Teach Soap

Hi
I am trying my first attempt at bath bombs. (I finally got my citric acid that i have been waiting for!! wahoo) So i figured today is a great day to try it and hopefully give out some for Xmas gifts. So i just followed this recipe off of teachsoap

Dry ingredients:
* 1 cup Baking soda
* 1/2 cup Corn Starch
* 1/4 cup Epsom Salt
* 1/2 cup Citric Acid
Wet ingredients:
* 2-3/4 tablespoons Almond oil
* 3/4 tablespoon Water
* 1/4 teaspoon Borax (optional)
* 1-1/2 teaspoon fragrance oil or essential oil
* Colorant
Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and then in a separate dish or cup mix wet ingredients and then combine the two.I uuse a wire wisk....the mix doesnt really even look wet but it compacts nicely into molds and after drying through the night they are rock hard and fizz for almost 2 minutes. Make sure to wisk fast when adding wet ingredients to prevent fizzing whisk for a good minute and then press mix into your mold.

So two things seemed weird to me about this recipe. It never mentioned witch hazel? And borax is dry? So i added borax to my dry ingredients instead and i decided to spritz with witch hazel while mixed dry and wet together. I also spritzed both sides of the bomb when i put them on a cookie sheet to dry. I thought i read somewhere that it needed witch hazel to harden? For a first attempt I think the bombs look and smell great. My problem is they are making a light fizzing sound in the cookie sheet???? Does this mean they are ruined? Am I going to come back to see full fizzed bombs in my tray in a few hours???

I would leave the dry borax out. It really isn't needed. It's used in this recipe to soften the bath water. You don't need the corn starch either. I spritx mine lightly with witch hazel til it feels like damp sand. Any more than that and they will start fizzing on you. If you hear any sound after they are done, the fizzing reaction might have already started.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

O no then the fizzing reaction has definitely started (I can hear it, faintly but definitely can hear it)! Is there any way to salvage the bombs? Are they still usable?

Sorry I also meant to add. I heard the fizzing start the second I added the wet to the dry. Is there any way to prevent this, maybe leave out the water?

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks soap buddy!! I tried a second batch using this recipe
1/2 cup citric acid
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup epsom salt
Witch hazel
pink mica
pink grapefruit eo

I thought it might be easier since there was less ingredients than the last but it seemed to turn out worse! I used as little amount as witch hazel as i could that would still keep them together. The first couple started to split at the seams (i was using a meatballer). So i added more witchhazel, this made the bombs stick in the meatballer and not release without out force, which just ruined the shape. So i molded the rest into balls by hand. Now looking at them they are growing in my cookie sheet!! They look like growing pink marshmellow blobs!! They don't seem to be making a fizzing noise though?? (The first batch is still making a fizzing noise but look much cuter). Do you have any advice for this newbie so I can get it right???

Try this:

1 c. baking soda
1/2 c. citric acid
1/4 c. fine sea salts
2 T. fractionated coconut oil
witch hazel spray
fragrance or essential oil
colorant as desired

The meatballer needs to be cleaned out after about 2 balls. Yes, it will stick after a few. How old is your citric acid?
Try sprinkling a small amount of cornstarch inside the meatballer to help with the stickiness.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks Soap Buddy! I will try that tomorrow. I can't wait! I am really trying to perfect them for Christmas gifts! No my citric acid shouldn't be old, i just received it on Thursday. When you say the meatballer should be cleaned out after 2...Does that mean use soap and water and dry it off after two? So it is ok to leave the mixture for a bit while you clean the meatballer? Sorry that might sound like a dumb question. I always just get so nervous making new things, I feel like if I walk away from them for a minute something will go wrong haha. I'll let you know how the third batch goes tomorrow! Thanks again!

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Hi Soap Buddy
I think your recipe has worked the best out of the ones i tried! The coconut oil gets the dry mixture sort of damp so I don't have to add too much witch hazel. I still had the problem that the fizzing noise started as soon as i added the witch hazel?? Could i be using witch hazel that contains too much water? I can't think of any other reason why it keeps happening. I tried out the first batch from yesterday (the one that kept making the fizzing noises) and it seems to work just fine, so maybe the noise really isn't a problem? Thanks again for all your help!!

You're welcome. The only true way to know how well the recipe will work in your area is to make it. Some areas that are very humid make it more difficult to keep them from fizzing before it's their time.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

PS... not sure if you're going to continue your bath bomb venture after the holidays or not but thought I'd pass this along. There is a company that sells citric acid/baking soda oils etc. & they are very reliable & quick (cheaper than most too!)

www.bigriverwholesale.com

All the best to you!

Michelle

To stop the immediate fizzing mix the water in with the bicarb, everyone has a different method though depending on your batch size. I don't spray any of mine, just add water direct while the mixer is going. It depends on if using a meatballer or a press, the mixture is different depending on what you use to press them I have found. Take notes each time.

Since I use baking soda for household cleaning I thought I'd pass this on... You can get Arm & Hammer baking soda at Walmart in giant bags in their pool supply section. I think it was like 12 lbs for $6. I would think any pool supply place would sell it too.