Uh-Oh…Something went wrong! Bath Bomb EditionUpdated 3 months ago

Below are some common issues that customers may experience with bath
bombs:

1. Why is my bath bomb crumbly or cracking?
If you find that your bath bomb is crumbly, the mixture may be too dry. Adding more witch hazel, water, rubbing alcohol or oils will give the mixture a more moist texture, which will be less likely to crumble and crack once removed from the mold. If your fizzy is cracking after it’s been in the mold, it’s possible that it was too wet and the mixture is expanding as it sits in the mold.

2. Why is my bath bomb soft?
If your bath bomb is soft, the mixture may have too much moisture. If you add too much witch hazel, water, rubbing alcohol or oils during the mixing process, add more dry ingredients to balance the texture. If you live in a humid, wet climate, the moisture in the air can prevent the bath bombs from becoming hard. Adding a small amount of clay like kaolin clay or cornstarch can help the bath bombs harden. They also make the bath bombs a bit sturdier.

3. Why does my bath bomb have lumps, warts or bumps on the surface?
A bumpy texture on your bath bomb is usually a result of clumps in the dry ingredients or not fully mixing the fragrance oil. Baking soda in particular tends to clump together. Before adding oil, color, fragrance or other additives, break up large clumps with your hands. To remove and break up smaller clumps, pour the dry ingredients through a fine mesh sifter. This extra step gives a smooth texture. Bath bomb warts can also occur when the fizzy contains too much moisture. Usually the culprit is fragrance or essential oil so mix extra well to ensure the wet is fully incorporated into the dry.

4. Why is my bath bomb not fizzing very much?
If your bath bomb is not fizzing in the tub as much as you’d like, you may try increasing the amount of citric acid in your recipe. You can start with a mix of 2 parts baking soda to 1.5 parts citric acid. In addition, if you use cornstarch in your recipe, you may try decreasing the amount or eliminating it all together. Fizzing can also decrease if a large amount of oil is used. If your bath bomb comes in contact with moisture from the air or from a damp environment, the fizzing reaction can decrease. To protect it from moisture, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap.

5. Why is my bath bomb expanding out of the mold?
If your bath bombs are expanding in the mold, this means the mixture is too wet and the fizzing reaction is happening prematurely. If you use a colorant or fragrance that  contains water, this can cause the bath bomb mixture to fizz. If this happens, the bath bombs may still may fizz in the tub, although the amount of fizz may be decreased. In addition, bath bomb mixtures can fizz prematurely due to moisture in the air. For example, if you make bath fizzies on a moist and rainy day, this can cause the bath fizzies to expand in the mold.