Teach Soap

What is the secret for getting the nice hard smooth crust on a bath bomb? I make a standard recipe with Kaolyn Clay and Corn Starch. Just a bit of sweet almond oil. I get nice hard bombs that hold up well and make for a nice soak . I see the bombs at LUSH and their outsides just seem so tough like they could survive nuclear war. LUSH bath bombs and cockroaches -that's all that would be left. Anyway - is there a trick? Is there something like the candy coating on an M+M for a bath bomb? A kevlar wrap perhaps?

I like your analogy!! There has been so much debate on bath bombs, it's ridiculous!! Lol!! Have you read the ingredients on a Lush bath bomb? There are some ingredients that vary from bomb to bomb, and some of the ingredients are sometimes considered, for lack of a better term, unsafe. If you look through the thread in the Teach Soap search engine, you will find many a discussion on the solidity and durability of a bath bomb. Are you in a humid climate? Some say that may be a factor, amongst other things. Try looking through the threads on this forum, I am most sure you will find some helpful advice. As far as personal experience with bath bombs, I have had some really great solid ones and have made some that just crumbled on contact, without a change in ingredients, my issue was the temp (humidity) inside my apartment!!

Sonya

I've never seen a Lush bomb, never been into the store even, so I'm not sure what the crust looks like.
But after your bombs are nice and dry and out of the mold, if you spray them very lightly with witch hazel and then let them dry, there's a crust on them.

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Genny

I have checked and checked the posts here on bath bombs. Lots of discussion. I understand the chemistry behind them. I have a pretty good recipe. Weather plays a huge factor. Kind of like baking pastry... mom baked pastry and I would always get mad at her for blaming the weather for a non-baking day. I will try the witch hazel spritz. Hopefully, I will not get the infamous bath bomb sticky puddle of goo.

I ran into a soaper at the Florida State Fair who had bath bombs to die for. She just had them out in the open. no wrap. no worries. Maybe she had "bad things" hidden in them.

I am on the quest for the bath bomb crust. Getting inspiration from my bag of M+M's:)

OMG!!!! I'm 2 years late and running into the same problem!!! I make the "inserts' the night before, then try to make the "crust" around them the next day...only to have them NOT STICK to the insert....its driving me nuts!! PLEASE I hope you still visit the foum, I'd luve to know if you've "cracked the crust code!!! Thanks a bunch!!!!