My Quest for a Perfect Bath Bomb - How did I do?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- Thanks for stopping by and joining me on my quest for the perfect bath bomb! Yes, this was a total FAIL! But I learned an important lesson - technique definitely trumps formula when it comes to having a floating bath bomb. So I'm going back to the drawing board with my formula to get a shorter lasting bath bomb and while I am at it will try different techniques to see if I can finally achieve that all elusive floater!
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Try looking up Creative Bath Lab on YT , she has a listing on types of bath bombs , slow fizzers/ fast fizzers she even did a combo of a bath bomb with 2 different mixtures in one , also no matter what in my opinion you need a binder it will help your bath bombs stay together rather then just saying oh my mixture is wet enough with your oils . I hope that helps 🌻🌻
th-cam.com/video/0zNAPIyu7kY/w-d-xo.html this is the video I’m referring too
HI Jasmine! Thanks for the link. I have actually watched that one and taken notes even - I just haven't had time to get back to trying it. I do think she gives really good info and I ordered a couple of bath bomb molds like hers and am going to give it a try using her recipe/technique. I am going to try Soap and Clay's as well. They have different formulas, but their technique is quite similar.
Thanks also for the tip of a binder! I will def keep that in mind!💞💞💞
Yes, Dora is great on Creative Bath Lab. She's my go to for bath bombs.
You're so funny 🤭 have you checked out Jerika Zimmermans recipe? She sells tons of hers. Ask The Soap Chef too she is a wiz with Bath Bombs and always willing to help trouble shoot. She's amazing. I don't really do bath bombs ( just haven't had the time to experiment and all the fun stuff) but reach out to her she will trouble shoot with you. She makes TONS of bathbombs and molds.
HI Lori - Happy New Year!!! I have watched Jerika in the past, and my recipe is actually based on hers I got a year or so ago
I checked out the Soap Chef - she's new to me, so I have been binge watching her and a couple of others. Thanks so much for the recommendations!
word of advice - RUN!!!!! as fast as you can - RUN!!!! from even the thought of bath bombs 😂😂😂 (just kidding...sorta LOL)
I use butters in my bombs so I never have to worry about high/low humidity. That recipe works in all weather environments. I also just revamped my own recipe (slightly) to decrease my 3 surfactants so that the BB doesn't last as long. Then I added a milk powder (heavy cream to be exact. Thanks to Holly of Missouri River Soap) b/c I just love the way that it feels in the water. I'm going to be sharing my BB recipe here on my 2nd channel sometime next week. I've noticed over the years that embed powder works way better than the hard little tablets that alot of makers stick in their bombs. I've never had a separation issue of the BB using the powder.
Thanks so much! I'll watch for your updated recipe - I've got 3 I'm going to be testing (yours is one of them) hopefully I can get this figured out because it is driving me crazy LOL
Thanks for the powder tip - I go back and forth now, it's a lot easier to use powder so there is a plus
Hi Tammy ~ Could it be that you don’t have enough water in the sink? I would think you would need more water to hold the weight. This is just me thinking.
Hi Diana! um, maybe...I will try to make sure to put more in next time. Thanks for the thought! 💕
Try corn starch
Bath bombs are SO hard... I struggle with them, too. I agree with what Lori said. Check out The Soap Chef. I got one of her molds, watched her videos, and got a floating bath bomb. She really is very helpful, and a very nice woman. You will figure out, I have faith. Thank you for another great video!
thanks Nora! I have been binge watching the Soap Chef and a couple other bath bomb makers - I may have to reach out to her to see if she can help me
Thanks so much!! I feel inspired that you got a floating bath bomb!!! 😃💞
@Walnut Creek Bath Boutique you totally will get it! I have faith! ☺️ keep up the great work, Tammy!
Hey there, Tammy 😊 so once again, I have to say I absolutely love your honesty your chattiness on your videos. I just absolutely enjoy watching you. I think you’re an amazing person. I wish I had some ideas, helpful tips and tricks that I can share with you about the bath bombs but myself I’ve been making bath bombs and soaps for the past three years. My idea is to hopefully one day I have my own little soap and bath bomb store shop whatever you wanna call it but I’m very hesitant and kind of afraid to make those final moves to get it all going 😩 Hopefully 2023 will be my year of courage to move forward. I wish you a happy new year and good luck with that bombing. 🧸🤗🥂🍀🥂
Aww, thanks so much for your sweet words! It was very kind of you to take time to lift me up and shower me with compliments and encouragement and it does mean a lot to me.
I hope you find the courage to take the next step in realizing your dream. I know it is so scarry - maybe this will be the year for you! 😊🤗
New follower, I love your videos, I'm learning on this .
Thanks a lot 🌹.
Thanks for subbing! I appreciate that so much!! 💖
I agree with Keeley at Soy & Shea. Bathbombs are just not for me either. I watch all the videos but holy cow they make it look so simple when my experience has been very different. LOL
Right Sherry!! They do make it look easy! 4 years of my life spent just trying to get one I am not embarrassed by LOL
I am glad I stuck with it though but I have had to spend the last couple of months retesting *sigh* LOL
I’m late to this one, but have you considered investing in the metal molds from the bath bomb press? They would surely hold up to the arbor press and while expensive up front, it would pay off long term since it won’t deteriorate as quickly as the 3d printed ones.
Thanks Jillian - I kinda thought about that but then the $$ changed my mind - but you are right, they would be much more durable...🤔
Interesting! I only just started making bath bombs a few months ago, so I am no help. Mine do tend to float, but I think it's because I don't use very many wet ingredients (as in only about 5 or 6% of my formula is wet ingredients minus the binder). They also tend to last 5 to 7 minutes probably bc of the slsa. I use Amanda's recipe from Fun in the Tub (I think it's the slow and foamy one). I think as makers, we way, WAY overthink our recipes. Especially if they are geared for kids. My daughter doesn't care really how they perform as long as it has embeds and is decorated nicely. She's squishing it in her hands within a minute of placing it in the tub, lol!
Hi Mandy! Hope you had a wonderful New Year's day! Mine has been binge watching as many bath bomb making videos as I could LOL - that was a mistake, I'm kinda sick of them now LOL
I think I may have used that recipe before, I know I have that ebook. I may have to revisit it. I agree about the overthinking, I think I have too many ingredients and have made it so complicated that I just may have went too far in the other direction. As in - I used to get powdery, warty and cracked bath bombs. I no longer get any of that, but clearly - they last too long, don't float and fall apart...*heavy sigh* 😂
if you're lightly packing your bath bombs it's probably that you've put too many oils/butters in them because that will make them sink. Try replacing some of the oils/butters with a little water to bind and add your citric last and mould them quickly and leave to dry covered loosely with plastic wrap/cling film. Works every time for me.
thanks Hayley! I wondered if my wet/dry ratio was a bit off. 🤔🤗
I just want you to know that I now have Brick House stuck in my head.
🎵She's a brick... HOUSE! She's mighty mighty, letting it all hang out. 🎶
Gonna be dancing around all day now! 🤣🕺💃👯
YAY!!! Andi!! I'm so glad SOMEONE got it!!!! I should have known you would! 😆💞
Tammy, I watch Creative Bath Lab. She has done ALL types of bath bombs and some really creative ones, also. She shares her techniques, so check her out.
Cheers. 👍🤗
Thanks Cheryl - I have watched her recently (just found her a couple of months ago). I plan to test not only her recipe but her technique in the next week or so. Hers along with Soap and Clay's too. They have a very similar technique so I really anxious to see how it goes - they are so different than what I do currently.
Hope you have a wonderful New Years Weekend!! 💕💕💕
I'm not sure if you use cot in your recipe but if not maybe you should try it. I think it helps float. If you use clays take them out, they are heavy. Either use milk or slsa to slow it down and at the same up only your citric acid, not baking soda to speed it up. It seems like you should be able to tell how much slsa to use by the speeds you got. The 3% was obviously too much? Some people say to poke holes also helps with floating but I don't poke holes. I don't make them often but when I did mine were floaters.i think from the cream of tartar From the video perspective it looked like your mix was a little dry, but then you molded them right up so maybe not. But it did look dry. And at the end you mentioned they broke, so maybe they were dry. From what I hear anything can cause problems with bathbombs! Humidity too high humidity too low too much water not enough water rubbing alcohol witch hazel elevation LOL I know I don't like making them because they bother my lungs so it's been a year since I've made any! Yours all looked beautiful though! Hope you can find your perfect recipe!
thanks for all the thoughts and tip Melissa! I do appreciate them!💕 I do think my mix was a little dry, I rarely have to add binder. It's just so weird that the breaking apart is a new problem. These things will be the death of me - or maybe I will conquer them spectacularly LOL - I have been binge watching YT all weekend trying to get a handle on them and will bring you all along for my next go at them.
I do use COT, but maybe I should up the % 🤓
@@WalnutCreekBathBoutique I took a look at my recipe last night and it looks like I use cot, arrow root powder, and slsa. Yes you will conquer them I trust that! And I'm happy to watch! Thank you for all the great videos!
So I started making bath bombs long after I started making soap and everyone says I should sell the soap. My cousin in law said I should sell bath bombs along with soap. Still working on my fear of actually selling anything and no one wanting it. This is exactly what happened to me both times I made bath bombs. At least the second time (couple days ago) they were hard and didn’t crumble apart to dust with a slight poke, but the two halves split by the next day. I’m starting to think bath bomb powder/fairy dust or brittle is more my jam. 😂
oh my I feel you!!! We def have to celebrate any small victory in the bath bomb world! Nothing wrong with powder / dust - keep it simple LOL (I should listen to my own advice but I'm stubborn that way!)
I hope you take the leap and try selling! I know it is scary but I'm sure you will be great, especially if your family and friends think you should 💖
@@WalnutCreekBathBoutique thank you that means so much!
23:03 Love your videos! Have you thought about trying a multiple mold? Cada sells a really good mold. Just a thought. Have a great day and look forward to more videos. ❤
Hi Nancy! Thanks for your sweet comment! I haven't given much thought to a multiple mold, that is certainly something to consider. Thanks for the tip!💞
Oh and poke many holes with a metal chopstick instead of your finger. I use a chopstick for the first half. Put in embed then finish filling, poke more holes and then lightly cover the remaining holes before pressing. Then Don’t press too hard while pressing.
you know Jillian - as I was binge watching all the suggested youtube channels, I noticed that I have been pressing much harder than they were, pretty hard actually - probably much more than I did in the beginning...thanks for pointing that out! 💕
@@WalnutCreekBathBoutique I press by hand, but I definitely find myself pressing too hard a lot of times! I have found that by gently using my body weight instead of using muscle, it has really helped. It also helps by hands/wrists in the long run!
@@jillianj310 good advice Jillian! I will say I bought a SS mold from Etsy (2 wild hares) and used it for the first time last night. I tested 3 recipes and every single one of them were rock hard this morning!!!!🎉
Testing Friday 🤞🤞🤞
It’s so hard to troubleshoot without knowing a lot of factors, and I don’t want your recipes, so I’m just gonna ask a couple of questions.
What is your humidity?
How much pressure are you using?
Excluding water, what is your wet to dry ratio?
I can’t be there to feel your mixture and that makes it hard to know. There’s just that sweet spot that works.
I know Right!?! Me asking for help and the biggest factor is probably the consistence of the mixture. My humidity was great, maybe 45% if I remember correctly. My ratio is 4.5%ish wet - but looking at other recipes on YT I think that my be too high...***sigh***
I'm going to go back to basics - I bought a SS mold to hand mold them and see what happens. I'm also going to simplify my recipe by A Lot! 🤞
@@WalnutCreekBathBoutique 🥺 I’m sorry you’re struggling with them. Your wet to dry ratio sounds pretty much like mine, I’m just not sure. Wish we were neighbors! Do you use lakes or dyes? I noticed a change in my mix consistency when I started trying to use lakes. Blue lake I guess is known for that I hear. I went back to using dyes and then if I need to tweak my color, I use lakes to adjust. But other people swear by them. Sooo lol goodness who knows? You’re humidity is right where mine is 🤷🏻♀️ I use water because witch Hazel and alcohol don’t work for me.
I did that too, I broke down different recipes and slowly incorporated different things to understand their performance and level of necessity. It’s sort of a loss, but not in the long run, plus it’s kinda fun lol. I hope you can get it sorted!
@@aordinarygirl7403 we sound very similar in our bath bomb making 😁 you know... I started using lakes last year. I would never have considered that would make a difference. I'll go back to dyes and see if that makes a difference. I also started using water instead of RA or WH and that did make a HUGE difference for me. - no more powdery or warty bath bombs. YAY for something right? LOL
@@WalnutCreekBathBoutique yes lol with bath bombs every little victory is reason enough to celebrate. I’ll be anxious to hear if that makes a difference for you! Good luck my friend! ♥️
Bath bombs are the death of me. I've been pondering purchasing a bath bomb press, but like you I don't want to spend the money but on the other hand I want to spend the money, so I don't cuss every time I make them. Happy New Year and keep up the good work on your videos. I love them!
Hi Trudie!! Thanks so much for your sweet comment! 🧡
You know, I almost pulled the trigger on a press, but I figured I better pay my sales tax owed instead! LOL
I then decided that I am going to try to go old school and bought a SS bath bomb mold - wish me luck! I'll tape it so everyone can see me either have an epic fail or an epic success!! 😁
I can only make sinkers but they only last about 45 seconds so I have no idea what the solution is. I think you helped me to figure out how to make them last longer tho. LOL Thank you for that! We don't have an arbor press but we did invest in a hand press specifically for bath bombs. It isn't as hard on the molds but it works the same way as the arbor press.
Hi Shay!!! I have thought about the hand press for bath bombs. First though I've ordered plain old stainless steel bath bomb molds - the old kind. I'm going to see how I do with that, because there is a lot less body pressing of them, it's more hand work and less arm / shoulder pressing. We'll see. Wish me luck! LOL
Good luck with yours lasting longer - we need to meet in the middle somehow LOL
I have tried sooooo many bb formulas trying to get consistent results. Ellen Ruth Soap's recipe was good and she uses it with a press like yours. Missouri River Soap was also good. She uses a hydraulic press. The formula from Chunkadust was actually the formula that worked the best for me in the end. I'm geographically close to you. (Illinois) so we have similar weather patterns. I've also learned a lot from watching Lissa (The Soap Chef's) molding techniques. I've always referred to bath bombs as my Kryptonite 🤣 I really, really hope you find the perfect combination that works for you because the frustration is just maddening! I'm rooting for you! Lol
Thanks Hilary!! I will check out the Chunkadust formula if I can find it. I'm going to be trying a couple of different recipes (hopefully this week) and using a similar technique to the Soap Chef's, which is also very similar to a couple other TH-camrs that I watch. 🤞
I have said "never again, I'm done!" with bath bombs more times than I can count - I may be more stubborn than I thought! LOL