These holiday scented bath bombs are just perfect for a hot bath on a cold, dark night. They also make perfect stocking stuffers as they come together in a jiffy and still look super impressive to the uninitiated 😉

14-11-03-pic06 14-11-03-pic07

Bath bombs are basically a dry version of the baking soda (USA / Canada) and vinegar volcanoes you made as a kid in science class. So, instead of vinegar, we use citric acid, giving us a powder we can pack into wee pucks that fizz like mad when dropped into a tub of water.

14-11-03-pic11 14-11-03-pic10

I’ve scented these bath bombs with my favourite Christmas smells—nostalgic fir balsam, warm cinnamon & clove, and bright orange. A bit of Turkey Red Oil (which self-emulsifies in water) softens and moisturizes the skin. If you don’t have any Turkey Red Oil you can use another liquid carrier oil, but be sure to watch for oil slicks in your tub afterwards.

14-11-03-pic12 14-11-03-pic14

The trickiest part of making bath bombs is striking a balance between enough moisture to bind them together, but not so much that they react while they dry. I’ve done this many times before… but this time I messed it up. I went back to check on my bath bombs a few days later and found them all bloated 🙁

Looking good!

Looking good!

Oh, crud.

Oh, crud.

So, a fix for any over-grown bath bombs. They’ll still fizz in a bath (though not as vigorously), but they look a little ugly. So, bash ’em up with a hammer and gift them in a festive jar. Waste not, want not, right?

14-11-03-pic03 14-11-03-pic04

Christmas Spice Bath Bombs

1 cup baking soda (USA / Canada)
1–3 tsp hibiscus or beetroot powder
16 drops cinnamon bark essential oil
4 drops clove bud essential oil
16 drops orange essential oil
20 drops fir essential oil

2/3 cup citric acid

½ cup Epsom salt
1 tbsp Turkey Red Oil

Mister filled with witch hazel

Place a few spoonfuls of baking soda (USA / Canada) in your DIY coffee grinder, and add the hibiscus powder and essential oils. Blend to combine. Once blended, mix it in with the rest of the baking soda (USA / Canada) and stir in the citric acid.

In a small bowl, stir the Epsom salt and Turkey Red Oil together thoroughly. Sprinkle the mixture over the baking soda (USA / Canada) and citric acid mixture and stir to combine.

Now it’s time to add just enough liquid to get the mixture to hold together in a mold. Not too much, though, or it will react during the drying phase, not in your bath. That’s why we’re using a mister (it’ll spread the moisture better) and witch hazel (for some reason the reaction isn’t as vigorous when you use witch hazel, plus they dry faster, apparently).

So, spread your mixture out in your bowl so you have as much surface area as possible, and spritz. Then stir thoroughly. And repeat until you can grab a clump of the mixture and it will hold together after a firm squeeze.

Once the mixture will hold together, pack it into a mold of your choice (I like a 1/3 cup measuring cup), and then tap it out onto a sheet of wax paper. Let dry overnight, turning once.

To use, drop in a hot bath and enjoy!

I chose Turkey Red Oil because it self-emulsifies in water, meaning no weird floating blobs of oil in your tub, or oil slicks afterwards. If you don’t have it feel free to substitute any liquid carrier oil like sweet almond, grapeseed, safflower, or olive.

Makes eight 1/3 cup bath bombs.

14-11-03-pic02 14-11-03-pic05