Make this safe alternative to chemical-loaded bubble baths!
Have sensitive skin? You probably avoided bubble baths long before it was mainstream.
When I was little, I begged my mom for the colorful, sudsy bubbles in my bath. But inevitably, I broke out in a rash.
Unfortunately, all my kids inherited my super sensitive skin. Bath time = sad time.
You might be concerned about the ingredients in the bath products on the store shelves, and for good reason.
But luckily, there are some great alternative ingredients you can use to make your own nontoxic bubble bath recipe!
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Homemade Bubble Bath- in a Solid Form
So how do you create your own bubble bath concoction at home?
There are many methods you could use including a classic liquid bubble bath mixture. But why not try something more fun?
In this recipe, you will end up with solid bubble bath “bars” that you can slowly let melt in the water, or hold under the faucet to melt.
Kids will have so much fun with these!
And you will enjoy knowing they can play in the bath without worrying about what’s in the suds.
Read next: Homemade Body Butter Recipe
How to Make Bubble Bath Melts
You’ll just need a few ingredients for Bubble Bath melts, and a little time to let the “bars” set up.
If you’ve ever made bath bombs, it’s a similar process (but even easier).
You will first take the dry ingredients: Cornstarch, baking soda, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate*, and cream of tartar and whisk them together in a bowl.
*Note: Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is not the same as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). SLS is something most of us want to avoid these days, as it’s a common skin irritant.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is a safer alternative that also helps bath products suds and foam like SLS, but it’s derived from natural ingredients (coconut and palm oil). Therefore, it’s much safer to use on sensitive skin.
After mixing these dry ingredients, you’ll melt some shea butter and add essential oils and let it cool down.
A kid-friendly essential oil such as Plant Therapy’s “Calming the Child” blend would be a great option. It has a wonderful fragrance, as well as properties that can help your child relax and sleep better at night.
While the shea butter mixture is cooling, you can add mica powder to color your dry ingredient mixture. Add enough powder to get the desired shade (or blend of colors) for your bath melts.
Add the melted (slightly cooled, not hardened) shea butter, mix it into the dry ingredients until it forms a dough-like consistency.
Last, you will press this dough into a silicone soap mold like these, or even a silicone ice tray if you’d rather use what you have.
Let sit for several hours until firm; then gently remove from silicone molds.
With an easy homemade bubble bath melt recipe, you can make bath time something to look forward to for your kids.
These also make a fun homemade gift idea!
NonToxic Bubble Bath Melts Recipe
Homemade bubble bath melts creates a fun bathtime experience that's also gentle on sensitive skin.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons baking soda
- 1/8 cup shea butter
- 1/2 cup cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
- 10-15 drops kid-safe essential oil*
- Mica Powder for color
Instructions
- Combine the corn starch, baking soda, sodium lauryl sulfoacetate* and cream of tartar together in bowl.
- In a separate bowl, melt the shea butter in the microwave and add in the essential oil drops*.
- While the shea butter is cooling, add the mica powder to get your desired shade or blend of colors.
- Once the shea butter is cooled (but not firm), mix it into the dry ingredients until it forms a dough-like consistency.
- Press dough into a silicone soap mold (or even a silicone ice cube tray works). Let sit for several hours or overnight, until firm.
- Run under the faucet while bathtub is filling to melt & create more bubbles, or let bars slowly melt in the bathwater.
Notes
*A soothing blend of kid-safe essential oils like Calming the Child could help your child sleep better and might be a great choice at night time. Always do your research before using any essential oils with children.
*Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is considered a safe alternative to SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate). It's a surfactant that helps emulsify ingredients and create foam & bubbles, but it's derived from coconut and palm oil and is biodegradable.
*Number of bath melts will vary depending on type of mold used.
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