Bath bombs are fizzy balls of skin-nourishing goodness. However, with sensitive or very dry skin, you might think naturally abrasive additions to bath bombs like baking soda or citric acid will strip your skin of its natural oils – that is where moisturizing agents like cocoa butter come in. High in fatty acids, cocoa butter is the perfect addition to any bath bomb recipe, leaving skin supple, glowing, and soft.
Intrigued to try? Well, now you can make cocoa butter bath bombs at home with an easy DIY bath bomb recipe.
Read on to indulge in the most luxurious chocolatey scent and enjoy the immense benefits of cocoa butter bath bombs every time you take a bath.
Contents
Why Use Cocoa Butter?
One of the chief reasons why cocoa butter is so good for your skin is the presence of fatty acids. The fat content in the butter works as a shield for moisture – the result is hydrated skin with improved elasticity.
Moreover, it is potent in phytochemicals that protect against UV rays and help slow down the appearance of aged skin. And, if these weren’t reasons enough to introduce cocoa butter into your skincare routine, it also helps significantly diminish scars and stretch marks.
So, not only you get to treat yourself to a decadent bath (a chocolate lover’s dream, really), your skin will thank you as the DIY bath bombs will leave it feeling rich and rejuvenated.
Homemade Cocoa Butter Bath Bombs Recipe
Bath bombs with cocoa butter have become extremely popular (rightfully so)- and you can easily make them on your own following this simple recipe.
Here are All the Ingredients you will Need
Note: This recipe makes about 12 to 13 bath bombs.
- Baking Soda – 4 cups
- Cocoa Butter – 1/2 cup
- Citric Acid – 2 cups
- Spray Bottle
- Witch Hazel
- Polysorbate 80 – 1 tbsp.
- Pink Salt (coarse)
- Cocoa Powder (Dutch Processed preferred) – 1 tsp.
- A large bowl for mixing
- Pure Honey Fragrance Oil – 26 ml
- Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil – 2 ml
If you do not have Pure Honey Fragrance Oil, feel free to replace it with the essential oil of your choice.
Step 1: Mixing the Dry Base
Wear your gloves and mix baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and citric acid in a large mixing bowl. These ingredients make the bath bombs fizz. To break up any lumps formed, use your fingers or sift the mixture.
Ensure the two ingredients are mixed in together nicely.
Step 2: Preparing Cocoa Butter for the Bath Bomb Mixture
You need melted cocoa butter to mix in with the dry ingredients. This can easily be done in the microwave in 30-second bursts. Melt half of the cocoa butter in a heat-safe bowl and leave the rest for the bath bomb topping (more on that later).
To the melted butter, add Polysorbate 80 – this is an emulsifying ingredient that prevents the pooling of oils and fatty ingredients (like cocoa butter) from pooling on top of the bathwater. At this point, add the Pure Honey Fragrance Oil to the melted butter as well.
Useful Tip: Shea butter makes an excellent alternative for cocoa butter should you want to replace it.
Step 3: Pouring the Cocoa Butter Mixture into the Dry Mixture
Add the melted butter concoction in the same large bowl where you have mixed baking soda and citric acid. Thoroughly combine the ingredients using your fingers.
Step 4: Time to Test the Bath Bomb Mixture Consistency
The perfect bath bomb mixture consistency is that of wet sand. A great tell that your mixture is just right is when you can squeeze it in hand, and its shape will stay intact. If that doesn’t happen or your mixture feels too dry, spray witch hazel into the mixture till it holds shape.
Step 5: Filling in the Bath Bomb Molds
For this step, you can use either high-grade plastic molds or stainless steel molds. Fill in the mixture for your bath bombs in both halves of the mold. Make sure to pack the mixture in so that no air pockets are left.
Once both the halves are filled to the brim, add a little more mixture and press the halves together so that the bath bomb gets its signature round shape.
Step 6: Allowing the Bath Bombs to Dry and Set
Once you have filled up all the molds with the mixture, allow it to set in. Set them aside for at least 24 hours until they are completely dry. Remove the bath bombs from the molds by tapping them with the back of a spoon. That’s all there is to making bath bombs.
Your cocoa butter bath bombs are now ready to fizzle in your bathtub. If you want, you can end the process at this step and enjoy a relaxing bath. However, if you are feeling fancy, follow through with our next steps for some added pizzazz and cocoa butter goodness.
Step 7: Making the Cocoa Butter Topping ( Optional)
In a heat-safe bowl, melt the remaining cocoa butter (what we left in Step 2). Do not overheat the butter, or else you will have to wait for it to come back to a workable temperature. In the melted cocoa butter, add Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil. At this point, also add cocoa powder for added color and more chocolate goodness.
Once mixed in, the mixture should be thick enough to pour on top of the bath bombs but not too runny. Use a spoon to pour the melted butter on top of the set bath bombs – it should look somewhat like melted caramel topping. As soon as the melted cocoa butter is on the bath bombs, sprinkle pink salt on top. Allow the bath bombs topping for several hours to harden. Keep away from humidity.
If the mixture becomes too thick to be poured, microwave for 5 to 10 seconds.
Enjoy the finished products yourself or gift them to your loved ones. These bath bombs enriched with cocoa butter make great gifts. However, they are very delicate once (and if) the topping is poured, so be gentle when packing them.
