DIY Homemade Bath Bombs

 

I've been dying to make bath bombs for years and this weekend I finally got the motivation to get it done. If you've never made homemade bath bombs before it's not a hard process at all, but definitely does require a little bit of planning.

Here is everything I needed for this batch of bath bombs (made 4 for me, but if I hadn't spilled some of my ingredients I might've been able to get 5 out of this)

Ingredients

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 3/4 cup epsom salt
• 20 drops essential oil (I used peppermint)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• coloring pigment
• bath bomb mold

some notes on the ingredients....

1. Citric acid took me forever to find in Walmart. Turns out it is in the canning section with the glass canning jars. I hope you manage to find it faster than I did!
2. I purchased my coloring pigment here. Mine is specifically made for making soaps and things like that. I like that this kit came with quite a few colors, but I used almost the entire pink bottle to make these few bath bombs, so I might look for a larger kit in the future. 
3. Here is the bath bomb mold I purchased. This is a set of two which would be great if you are making more than one color/scent and don't want to wash in between. Also, super cheap which I appreciate. 
4. I did not melt my coconut oil, but I would recommend that you do. It will definitely combine easier and that makes the whole process go smoothly. 
5. I did add a little bit of water to my mixture because it wasn't sticking together easily. I think if I had melted my coconut oil I wouldn't have needed to use water, but if you are struggling definitely add a little water.

Directions

1. In a large bowl (I used a metal bowl, but I'm not sure that it matters), mix baking soda, citric acid, corn starch and epsom salt. Be VERY careful with the citric acid.  It does react and rise up and it is awful when it gets up your nose. 
2. After combining dry ingredients, carefully add your essential oils, coconut oil and coloring pigment.
3. Once everything is combined well you can begin scooping into the mold. 
4. Make sure you pack the mold really tight. Really push the mixture down into it. Pack each side tightly and overfill each side so you can connect them together. 
5. Once both sides are overflowing, push them together. Push really hard. When you think that you've pushed long enough, push some more. Then twist and pull one side of the mold off and carefully remove the bath bomb.
6. Leave out for 24 hours before using to dry!

This time I made peppermint bath bombs, but I am looking forward to using different oils in the future. I foresee myself making lavender bath bombs soon, and would love to make more seasonal ones as gifts for friends and family!

I want to try to make some body scrub next and I could definitely see myself making lotions and candles as well. What are some of your favorite DIY recipes?

The Teeth Whitening Challenge

Through complete coincidence I received two different teeth whitening products for review. I rarely test out different types of dental products since I feel so strongly about using Sensodyne as my toothpaste and Crest ProHealth for my mouthwash. It was nice to try something new.

The first products I received were from Smiley360.



Through this review program I received the Arm and Hammer Truly Radiant toothpaste, mouthwash and Spinbrush toothbrush. I wasn't a huge fan of the taste of Arm&Hammer. The premise of it is that it has the same power as baking soda did when people used baking soda to clean their teeth. I thought that the toothpaste actually tasted like baking soda and the mouthwash was pretty awful tasting as well. While I wasn't a huge fan of the products- I did like the manual Spinbrush a lot. There was nothing too exciting about it, but I thought it did a great job of making my teeth feel clean no matter what toothpaste I used it with.

I don't feel the need to purchase any of these products in the future just because they weren't my cup of tea. The taste alone is enough to deter me in the future.

My next package in the mail came from BuzzAgent.

BuzzAgent sent me a two step system by Crest used for teeth whitening. Step one of Crest HD is like a typical toothpaste- it cleans your teeth and foams up quite nicely. Step 2 is what they call the "perfecting gel" and tastes a little like the Crest White Strips. I found that the taste of the Crest products was a million times better then the taste of the Arm&Hammer products. I also felt that the perfecting gel did wonders for my teeth whitening. I saw a definite improvement from the day I started until the day I stopped using it.

Since trying both of these product lines I have gone back to my Sensodyne toothpaste and Crest Pro Health mouthwash. I will definitely be using the Crest HD two step in the future, but will not be using the Arm&Hammer products again.

Have you tried either of these product lines? What do you use to whiten your teeth?