Troubleshooting Bath Bombs!

#backtobasics #bathbomb #recipe
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In part four of this eight part series, we are going to troubleshoot bath bomb recipes BEFORE you mold, so you understand the importance of the moisture content of a bath bomb to stave off any issues after they've dried.
Soap & Clay is a family owned business operating in Washington State, but started out online thanks to Mrs. Soap & Clay's kickass brother and his amazing web design skills. The business was started as a tribute to Mrs. Soap & Clay's grandmother, the OG maker in the family that cultivated everyone's love for the DIY life. The studio/retail shop opened in 2017 on 6th Ave in Tacoma, and immediately began teaching soap, bath bomb, lotion, and scrub classes to the makers and maker enthusiasts of the PNW. In 2019, the pottery studio opened as well, making the soap shop a busy place full of artistic energy every minute of the day.
Mrs. Soap & Clay has been featured on Business Spotlight, New Day Northwest, and was awarded a coveted place on the South Sound's 40 under 40 list in 2019, an award given to the most influential business people under the age of 40 each year. She cried when she walked up to the podium to accept the award. A lot.
Drawing from her chemistry background and her maker spirit, Mrs. Soap & Clay infuses her favorite things into her soapy designs and creates products that are fun to see, use, and learn to make. Stick around for this ride - she'll take you on a great one.
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[@MrsSoapAndClay]

Ok enough crawling, next up we’re going to walk. 🎉

[@mindbodysoul2960]

I am learning so much!! My bombs always got warty, cracked and crumbled. 😢 These videos are so helpful. Thank you again!

[@MrsSoapAndClay]

I'm so glad!

[@edmaripotgieter2960]

Hi from South Africa! After 2 years of struggling I have finally made an almost perfect batch. In 72% humidity. Whoop whoop! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Some of us can't afford to buy recipes (especially if you don't know what the ingredients are going to be and if they are even available in your country). You have no idea how much this means to me.

[@Twistedtree7]

I hate glitter! Lol I’ve used it like 3 times on soaps and bombs.,, gets friggin everywhere!! But the info is so helpful!

[@happybrushchely7170]

Thank you so much for all of this work you do to help us be better.❤

[@carolyn_r]

your bath bomb videos are awesome. thank you so much.

[@patriciagrullons]

This video are so interesting. Thanks again for your help and kindness

[@MrsSoapAndClay]

Thank you! I owe you an email, I know. I’ve been slammed. Sorry!

[@javabeanme]

Pour some almost boiling water over sage....steep...then sip! Gone in a moment!

[@MrsSoapAndClay]

Thank you!

[@HighTideSoaps]

Sometimes I SWEAR bath bombs are sentient. They certainly have personalities...

[@jamiegardella1251]

Doing the bomb thing

[@norawalsh5471]

Really awesome info! I definitely think my environment is my biggest issue or at least part of it. The humidity is 60%+ this time of year even with a dehumidifier, which causes my temperature rise. Its a constant stuggle with the AC and dehumidifier 😂. I just don't even bother trying to make bath bombs because of this. However, now I kinda want to play around with it after watching these videos 😅

[@MrsSoapAndClay]

Environment is a factor, for sure. But realistically it CAN be done in all humidity levels or we wouldn’t have so many bath bomb makers the world over, so we just need to crack the code for your environment! We can do it!

[@norawalsh5471]

@MrsSoapAndClay For sure! I appreciate all the info thus far, and I'm absolutely looking forward to the rest! We will figure this out no doubt! 😊

[@dennisroelandts215]

Thanks again, very helpful. Im going to try a mica drizzle with the glycerin mix like you said. I tried to walk before I crawled and watched an old video to make some more foam and doubled the poly 80 but I did bit less water, it was so dry it was falling apart as I unmoulded, I wet my gloves a bit then I worried about the reaction happening so sprayed my r/a (70%) quickly and tried to mold. Thankfully they hardened but are a bit powdery. They were pretty at first, I did white and gold parts with some calendula flowers. Then I tried to drizzle some gold mica with a pipette using r/a. They look very messy, I tried to fix with a paintbrush but made them look worse. So the glycerin might help a lot to make the drizzle look like an actual drizzle. A question, what is the best thing to put these on after unmoulding to dry? I tried mini cupcake cases, but the pattern is staying on the bomb as a ring where it touches it.

[@MrsSoapAndClay]

I use the broken bits of my molds, but others have had good success with using foam or egg crates. Honestly the best not broken mold solution I’ve found is setting them in a massive pile of baking soda.

[@dennisroelandts215]

@@MrsSoapAndClay ok thanks, would epson salts work? I've got buckets of that.

[@heidihughes5120]

1st of all... just wanted to say you are AWESOME! I haven't had issues with my bath bombs of course it is probably because I use your recipe but would this be the same fix for issues with shower bombs? Mine seemed a little flaky. I have only made 1 batch of them. I would like to attempt them again and was going to try them without adding menthol just as a test in case they fail again.

[@michellegonzalez7202]

What causes them to expand?

[@MrsSoapAndClay]

Bath bombs? Generally it’s either a too humid environment while curing, or an overpacked bomb, or an overly wet bomb mixture.

[@maryward633]

What do you think about using cream of tartar, for it hardening properties? Thanks for all the info ❤

[@MrsSoapAndClay]

Hey! I know loads of people use cream of tartar in bombs with good success! For me, since it’s an acid, it really only contributes to the fizzy lift off of the product and doesn’t really provide the stabilizing properties (unlike in a bubble bar that has more liquid) you would find in a starch or a clay. Plus the expense is pretty significant so I would prefer arrowroot as it’s more cost effective.

[@maryward633]

Thanks for that tip.

[@rachaelbleam9754]

could i mix my dyes in water and store it in a small bottle so its ready for coloring and not have mold grow or could i add a preservative to keep it from going rancid?

[@MrsSoapAndClay]

Great question! You can totally disperse them and keep them in a bottle for later use, but a preservative would be a good idea for longer term storage.

[@rachaelbleam9754]

@@MrsSoapAndClay awesome thank you!

[@jo-annjewett198]

I do

[@jo-annjewett198]

I have used the same recipe for bath bombs for 10 years. I like it except I want the outside to be more smooth. They almost are but I want them like yours. I rarely make round bombs. I have even made a huge bath bomb. I think it weighed 6 pounds! I do huge eggs with toys, small eggs with colored embeds, rainbows, sharks that bleed that sort of thing. I just want that incredibly smooth outside. I haven’t added my ca last and think I will try that. I do use a smallamount of WH and think I will try dropping it. What do you think? I also weigh everything and use a hand mixer. Mine are hard and rarely crack and ship well.

[@MrsSoapAndClay]

Sounds like you’ve nailed the bath bomb process! If you’re looking for a smoother outside, I would try adding a bit of arrowroot. It has that lovely powdery finish that will add smoothness to the bombs. Since you’re doing this in weight, I would suggest just 2-3% of the weight of the dry ingredients to start.