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–+ servings
Two bath bombs bombs and half a lime

Shea Butter Bath Bomb Recipe

A shea butter bath bomb recipe that can fully emulsify into the bath without using polysorbate 80. Wax emulsifier also provides extra skin conditioning goodness.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 15 minutes
Resting Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 20 minutes
Course: DIY Bath & Body
Cuisine: N/A
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Yield (adjustable): 4 Large Bath Bombs
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Ingredients:

Equipment:

Instructions:

  • Sift the baking soda into a bowl and set aside. This will ensure there are no lumps.
    A woman sifts baking soda so there are no lumps
  • Place the butter and emulsifying wax into the heat proof container. Melt them in the microwave using short 30 second bursts, or place the heat proof container into a saucepan, containing a couple of inches of simmering water (water bath) until the wax and butter have completely melted.
    A woman weighs emulsifying wax and shea butter
  • Once the wax and butter has melted, we can add this to the baking powder. The wax has a high melting point so please be aware that the container and the wax/butter will be extremely hot, so handle with care.
    Make sure the melted butter and wax is fully combined with the baking soda, I often find it is easier to get my hands in the mix and give it a good squish around.
    A woman adds liquid to her baking soda
  • Next, it's time to add the essential oils. Once again you will need to blend them in until they are distributed throughout the mix.
    A woman adds the liquid part of her recipe to her bath bomb mixture
  • Add a few drops of the coloring, blending them in as you go, until you reach the stage where you are happy with the shade.
    A woman adds liquid soap dye to her bath bomb mixture
  • Finally it is time to mix in the citric acid. This needs to be mixed in the same way as you did with all the other ingredients. Undissolved Citric acid can be drying on the skin so I would recommend wearing disposable gloves at this point.
    The finished bath bomb mixture should hold together when squeezed and should feel like damp sand.
    If it feels too dry you can give it a squirt of rubbing alcohol or witch hazel, if you do not have any to hand water should do the job. Do this sparingly as too much liquid will set the citric acid of fizzing.
    A woman adds citric acid to her bath bomb mixture
  • Once you are happy with the feel and texture, press the mixture in to the mold. If you are using a silicon mold fill it a layer at a time, pressing down firmly after each layer until the mold is full.
    For a round bath bomb (see below), fill both halves of the bath bomb mold with the mixture, pack it in and heap it high. Press both sides together and twist the mold into place.
    Two bath bombs in their molds
  • Leave the bath bomb sitting in the mold for 24 hours before trying to remove them. I like to give the bath bomb another 24 hours once it has been removed, just to make sure that its completely dried out.
    This is a hard bath bomb that can easily be broken when removing from the mold. If you are using a silicon soap mold don’t use one that has too much detail on it, as it will crumble.
    Two ladybird emulsified bath bombs
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