Enjoy ahydrating and relaxing bath with these DIY moisturising bath bombs! The easybath bomb recipe, made with cocoa butter, milk powder, and honey powder, willleave your skin supple and soft.
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DIY moisturising bath bombs
When youthink about What can I put in my bath to soften my skin? or How can Imake my bath more moistursing? bath bombs may not be your first thought.Sure, bath bombs smell amazing, and it’s fun to watch them fizz away in thetub. But do bath bombs moisturise? Well, they can be hydrating and suitable fordry skin – with the right ingredients.
Moisturisingmilk and honey bath bombs
Thesehomemade hydrating bath bombs are a great addition to make your bath moremoisturising. They get their hydrating and skin nourishing qualities from theaddition of cocoa butter, powdered milk, and honey powder.
Cocoabutter hydrates even very dry and sensitive skin, providing long-lastingmoisturization. The milk fat and proteins make your skin feel soft andnourished. Furthermore, the lactic acid gently exfoliates the skin while yousoak. The nutrients and healing compounds within honey powder amplify theseeffects and helps to keep your skin the healthiest it can be.
What arethe benefits of a milk and honey bath?
The ingredients in these DIY moisturising bath bombs turn the water into a silky and luxurious honey milk bath. Milk baths have been used for ages to improve skin health and improve the beauty of the skin. Personally, I think they are an excellent addition to your natural beauty routine.
Possiblebenefits of a honey milk bath can include:
- Milkand honey help to replenish lost moisture in the skin and soothe dry, itchyskin.
- Asmentioned before, the lactic acid in milk and the enzymes in honey havecleansing properties, gently exfoliate the skin, and clean dead skin cells.
- Amilk and honey bath can also help to soothe and relieve skin irritations. Theantibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of honey are beneficial to healand nourish the skin.
- Bothingredients are also said to have an antiaging effect, helping to reduce finelines and cellulite dimples.
- Taking a bath also is a wonderful spa experience and enhances relaxation. I simply love to destress and untangle in the tub and enjoy the calming, rejuvenating effect a bath can have.
And if you love milk and honey as much as we do, try Cyna’s milk and honey body wash, too.
More DYIbath products for dry skin
Tomoisturise your skin while you bath, also try my rose bathtruffles, floral bathcreamers, or this relaxing bath oil.
What ingredients do I need to make easy DIY moisturising bath bombs at home?
Likemost bath bomb recipes, the materials to make these DIY moisturizing bath bombsinclude baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)and citric acid. I have talked aboutthese two ingredients in other recipes, and you can learn more here.
Nowlet’s talk about what ingredients you can put in bath bombs to soften yourskin.
Cocoabutter
Cocoa butter makes the bath water feel silkysmooth and luxurious. The butter contains many natural vitamins and fatty acidsthat provide nourishment and moisture the skin. Cocoa butter is rich inantioxidants and an excellent emollient, meaning it helps the skin absorbmoisture.
Sheabutter is a great alternative in case you prefer to make DIY bath bombs withshea butter. The steps are the same, but you may have to adjust the amount ofshea butter to get the right consistency.
Onething to note is that bath bombs with oils in them don’t dry has rock hard asbath bombs made solely with alcohol or witch hazel. Bath bombs with shea butteror cocoa butter also tend to be slightly less fizzy than oil-free bath bombs.
I foundthat these milk and honey bath bombs still fizz away nicely and I love theskin-hydrating properties of cocoa butter.
Forthose interested in oil-free moisturising bath bombs that have a great fizz,check out these strawberry milkshake bath bombs I shared over on EverythingPretty.
Milkpowder
For thisrecipe, I used goat milk powder, which ispacked with nutrients such as lactic acid, minerals calcium, magnesium, andpotassium, as well as vitamins A and D. It helps to moisturise the skin andhair. Water reconstitutes the milk powder, giving the bath water a lush andsilky texture.
Thispowder also contains linoleic acid, which supports the skin structure, andother essential fatty acids that are very moisturising and help to even out theskin tone. And if you are wondering, no, it doesn’t smell like goat at all.
You canalso use whole milk powder or coconut milk powder instead.
Honeypowder
Honey powder has many skin care benefits.It’s naturally antiseptic, antimicrobial, and has anti-inflammatory propertiesthat can help to soothe irritated, inflamed skin and can beneficial to fightand reduce acne.
As anatural humectant, honey traps moisture and will help to moisturize andstrengthen the skin. Its many essential minerals (calcium, iron, zinc,phosphorus, selenium, and magnesium), vitamins B and C and enzymes nourish theskin, exfoliate gently and control your skin’s oil production.
Micapowder
Manybath bomb recipes suggest using food colour to tint bath bombs because foodcolours are widely available and safe to use.
But haveyou ever used food colour in your bath bombs and noticed that there was nocolour in the bath water? While food colour can tint bath bombs nicely, theyaren’t really intended to be used in cosmetic products, and their pigments arenot strong enough to colour a tub full of water. That being said, you can stilluse them.
Mica powders, on the other hand, are potent cosmeticpigments and will release colour nicely into the bath water. Micas are idealfor bath bombs because they are dry powders instead of liquids and won’t changethe consistency of the bath bomb mixture. Since the colouring effect is sostrong, it’s best to start out with small amounts and gradually add more.
When youmix the mica powder with the dry ingredients, the colour will appear lighterthan in the finished bath bombs. Once you add the liquid ingredients (cocoabutter in this recipe), you’ll notice how the shade deepens, and the colourlooks richer.
Micapowders come in countless colours, and I love this set of 21 mica powders.
Polysorbate80
Polysorbate 80 is a water-soluble emulsifierthat helps to disperse the oils and mica with the bath water instead of just poolingon top. While it isn’t absolutely necessary, I highly recommend adding thisingredient to your bath bomb mixture.
And ifyou worry about bath bombs staining the tub, Polysorbate 80 is a must as itprevents stains and transfers to the tub.
A bath bombrecipe without cornstarch
Looking at the ingredient list, you’ll notice that this DIY moisturising bath bombs recipe is prepared without cornstarch (cornflour). If you have wondered about a substitute or replacement for cornstarch in bath bombs, the answer is you don’t need one.
Cornstarchis mostly used a filler in bath bombs to control the fizziness. Skipping itwill only result in bath bombs that dissolve faster than bath bombs that havecornstarch as an ingredient.
Fragranceand essential oils for bath bombs
Withoutany additional fragrance, the bath bombs will have a faint cocoa and milk scentthat I actually liked a lot. The honey powder barely smells at all so you canadd a honey fragrance oil to make it morepronounced.
DIYessential oil blend ideas for homemade bath bombs
It’s also possible to fragrance these homemade bath bombs naturally with essential oils. Here are a few essential oil blend ideas for these DIY moisturising bath bombs that are wonderful to relax in the tub:
- My favourite fragrance combo for these bath bombs is a 2:1 blend of vanilla oleoresin and cardamom, which will boost your mood and also provides antioxidants to nourish the skin.
- Foran energising and uplifting effect, create a blend of grapefruit, bergamot,and cardamom. (2:2:1)
- Afresh and citrusy blend that also promotes circulation can be mixed with blood orange, lemongrass, and ginger. (2:2:1)
- Soremuscles can be relieved with a mix of rosemary,turmeric, eucalyptus, and sweet marjoram. (2:1:1:1)
Irecommend to skip essential oils for pregnant women or small children under theage of 6.
A word about honey absolute
Youmight be wondering why I didn’t say anything about honey essential oil. Forone, honey essential doesn’t exist. So please don’t purchase anything thatclaims to be honey essential oil as you can’t be certain what you actually get.
You occasionally may find a honey absolute,which usually is a blend of honey absolute and a carrier oil, on perfumerywebsites. It’s often very pricey, and I haven’t tried it yet so I can’t commentmuch on it.
Tips formaking bath bombs in silicone moulds
Theinstructions below explain how you can create bath bombs with roundmoulds like you see on the photos. Forming round bath bombs takes a bit ofpractice and usually works best on days with low humidity. Soft silicone mouldsare a great alternative to round bath bombs and make it easier to form bathbombs.
To makethe bath bombs with a silicone mould, prepare the bath bomb mixture asdescribed in the recipe. Then press and pack the mixture tightly into the mouldand let dry for at least 24 hours. After that, gently pop out the bath bombs.
Imaginehow cute these milk and honey bath bombs would look in this pretty bee and honeycomb mould.
How topaint on bath bombs with mica
Thehoney and milk powder have a pale yellow colour, and the bath bombs will simplylook off white if you don’t add any colour. I decided to jazz up my milk andhoney both bombs and mixed dark yellow mica powder into the mixture to give thebath bombs a soft honey look.
For alittle extra sparkle, I created a thick mica paint by mixing gold mica powder with pure alcohol. Then I used adropper to create a splatter pattern on the bath bombs.
The micapaint technique is very easy and can be used in endless ways to decorate bathbombs, soaps, and other body products.
Tips forthe mica paint technique
Here area few tips to get the best results when painting bath bombs with mica:
- Use99% isopropyl alcohol. This alcohol isalmost pure alcohol without any water and evaporates quickly. If you usealcohol with a lower percentage (e.g. rubbing alcohol), the extra water cancause a reaction with the bath bombs.
- Thebath bombs need to be completely dry before you apply the mica paint. It’s bestto wait for at least 24 hours before you paint on the bath bombs. Because cocoabutter takes up to 48 hours before fully hard, I waited for 2 days and put mybath bombs in the fridge for one hour before applying the paint.
- Adropper can be used to drizzle paint onthe bath bombs for a paint splatter effect. A soft brush can be used to createbroad brush strokes or paint on small details.
- Ifyou notice that the mica paint starts clumping, mix in a bit more alcohol andcombine well.
- BecauseI add the Polysorbate 80, the bath bomb didn’t leave a ring of colour on mytub. This may vary depending on the colour and amount of mica you use.
- Ilet my leftover paint dry. After the alcohol has complete evaporated, you willbe left with mica powder that you can reuse.
Have you ever painted with mica? Let me know about your experiences in the comment section below!
DIY Moisturising Bath Bombs Recipe with Cocoa Butter
Yield: 6 - 7 bath bombs
Prep Time: 1 hour
Drying Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 1 hour
Difficulty: intermediate
Estimated Cost: inexpensive
Enjoy a hydrating and relaxing bath with these DIY moisturising bath bombs! The easy bath bomb recipe, made with cocoa butter, milk powder, and honey powder, will leave your skin supple and soft.
Materials
Milk and honey bath bombs
- 2 cups / 260 g / 9.2 oz baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
- 1 1/4 cups / 125 g / 4.4 oz citric acid
- 65 g – 85 g / 2.3 oz – 3 oz cocoa butter
- 65 g / 2.3 oz milk powder
- 25 g / 0.9 oz honey powder
- up to 10 g / 0.4 oz fragrance or essential oil(s)
- 1 – 2 tsp yellow mica
- 1 tsp / 7 g / 0.25 oz Polysorbate 80
Mica Paint
Tools
Instructions
Make the bath bombs
- Melt the cocoa butter either in a double boiler or in the microwave set to medium in 1-minute intervals.
- Allow the melted cocoa butter to cool for 10 minutes before adding the polysorbate and fragrance or essential oil(s).
- Next, sift the baking soda and citric acid into a bowl.
- Add the milk powder, honey powder, and mica if using any. Whisk to combine well.
- Now knead the liquid ingredients into the dry ones until the mixture has the consistency of damp sand and keep its shape when pressed together it in your hands.
- Loosely fill both halves of a bath bomb mould with the mixture, creating a high heap in the middle.
- Press firmly together and wipe away any excess.
- Carefully unmould the bath bomb and place on a baking tray (sheet) lined with bubble wrap and allow to dry for 24 hours.
Paint the bath bombs
- Cover the work surface with parchment / baking paper and place the bath bombs closely next to each other.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon gold mica with 1 tablespoon isopropyl alcohol.
- Using a dropper, drizzle the mica paint across the bath bombs. It’s best to do a test on one bath bomb first to see if the bath bombs have dried enough to be painted.
Notes
•To avoid a reaction, add only 1 teaspoon of liquid at a time and immediately combine with the dry ingredients.
•Depending on the humidity in your area, the amount of cocoa butter will vary. I made the bath bombs on a hot summer day and need all of the cocoa butter.
•High or very low humidity can make it more challenging to shape bath bombs. If you notice that your mixture dries out while forming bath bombs, rehydrate the mix with a few spritzes alcohol or witch hazel.
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How touse the DIY moisturising bath bombs
Add oneor two bath bombs in the bottom of your shower or in your warm bathtub tocreate fizz and bubbles and to release the fragrance.
Storageand shelf life
Storedin a dry and dark place, the bath bombs have a shelf life of up to 2 months(goat milk powder) or 9 months (coconut milk powder).
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Irena xx
