Coffee making bath bombs expand

[Izzye]

I'm trying to make coffee flavoured bath bombs, I've got the flavours down but the brown is giving me a headache. Parents left a can of nescafe azera which seems to be a cross between coffee granules and grounds and I thought it would be good to try and colour the bombs with that and ended up with something that looked like English muffins. I presume because the coffee soaked up all the moisture in the atmosphere? Today I made up a bit of really strong coffee thinking if it was dissolved it wouldn't expand but I just created a foam monster! I tried to compress it into moulds and clingfilm it together which I sometimes do with really stubborn experiments but it burst the clingfilm and escaped. I didn't put any more liquid in it than I would normally have done, it was just coffee instead of water. But then I made a batch using brown oxide powder and that was really bouncy and expanding as well, not nearly to the same extent but when I put it in a mould it rose out of it.

Anyone got any idea what either of these are caused by? Do powders not react well with water? Is cheapo instant coffee suitable, is it just because I've been using fancy stuff? I'm so confused, I've been making bath bombs since I was 14, the only time I've ever had something like this happen was when I tried to put chocolate in them! Alternatively, can anyone recommend a brown dye/pigment? I tried one from Germany that I found online but it was rubbish.

 

[Arimara]

As smart-alecky as this will sound, does anyone think there would be a benefit to bathing in coffee bath water? Serious inquiry: The OP's plight is also piquing my interest.

Izzye, are you new to making bath bombs? Not that I could help you but maybe sharing the recipe used could help. Also, instant sounds like a cheaper idea, plausible too.

 

[sudsy_kiwi]

I know this doesn't directly address your questions, more of a heads-up to consider really... I used to sell chocolate bath milk, but stopped offering it after the feedback pointed out that a lot of people disliked the idea of bathing in brown bath-water. (My partner's daughter actually asked if someone had had an accident in the bath).

 

[SunRiseArts]

As smart-alecky as this will sound, does anyone think there would be a benefit to bathing in coffee bath water? Serious inquiry: The OP's plight is also piquing my interest.

Izzye, are you new to making bath bombs? Not that I could help you but maybe sharing the recipe used could help. Also, instant sounds like a cheaper idea, plausible too.

Coffee is amazing to combat cellulite. Is a well knows exfoliant between models I worked with.

 

[SunRiseArts]

Izzye in my experienced mica powders and specially oxides will make a mess in your tub. Unless they are lake colors. I use mica to paint the top of my bombs but always along with poly 80.

I think you can put a teaspoon or some amount of instant coffee in your bomb as exfoliate or label appeal, but I would not put much, and achieve the fragrance with an FO of your choice. And for color I would use either those labomb colors, or I personally use the cheap soap colors from the craft store. Another alternative is to mix primary lakes, and mix with alcohol 90% and paint the outside of your bomb.

Just mix the 3 primary colors until you get the brown you desire. For a vibrant brown add more yellow and red than blue. You can refer to a color wheel.

 

[Izzye]

I completely forgot I'd made this thread until I came to try and make a new batch of bombs, thank you all!

I've been making bath bombs since I was about 13 (25 now) but I've recently been trying to make them a bit more grown up with an aim to sell them.

I've never actually used mica powders before so I'll be interested to see how they come out but I am fully suspecting to have to scrub the bath tub afterwards.

I hadn't thought of painting them before, I might try that.

 

[SunRiseArts]

Izzye, good for you!
You are right about micas, if you use them you HAVE to use poly 80, or it will be a nightmare in your tub.

But if you sell them you cannot use food color, is not approved by the fda for skin. Your best bet would be lakes.

I also suggest you should get insurance if you do not have it. One never knows.