[Tabitha]

What is anything good for if you want to take the cynical route? What is the point insoda? There is no nutritional value. What is the point in cake? Bread will due just fine. Why go to the movies? Your life is not any better afterwards.

The point is, a bathbomb gives you an excuse for a little me time. It allows you to soak in the tub which in return destresses your mind while the hot water works on your body. 2+2 may not equal 4 but there are benefits.

Bathbombs please the eys, please the nose, please the skin and offer a 20 minute escape & are healthier than a beer or a cigarette. Sounds pretty good to me .

I love bath bombs. I don't use them often, but I do love em'!
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ISO: ABSINTHE from Daystar. It's been discoed & I need some!

[carebear]

I enjoy them because I am doing something special that's all about me - they are a small luxury, like perfume. I like the fizziness - it's fun. I like some scents, and if I put glitter in I like the way my BF whines about ending up shimmery .
_________________
You can't cure stupid.

[Tabitha]

[Manchy]

no, no, no - that all sounds just fine by me! it's just that mostly bath and body products have some very straight forward uses and benefits, and i kept scratching my head over the bath bombs, that's all..

and, i think you described why you like them pretty well!

[Manchy]

and, what about your bath bombs, are they keeping their shape?
maybe mine have to many wet ingredients??

[ohsoap]

# Citric acid is an astringent, which helps to make skin tight, sodium bicarbonate is what makes the bomb fizz, and corn starch helps to create a smooth, hard bath fizzer.
# The witch hazel (because of its alcohol content) will allow the fizzer to release from the molds very quickly. Just using water as the moisturizing agent would have the fizzer take hours to release from the molds. Adding any oils or other moisturizers can also make the fizzer harder to release from the mold.

[KSL]