Soothing Lavender Bath Bomb Recipe - With tips for making with kids

These soothing and calming lavender bath bombs are perfect for the end of a long stressful week. Just add to your warm bath and submerse yourself in an oasis of calm. They are also amazing for those days when your kids are dysregulated and need help calming down before bedtime. Check out our wonderful Lavender Bath Bomb Recipe and prepare yourself for a peaceful evening of relaxation.

DIY LAVENDER BATH BOMBS

What you will discover in this article!

Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases.
Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen. Or visit our YouTube channel to see if the video has been uploaded there. We are slowly uploading our archives. Thanks!

When it comes to coping with anxiety and stress, I always try and focus on self care first. It’s something I am also trying to instill in my children. It can be so easy to get wrapped up in the chaos and busyness of our daily lives, that we forget to pause and take a moment.

It’s important to be mindful of those times when you are burning at both ends and ensure you take a moment to breathe. It’s also important that we model these behaviours for our children, and encourage them to focus on their own mental health. If they are feeling stressed, overwhelmed or dysregulated, learning how to recognize those signs before they become “too big” can help them throughout their lives.

One of the ways I love to practice self care is curling up in a warm bath, with a good book, maybe a few candles, and a soothing lavender bath bomb.

Of course if I can turn it into a lesson for the kids I absolutely will!

MAKING BATH BOMBS WITH KIDS

Kids love making bath bombs, the chemical reactions are absolutely fascinating to them. Plus kids really enjoy making things they can gift to those they love, or actually use themselves. There is a massive sense of accomplishment kids get from using something they made themselves.

This particular lavender bath bomb would be a great kid made gift for Mother’s Day or Christmas.

I have found bath bomb making is a great activity for tweens and teens in particular, although younger kids can enjoy it as well with appropriate adult supervision. The process of working together provides a great opportunity for causal discussion around mental health and self care. Talk with the kids about why it is important to take care of our bodies and minds while you make these soothing bath bombs.

Pro Tip!

The most difficult part is using the molds. There is a real technique to packing those molds and getting the bath bombs out!

To make it easier for kids, consider packing your bath bombs in silicone molds or making them in cauldrons. Using these techniques will make it easier for kids to make the bath bombs, and help eliminate frustration, which is kind of the idea with lavender bath bombs! To reduce stress.

Lavender Bath Bomb Recipe and Supplies

2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cream of tartar
1 tablespoon polysorbate 80
1/4 cup coconut oil
20 drops of Lavender essential oil
Biodegradable glitter (optional)
Dried lavender (optional)
Lavender mica coloring powder
Bath bomb molds
Spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol
1 large mixing bowl
1 small microwave safe bowl
Disposable gloves (optional)

TIPS ON USING GLITTER AND LAVENDER IN BATH BOMBS

Some people like using glitter in their bath bombs, others don’t. It does tend to coat everything, including you and the bathtub, which you may love or hate. The choice to use glitter is completely yours. To help reduce plastic in our water supplies, consider using a biodegradable option.

Another option for this recipe is to include some dried lavender. Some people love this, others can’t stand it. So again the choice to include it is completely up to you. Be aware that the dried lavender can become quite squishy and messy in the bath. But it does add a soothing, natural, extra scent to the bath if you decide to use it.

Using or not using either of these does not affect the recipe.

How to Make Lavender Bath Bombs

Make your own Lavender bath bombs for a soothing, peaceful moment of relaxation.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, add the baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch, and cream of tartar. Stir the ingredients together. Be cautious of the citric acid, if it becomes airborne it can be a bit of an irritant. So ensure the kids pour carefully and slowly as they add it to the bowl.

Mix the Wet Ingredients

In the small, microwave safe, bowl add the coconut oil. If you live where your coconut oil is solid, microwave it for a few seconds until it turns to liquid. Add the polysorbate 80 and the lavender essential oils. Stir.

Add the Wet to the Dry

Add the liquids to the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir.

Creating the Colour

Next we start adding the colour to the mix. A little goes a LONG way. So start with just a small amount, a 1/4 teaspoon and mix it in well. This is where I recommend putting on some gloves if needed and start really mixing everything together with your hands. Add more mica if needed to get the desired colour. You can also add glitter at this point if you wish. A teaspoon of glitter should be about right but adjust to suit your tastes.

Mix

Continue mixing everything together with your hands until the mica (and glitter) are completely mixed in. The bath bomb mixture is ready when it is like wet sand and will pack and hold a shape in your hand. You can sprinkle in some dried lavender now if you desire.

Pack the Molds

If you are using dried lavender you can sprinkle some in the mold before adding the mix so you can see the lavender. Loosely fill both sides of the bath bomb mold until they nicely heaping, then squish them together and twist so any extra mix falls out. Tap the mold gently to release the mold, then carefully remove it from the mold and set it somewhere safe to dry and harden. Repeat until all the mix is used up. Remember to add a bit of water to any left over mix to observe the reaction!

If your mix gets too dry while you are packing molds, spray it with a bit of rubbing alcohol to moisten it again.

Let the Bath Bombs Set

Let the bath bombs harden for at least 24 hours. I usually like to leave mine for 48 hours just to be safe. Ensure they are left to set in an area with low humidity. Humid air will cause them to prematurely erupt!

Storing and Using Bath Bombs

Bath bombs should be protected from humidity. Store them in an airtight container until you are ready to use them. Then simply plop them into your nice warm bath and enjoy the soothing peace of your lavender bath bomb.

Why Do Bath Bombs Erupt?

The science behind bath bombs is fascinating to kids. It is a simple acid-base reaction. In this recipe our base is baking soda and we have two acids: citric acid and cream of tartar. In their dry form they will not react, but once you add water, even a small amount, the reaction starts!

Another very important ingredient in the recipe is polysorbate 80 which is an emulsifier. This recipe calls for oils to be used (coconut and essential) which will not mix with water unless we add an emulsifier. Without the emulsifier the oils will just float on top of the water, sticking to skin and the bathtub, leaving a big mess to clean up. Which will negate any peace and relaxation you got from your lavender bath bombs. So don’t forget the polysorbate 80!

Happy bath bomb making!! I hope you can take a moment to take care of yourself and help your kids calm down at the end of a busy day. We all need a little more peace.