DIY Bath Bombs; The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift

I know I can’t be alone when I say my mother is THE HARDEST person to shop for. If you ask her what she needs or wants, she will say something boring like slippers. I’m not about to be the daughter that gifts her mom slippers for every holiday, so I have to get creative. I recently made a few batches of bath bombs, and was pleasantly surprised by how easy they were to make. So, as I was wandering up and down aisles at Target, looking for the perfect gift, I found myself staring at bath salts (which is one of the main ingredients in homemade bath bombs). That was my ah-ha moment!

What you need:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup Epsom salt
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 1/2 tbsp almond oil
• 3/4 tbsp water
• 2 tsp essential oils
• bath bomb mold or cookie cutters
• soap colorant (can be found at craft stores or on Amazon, food coloring works, but you runt he risk of staining the bath tub!)
• mixing bowl for wet ingredients and separate for dry ingredients
• optional: rubber gloves

What you do:

1. Mix your dry ingredients together and whisk. Set aside.
2. Mix your wet ingredients together in a separate bowl, (I do this in a big Pyrex measuring cup, since it’s easier to transfer into the dry ingredients!). This is where you can get creative with your scents and colors! Again, I like to use soap coloring as opposed to food coloring, since food coloring can stain your tub. 
3. This step is the most crucial. Add your wet ingredients to the dry ingredients SLOWLY. Like. Pour a tiny bit in and stir like crazy. And then add more. SLOWLY. Adding too fast will cause the ingredients to react, and fizz. If they fizz, your bath bombs will expand and lump when drying. (Note: if you add too fast, and your mixture starts to fizz, they still work in the tub, but they won’t look nearly as pretty!)
4. Once you’ve SLOWLY added your wet ingredients, continue to mix the mixture until it has the consistency of wet sand. I like to wear rubber gloves and use my hands. Once I can squeeze the mixture and it stays in the shape of my palm – I know it’s ready. 
5. Scoop your mixture into your bath bomb mold or cookie cutter. You want it to be overflowing on both sides. Press them together and hold for 10 seconds. Gently tap the mold on both sides with a spoon to help release the bomb. And boom! There you go! If you’re using a cookie cutter, press in a generous amount of the mixture, and pat it smooth. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before attempting to gently remove it! 
6. Leave the bombs on parchment paper to dry for at least 24 hours before use! 

Carefully wrap the bath  bombs in tissue paper, and place in one of Target’s adorable Mother’s Day gift bags with a cute card, and boom! You’re good to go, or gift 😉