Fizz Boom Bath! Read online

  CONTENTS

  Introduction

  Materials Ingredients

  Equipment

  Part One: Bath Bombs How to Make a Bath Bomb

  Fruity Fragrances

  Nutty + Spicy Fragrances

  Floral Fragrances

  Aromatherapy Fragrances

  Part Two: More Bath + Beauty Products Face, Lips + Hair

  Soaks + Melts

  Hands, Feet + Everything Else

  Afterword

  Resources

  Acknowledgments

  About the Authors

  Index

  INTRODUCTION

  HAVE YOU EVER BEEN at a store and found yourself staring longingly at a table full of gorgeous-looking bath bombs, shower melts, or lotion bars and thought, “Hey, it would be fun to make these at home, but where the heck would I begin?” Well, we’re here to take the mystery out of bath and body recipes and give you all the tools you need to crown yourself the Archbishop of Bathtopia. We’ll hold your hand every step of the way, and then we’ll exfoliate it with some sugar scrub when we’re finished! This book will teach you how to create all kinds of natural, homemade treats. From fizzers to scrubs, bubble bars to lip balm, we’ve got you covered. And why should you take advice from a couple of teenage sisters, you may ask? Before we get to the good stuff, we should probably explain who we are and how we came to write this book.

  SIS BOOM BATH

  It was December of 2012. We were ten and twelve years old, it was winter break, and we were bored. (Snapchat did not yet exist; you get it.) We had always loved using fizzing bath bombs, but there were a few big problems with the ones we bought at the mall. First of all, each one contained over a dozen ingredients, most of which we couldn’t pronounce. They also had heavy, greasy additives that left our tub full of gunk and made us feel dirtier after our baths than when we started. And when a bomb finished dissolving and we drained the tub, we were usually left with sticky substances like seaweed, often mixed with a foamy muck that stuck to our skin and made us feel like something out of Stranger Things. We would usually have to take a shower after each bath to get clean! But we still loved the idea of a fun, fizzing sphere that filled the room with amazing fragrances and the bath with just enough (but not too many) moisturizing oils.

  WE’RE HERE TO TAKE THE MYSTERY OUT OF BATH AND BODY RECIPES AND GIVE YOU ALL THE TOOLS YOU NEED

  So it seemed like a good idea to try and make our own bath bombs. We hit the internet, looked for the least complicated recipe we could find, and then came up with the wild idea of putting a little surprise in each bath bomb so we’d have something fun left at the end. We found most of the ingredients we needed at our local grocery store, except for the citric acid, which our mom helped us order online. We scoured the kitchen for measuring cups and mixing bowls, arranged them on an old blanket in our basement, and waited excitedly for our citric acid to arrive so we could begin our grand experiment. (For all the ingredients you’ll need to make bath bombs and more, see here.)

  Once all our ingredients and supplies were in place, we spent an entire afternoon carefully strategizing, reading, measuring, mixing, and molding, and when the dust cleared (yes, making bath bombs is dusty), we had seven and a half lopsided, lumpy, crumbly, half fizzed-out bath bombs. We were pretty proud of ourselves.

  SOON, OUR FRIENDS WERE ASKING IF THEY COULD USE OUR PRODUCTS, SO WE GAVE THEM AWAY TO ANYONE WHO WOULD TRY THEM.

  The only thing more exciting than making those bath bombs was using them. After we let them dry overnight, we won the award for Earliest Bath Ever by hopping in the tub at 6:00 a.m., because we just had to see if our efforts would pay off. You can probably imagine how psyched we were when our cracked, oddball creations fizzed away under the warm water of our bath, releasing a lavender fragrance and turning the water a pretty blue. With that first, fateful experiment, we were hooked.

  Over the next several months, we spent our free time testing out new bath bomb recipes, botching plenty of batches, trying out all kinds of color combos, and even moving on to other bath and body treats like sugar scrubs, salt soaks, and face masks. We had a whole room in the basement to ourselves, and our parents had only one solid rule: Whatever mess you make, clean it up. Soon, our friends were asking if they could use our products, so we gave them away to anyone who would try them. We even sold some to our grandma! Not too long after that, our friend Dialyn encouraged us to sign up for a local art fair that had a special section for kids. It cost about $25 for a table—which to us was a life’s savings at the time—but we figured, “Why not?”

  We decided to focus on bath bombs and spent all summer making about 150 of them in preparation for the art fair. We gave each bath bomb its own name, color, and fragrance and put a surprise inside. The Cake Bomb was white with rainbow-colored sprinkles, had an almond buttercream fragrance, and contained an eraser shaped like a piece of cake. We made a red Cherry Bomb that smelled like maraschino cherries and had a little plastic cherry inside. We made an “F” Bomb that smelled like lavender and contained a calming message. (Our parents vetoed that one immediately, but we convinced them the F stood for frustration, and the “F” Bomb calms your frustrations. They reluctantly let us include it in our product line.) One of our favorites was—and still is—the Earth Bomb, which has blue, green, and white swirls, smells like a sea breeze, and has a cute little toy ocean creature inside. We decided to donate some of the money from the sale of the Earth Bomb to organizations that clean up the world’s oceans. (Today, the Earth Bomb is our top seller and we’ve donated tens of thousands of dollars to the cause.)

  Originally, we molded our bath bombs using a snowball maker we found lying around the house. We decided to pile our bath bombs into black, gallon-sized plastic buckets purchased at the dollar store, and we planned to display them unpackaged, so people could pick them up and smell them. Each time we made a sale, we would carefully place each bomb in a clear cellophane bag and tie it with a black ribbon. The finishing touch was a tag featuring the name of the bomb and our brand name: Da Bomb Bath Fizzers.

  We were really nervous on the first day of the art fair. Would anyone want to buy our products? Would all of our hard work pay off? Or would we have to drag this 840-pound load of bath bombs back to our house at the end of the day?

  To our utter amazement, before we even finished setting up our table, people started crowding around, asking lots of questions, and buying our products. Our idea of setting the bombs out unpackaged worked great, because the fragrances filled the air around our table, and people flocked to see what smelled so good. By the end of the day we were exhausted, and we had sold out! We couldn’t believe it.

  Despite our success, we still didn’t think of Da Bomb as anything other than a hobby. When the art fair rolled around the following year, we decided to participate again. At one point during that second fair, a local salon owner named Mitchell Wherley stopped by and purchased a few of our bath bombs. The following day, he visited us again, bought a dozen more bombs, and asked us if he could sell our products in his salons! We suddenly realized our hobby had the potential to become a real business. Not only did he place an order, he placed a reorder. And another. And another. Then a second local retailer requested our bath bombs. And everyone kept asking if we had a website. So, with a lot of help from our parents, we created our very own website in April of 2015: DaBombFizzers.com. Then, we officially became Da Bomb, LLC.

  ORDERS BEGAN ROLLING IN SO QUICKLY WE COULDN’T KEEP UP

  BECOMING SISTERPRENEURS™

  Over the next several months, we did more art fairs and events and even appeared on the local news a few times. Word started to spread about the young sisters who make bath bombs with surprises inside. Orders began rolling in so quickl
y we couldn’t keep up, so our mom started helping us make the bombs. But soon, her help wasn’t enough and we asked our dad to jump in, too. One day, we all looked at each other and realized we either needed to pull the plug on this crazy adventure or dive in all the way. (You already know what we decided.) Shortly after that, we hired our first official employee, Miguel. He agreed to come to our house almost every night for several hours and make the bombs for us while our family focused on filling and shipping orders.

  By that time, we had made a small amount of money to reinvest in the business, and we decided to spend it on better packaging. We came up with some really cool ideas, and with the help of a local designer and printing company, we were able to create packaging that was eye-popping and totally unique. Our sales began to soar.

  By October 2015, we had eight employees working out of our house. It was then that both of our parents decided to work full time for the business. Our dad closed the doors on his small management consulting company and our mom decided to put her advertising writing experience to good use by helping us perfect our brand identity. Together, our parents’ skill sets gave us just the support we needed to push Da Bomb Bath Fizzers onward and upward.

  With everyone’s help, we were now making and selling 20,000 bath bombs a month! It was a crazy time. There were bath bombs everywhere—in our kitchen, our family room, upstairs, downstairs. Our living room was the shipping department. Our finished attic was where the bombs went to dry. And our neighbors could smell our bath bomb fragrances all the way down the street. We officially needed a commercial location. After four months of careful searching, we found just the right place for Da Bomb headquarters. It was a small, recently finished office space attached to a four-thousand-square-foot warehouse where we could continue to make our bombs and grow our business. The best part? It was just a few miles from our house. Along with our parents, we made the decision to sign a five-year lease, and much to our surprise, within two months we were contacting the property owner to see if we could expand to the warehouse next door! We continued to add wholesale accounts, including some large retailers like Target and Hy-Vee grocery stores. We even went to our first trade show and gained a ton of new wholesale accounts. People really responded to our story, our packaging was unlike anything else on the market, and everyone loved the fact that our bath bombs had surprises inside. It was a trifecta of awesomeness.

  Fast-forward to today. Our products are now in thousands of stores. We employ more than 150 people in our community. And now we even get to write our own book! And if our ten- and twelve-year-old selves were able to figure out how to make bath and body products at home, we’re pretty sure you can, too. So are you ready? Let’s make some bath treats!

  MATERIALS

  OKAY, THIS IS THE PART WHERE YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU HAVE, WHAT YOU NEED, AND WHAT TO MAKE FIRST! WE0 SUGGEST ASSESSING WHAT SUPPLIES ARE CURRENTLY AT YOUR DISPOSAL AND PICKING YOUR FIRST RECIPE BASED ON THEM. OR IF YOU’RE ONE OF THOSE PATIENT, METHODICAL TYPES, YOU’LL PROBABLY WANT TO STUDY THIS BOOK FROM COVER TO COVER!

  INGREDIENTS

  To make the bath bombs and beauty products in this book, you’ll need some specific ingredients and equipment. Some of these items are things that you might already have around the house, and others need to be bought or ordered from specialty stores. Check the resources section at the end of the book for where to buy some of the harder-to-find items. And don’t be afraid to experiment a little. Some of the best results happen when you think you’ve botched something. (Have we told you about the time we invented bath bomb crumbles?)

  BAKING SUPPLIES

  Lots of the recipes in this book use standard baking supplies you may already have in your kitchen. Sugar gives exfoliating power to scrubs, while baking soda (when combined with citric acid) provides the necessary chemical reaction to make your bath bombs fizz.

  FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND OTHER FOOD

  Fruits, like strawberries and lemons, and vegetables, like avocados and cucumbers, form the base of many of the non–bath bomb items in this book. These all-natural ingredients offer skin-refreshing citric acid, vitamins, and other good-for-you elements. Hair and face masks, made to moisturize and strengthen, often contain ingredients packed with protein like milk and eggs.

  COCONUT OIL, SWEET ALMOND OIL, AND MORE

  Most of the products in this book use coconut oil and sweet almond oil, which are clear, long-lasting oils with very little fragrance. When purchasing coconut oil, look for fractionated coconut oil, which is a liquid—as opposed to regular coconut oil, which is usually solid at room temperature and can be harder to work with. You can also experiment with other widely available oils; for example, we use apricot oil and chia seed oil pretty regularly. You can even use olive oil, grapeseed oil, or other cooking oils, but they tend to go bad within a few months and might give you weird colors (bath bombs may even start to discolor after a few weeks).

  CITRIC ACID

  When combined with baking soda, citric acid gives bath bombs their awesome fizzy properties. You can find it online—check the resources section for some options.

  VITAMIN E OIL

  Vitamin E oil is great to add to beauty products because it nourishes your skin and is a preservative, helping the product last longer. Look for it at a health-food store or online. If you can’t find a bottle with a dropper, you can also buy vitamin E capsules and break them open. Make sure to buy the kind labeled “real,” not “synthetic.”

  FRAGRANCE OILS AND ESSENTIAL OILS

  Bath bombs aren’t bath bombs without their wonderful fragrances, and we’ve given you a lot of combinations to try out in the following pages. We prefer using fragrance oils instead of essential oils because they last longer, but some people feel that essential oils have more healing benefits. Whether you choose to use essential oils or fragrance oils, be sure to purchase them from a reputable source. Both types of oils can irritate sensitive skin if not diluted properly. As with any product that comes in direct contact with your skin, always test it on a small part of your body before “diving in,” especially if it’s the first time you’ve used a particular product.

  BUTTERS

  Butters help firm up products like lotion, lip balms, and body bars. We like to use cocoa butter, mango butter, and coffee butter, but you can experiment with all different kinds of butters, like avocado and shea, and substitute them when butters are recommended.

  BEESWAX

  Beeswax is another ingredient that’s used to firm up products like lotion bars and balms. It’s hard—and can be hard to break up—so make sure to get beeswax pellets rather than a block. You should also look for beeswax labeled “cosmetic grade.”

  COLORING

  There are lots of ways to add color to your bath and body products. Some people prefer subtle, pastel hues, while others love bright, bold pigments. See the resources section for a few sources. For more brightly colored bombs, increase the amount of color as desired.

  Keep in mind that any time you use a pigment, there’s a possibility that the color could stain your bath, your skin, or both. Factors that may affect staining include the age of your bathtub, what material the tub is made of, and even how much water you put into the bath. While traditional food coloring is commonly used in homemade bath bomb and bath products, we recommend liquid colors formulated specifically for this purpose. These are safer for your bathtub and your skin. Using them means you can enjoy a blue bath bomb without looking like a Smurf for two days afterward. But when in doubt, start out using less pigment and work your way up.

  HINT: If you don’t want to mess with dividing your bath bomb batch in order to create multiple colors of mix, you can simplify the recipe by making a full batch of each color! 1/2 teaspoon of liquid color per batch should be adequate.

  WITCH HAZEL AND EPSOM SALTS

  Witch hazel is an astringent used to tighten your pores. Epsom salts are used in some of the bath salts and soaks; they are full of magnesium, which is great for sore muscles.
Although you may have never heard of either of these products, you can usually find both in the beauty section of your local drugstore.

  DECORATIONS AND EMBELLISHMENTS

  Part of what makes our bath bombs so much fun is the way we decorate them and put surprises inside. We’ve given you some suggestions on how to create your own “surprise” bombs. From candy sprinkles to dried flowers to messages, don’t be afraid to get creative!

  MICA POWDER AND ECO GLITTER

  Craving something extra? Sparkling mica powder will give your creations that elevated level of awesomeness you desire. You’ll find several online suppliers of these listed in the resources section. “Eco Glitter” is always a good bet, as well, because it is 100 percent biodegradable and safe for your pipes. Steer clear of traditional glitter, which is bad for the environment and can stick to your skin.

  PRODUCTS TO MAKE BUBBLES (AKA SURFACTANTS)

  A few of the products in the book just meant to be bubbly. Bubbles are made with a chemical called a surfactant, and there are dozens of different types. Because surfactants, on rare occasions, may irritate some people’s skin, we’ve included the gentlest options we could find. To make it simple, we’ve given you directions using a clear liquid-soap base. This can simply be a shower gel or hand soap you get at a drugstore, or it can be a clear liquid-soap base you buy from one of the places listed in the Resources section. (By using a clear liquid-soap base, which is fragrance-free, you have the option of adding whatever fragrance you want.) As you become more experienced making bath products from scratch, you might want to experiment with using sodium laureth sulfate, or SLES. Although we don’t include instructions for using it in this book, you can find instructions online that explain how using SLES allows you to have more control over the amount of bubbles, as well as the other ingredients in your product. SLES comes in powder form and is less harsh than its better-known cousin, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). You can buy SLES from one of the sources in the Resources section as well. Lathanol (LAL) is another powder that will produce bubbles and is worth experimenting with. It’s even milder than SLES, which will make your skin happy, but it produces smaller bubbles.