Here in the Pacific Northwest, the cherry blossom trees are blooming. Their delicate pink petals are the inspiration for these Cherry Blossom Bath Bombs. They’re also inspired by the creative bath bombs by Willow and Honey Gourmet Soap Co. Their abstract style of mica painting is so fun to create – each bath bomb looks unique.
In addition to bath bomb essentials like baking soda and citric acid, this recipe has a touch of lotus flower extract. It adds moisture to the mixture, which can prevent crumbling. The extract also feels great on the skin. Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifier that helps the oil and color mix into the bath water rather than pooling on top.
The “paint” is created by mixing mica and 99% isopropyl alcohol. Painting bath bombs can be messy, so you may want to lay down some newspaper to protect your work surface.
What You Need:
6 Cavity Silicone Square Mold
20 oz. Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
10 oz. Citric Acid
0.6 oz. Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil
0.4 oz. Lotus Flower Extract
0.2 oz. Polysorbate 80
Witch Hazel in a Spray Bottle
Party Pink Mica
Super Pearly White Mica
99% Isopropyl Alcohol
Paint Brushes
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ONE: In a large bowl, combine 20 oz. of baking soda and 10 oz. of citric acid. To get rid of clumps in the mixture, you can push the powders through a sifter or break them up with your fingers. Citric acid has a tendency to take off nail polish, so wear gloves to protect your manicure. Thoroughly stir everything together.
TWO: In a small glass container, add 0.4 oz. of lotus flower extract, 0.6 oz. Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil, and 0.2 oz. of polysorbate 80. Use a spoon to mix all the liquids together.
THREE: Add the oil mixture to the baking soda and citric acid mixture. Use your hands to thoroughly mix everything together.
FOUR: Test the consistency of the bath bomb mixture. The perfect consistency is similar to wet sand and holds its shape when squeezed. If it’s too dry, use one hand to spritz the mixture with witch hazel and one to mix. Continue spritzing until the mixture holds its shape.
FIVE: Firmly press the bath bomb mixture into each cavity of the Silicone Square Mold.
SIX: Allow the bath bombs to dry for several hours or up to overnight. Remove from the molds.
SEVEN: In separate containers, mix about 0.5 teaspoon of Party Pink Mica and Super Pearly White Mica with about 1.5 teaspoons of 99% isopropyl alcohol and stir to get rid of clumps. The consistency of the mica paint is up to you. If you want a more saturated color, add a touch more mica. If you want a thinner, less saturated mixture, add more 99% isopropyl alcohol. Test the consistency on a paper towel or piece of paper.
EIGHT: Create a streak of pink across each bath bomb diagonally with a flat and wide paint brush.
NINE: Use a different paint brush to splatter drops of Super Pearly White Mica on top of the bath bombs. There is no right or wrong way to do this, so have fun with it.
TEN: Allow the bath bombs to fully dry. When you’re ready to use, drop them into a hot bath and enjoy.
Cherry Blossom Bath Bomb DIY
Ingredients
- 6 Cavity Silicone Square Mold
- 20 oz. Sodium Bicarbonate Baking Soda
- 10 oz. Citric Acid
- 0.6 oz. Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil
- 0.4 oz. Lotus Flower Extract
- 0.2 oz. Polysorbate 80
- Witch Hazel in a Spray Bottle
- Party Pink Mica
- Super Pearly White Mica
- 99 % Isopropyl Alcohol
- Paint Brushes
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 20 oz. of baking soda and 10 oz. of citric acid. To get rid of clumps in the mixture, you can push the powders through a sifter or break them up with your fingers. Citric acid has a tendency to take off nail polish, so wear gloves to protect your manicure. Thoroughly stir everything together.
- In a small glass container, add 0.4 oz. of lotus flower extract, 0.6 oz. Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil, and 0.2 oz. of polysorbate 80. Use a spoon to mix all the liquids together.
- Add the oil mixture to the baking soda and citric acid mixture. Use your hands to thoroughly mix everything together.
- Test the consistency of the bath bomb mixture. The perfect consistency is similar to wet sand and holds its shape when squeezed. If it’s too dry, use one hand to spritz the mixture with witch hazel and one to mix. Continue spritzing until the mixture holds its shape.
- Firmly press the bath bomb mixture into each cavity of the Silicone Square Mold.
- Allow the bath bombs to dry for several hours or up to overnight. Remove from the molds.
- In separate containers, mix about 0.5 teaspoon of Party Pink Mica and Super Pearly White Mica with about 1.5 teaspoons of 99% isopropyl alcohol and stir to get rid of clumps. The consistency of the mica paint is up to you. If you want a more saturated color, add a touch more mica. If you want a thinner, less saturated mixture, add more 99% isopropyl alcohol. Test the consistency on a paper towel or piece of paper.
- Create a streak of pink across each bath bomb diagonally with a flat and wide paint brush.
- Use a different paint brush to splatter drops of Super Pearly White Mica on top of the bath bombs. There is no right or wrong way to do this, so have fun with it.
- Allow the bath bombs to fully dry. When you’re ready to use, drop them into a hot bath and enjoy.
Hi, what is the purpose of the Poly Sorbate 80 and is it really necessary. I do not have but do have Poly Sorbate 20, wonder if substituting that would work.
Thanks
Susan
Polysorbate 80 helps your colorant and oils mix in with the water, rather than pooling on top. It is completely optional, but definitely helpful in a bath bomb. Polysorbate 20 does not make a suitable replacement.
Hello! Could you please tell me why do you use Witch Hazel instead of water or alcohol to moisture the mixture? In my country Witch Hazel is rather expensive and our community wonders if there is any secret in using Witch Hazel in bath bombs? Thank you!
We get the best bath bomb results with witch hazel because it wets them without causing them to fizz like water. You can use alcohol, but it can dry the bath bombs out and cause them to crack.
If you can’t get witch hazel, you may try increasing the extract in this recipe by 0.2-0.4 oz. to wet the bath bombs.
Get more bath bomb tips here: https://soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/bath-bomb-questions-answers/
Wow! Thank you so much for your reply!
I’ve just unmolded my cherry bombs & I’m ready to paint. If I want a stronger scent, can I add fragrance oil to the alcohol & Mica? If so, how much? Thank you!!
I’m not sure, the fragrance may give the paint an oily appearance or sink into the bath bomb and create a divot. You may try a tester bath bomb to see if it works. As for how much, I would recommend just a drop or two of fragrance to start with.
You really should increase the citric acid in any bath bomb recipe to equal the baking soda (a 1:1 ratio instead of 1:2). Recipes with the 1:2 ratio result in quite alkaline bathwater. A slightly acidic PH level is much better for your skin and intimate areas. I find that with a 5 oz bath bomb in a bath tub, the 1:1 ratio will give you a PH around 6.
Hello! Can you do that final pink ‘paint streak’ to melt and pour soaps? I really love that idea!
Yes, you can use the same method here – mix the mica with alcohol and paint it onto the soap. Once it’s dry, lightly spritz it with hairspray so the design doesn’t transfer too much.
We used a similar technique in this tutorial: https://soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/christmas-star-melt-pour-soap-tutorial/
Hi
Can I use vanilla containing fragrance in bath bombs without vanilla stabiliser as I cannot get it where I stay. Thank you. Keep inspiring us!
Yes, you can use that fragrance without the stabilizer. It may turn the bath bombs brown, so that’s something to keep in mind. They’re still fine to use.