The 18 Best Essential Oils for Bath Bombs 2020 (Plus Recipes)

Today you’ll discover the best essential oils for bath bombs.

You’ll learn how to make bath bombs at home.

Even if you don’t have a tub, you can use them in the shower, too.

Reasons why essential oil bath bombs are delightful

Bath bombs aren’t just for making your bathwater fizzy, scented, or colorful.

They have additional benefits for your well-being.

For example, some fragrances like eucalyptus can unclog your nasal passages.

Then, many essential oils are nourishing to your body.

While you soak, they could help clear up psoriasis or soothe aching joints.

Plus, a citrus blast in the morning might make your whole day brighter.

Why it’s better to make your own bath bombs with essential oils

When you craft DIY bath bombs, you can customize them with your favorite scents and shapes.

But more importantly, you can avoid ingredients that could irritate your skin.

Commercial bath bombs sometimes contain sulfates and allergens like limonene and linalool (1).

But you don’t need those to make fizzies at home.

Moreover, you know that you’re using pure skin-safe essential oils.

As I go through the reviews, I’ll mention bath bombs scent combos that target concerns like tension, sore muscles, and congestion.

Now, let’s look at recipes.

How to make bath bombs with essential oils and Epsom salt

Epsom salt is an optional ingredient. It’s nice for soothing aches and pains and helping the skin to heal.

But if you don’t have any on hand, don’t worry. You can still make bath bombs without it.

You also need the following:

• 1 cup of citric acid in powder form
• 1-3/4 cups of baking soda
• 2 cups of cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons of carrier oil
• 18-36 drops of essential oil (depending on how strong you want the scent)
• a few drops of food coloring if desired
• something to shape the bath bombs, like plastic Easter eggs

The first step is to sift all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Then pour the carrier oil and essential oil into a shot glass or small container and mix them together.

Add a drop of food coloring if you wish.

Now dribble the oil mixture into the powder and whisk it together. (A wire whisk is helpful, but you can use a spoon or fork.)

It should reach the consistency of wet sand. Add more of the powdered ingredients if it’s too wet or more oil if it’s not wet enough.

The perfect balance is when it clumps in your hand and retains the shape when you open your palm.

Some recipes call for water, but I usually don’t include it. If you add water, do it slowly and sparingly as the mixture will fizz. You won’t want to bubble away all the goodness ahead of time!

After that, pack the molds and let them dry for at least three hours. If you’re in a hurry to try out a bath bomb, stick one in the freezer for half an hour.

Bath bomb recipe with Epsom salt

The recipe is similar to the one above, with a few changes to ingredients.

• 1 cup baking soda
• ½ cup Epsom salt
• ½ cup citric acid
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons of carrier oil
• 18 to 36 drops of essential oil
• 1 teaspoon of water

You can also add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for an extra special scent boost.

Then follow the steps above to make and mold the fizzies.

Tips for perfect essential oil bath bombs

You don’t need to color them, but if you do, wearing rubber gloves will keep your hands clean.

Feel free to mix colors or stripe them. Make two or three batches of the mix (perhaps with different scents) and layer the molds.

If a bath bomb cracks when you remove it from the mold, dampen it and “glue” it together (2).

Essential oil blends for bath fizzies

If you want a relaxing soak in the bath, try lavender, chamomile, and ylang ylang.

Also, frankincense, cedarwood, and sweet orange alleviate tension.

Soothe achy muscles and joints with peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, chamomile, lemongrass, and rosemary.

Finally, put on a happy face when you shower with citrus oils and peppermint in the morning.

Now, let’s take a look at the oils and ingredients you need. I hope the reviews help you find it all in one place.

Plant Therapy Frankincense Serrata Organic Essential Oil

Frankincense is a healing oil. It blesses the body and the mind with wellness.

But frankincense tends to be rather thick. Be sure to mix it thoroughly with a carrier oil when you make the bath bombs.

Its earthy and woodsy fragrance is long-lasting. It’s used as a base note in perfumes.

Plant Therapy is one of my favorite brands of essential oils. They work with world-renowned expert Robert Tisserand. He provides organoleptic testing on each oil.

The company also contracts with third-party laboratories to verify the purity and quality of their products. You can view test results on each batch for free.

In the case of frankincense here, it’s USDA Organic.

Edens Garden Cedarwood Himalayan Essential Oil

Cedarwood is sweet and earthy. The scent relieves tension and invites harmony.

It appears in masculine colognes, which makes it handy for bath bombs for men.

Plant Therapy Geranium Egyptian Organic Essential Oil

Geranium is one of the best essential oils for the face. It has potent anti-aging properties.

The sweet floral scent encourages a positive outlook.

Combine geranium with ylang ylang and lavender for a bath that soothes menstrual cramps.

Plant Therapy Jasmine Absolute Essential Oil

Jasmine is an aphrodisiac.

It’s also good at relieving stress and uplifting the mood.

The seductive fragrance blends well with frankincense, geranium, sandalwood, or lemongrass.

Sweet Orange Pure Essential Oil by Fabulous Frannie

Sweet orange comes from the citrus sinensis plant.  It’s the scent you enjoy when you peel an orange.

As you know, the true orange fragrance can bring a smile to your face.

Give yourself a pleasant wake-up call in the morning with peppermint and sweet orange. Make a fizzy shower bomb and place it where the warm water will activate it.

You might also enjoy sweet orange with lavender to relax before bed.

A note about citrus oils in the bath

You probably already know that citrus oils can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight.

Since you’re smart enough to wear sunscreen during the day, I wouldn’t worry about a citrus bath bomb causing trouble.

Aura Cacia Discover Pure Grapefruit Essential Oil

Grapefruit and lavender make for a very pleasant nighttime bath.

Or try grapefruit and peppermint in the morning.

After all, they don’t call it citrus paradisi for nothing.

Radha Beauty Lemon Essential Oil

For essential oil basics like lemon, I recommend getting a large bottle.

Lemon is all-around useful.

It makes for a cheerful bath that opens up the airways. It’s also enjoyable to use in homemade cleaners.

Rocky Mountain Oils – Bergamot

One of my favorite oils is bergamot. It gives me a shot of energy and brightens my outlook when I smell it.

Some say it smells a lot like grapefruit, and they’re not wrong.

It’s a top fragrance note in perfumes as it’s both citrusy and a little floral.

Rocky Mountain Oils Lemongrass Essential Oil

Lemongrass is a middle fragrance note that goes well with many different essential oils.

By itself, it’s earthy, grassy, and lemony all at once.

This oil relaxes tight muscles and awakens the senses.

Aura Cacia Discover Pure Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Eucalyptus is the magic ingredient in your favorite vapor rub.

It relieves congestion and also alleviates sore muscles.

But not everyone’s a fan of straight eucalyptus. You might find that you prefer to blend it with lavender, lemongrass, or peppermint.

Plant Therapy Rosemary Organic Essential Oil

Rosemary has a proven effect on the mind and body.

It can help improve your focus and relieve the pain of arthritis. It also unclogs a stuffy nose.

Interestingly, it also promotes hair growth. You’ll find it in some shampoos.

Plant Therapy’s rosemary oil is a concentrated source of 1,8-Cineole. As such, be sure to dilute it properly.

Now Essential Oils, Chamomile Oil

Chamomile will help you wind down after a difficult day.

The soft aroma smells great alongside lavender and bergamot.

Majestic Pure Lavender Oil

By now, I’ve mentioned lavender several times. It’s another essential oil that everyone should have on hand. Get a big bottle so that you never run out.

Lavender helps heal the skin and relax the mind.

It’s the perfect base scent for a calming bath.

Majestic Pure packages the oil with a glass dropper that simplifies measuring it.

Artizen Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Ylang  ylang goes great with patchouli, bergamot, lavender, and even orange and peppermint.

It all depends on the effect you desire.

The exotic floral scent can help you rev up, calm down, or feel romantic.

Artizen offers a lifetime warranty and guarantee on this oil.

ArtNaturals 100% Pure Peppermint Essential Oil

Where would the world be without peppermint? I don’t want to find out.

Here’s another one that you should buy in bulk.

But it’s strong. When using it for bath bombs, less is more. Just a little will provide a pleasant tingle.

3-Pack Variety of NOW Essential Oils

Save money with a variety pack of essential oils. This one comes with peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender – ones that you’ll often use for bath bomb recipes.

3-Pack Variety of NOW Essential Oils: Breathe Deep Blend

Fight cold and flu season with this variety pack of essential oils. It’s perfect for bath bombs that decongest your nose and chest.

It contains eucalyptus, rosemary, and myrrh. Each bottle has 1 ounce of oil.

Plant Therapy Top 14 Singles Set

Get creative when you craft bath bombs. Experiment with this set of pure essential oils.

The fourteen best-sellers include tea tree, sweet orange, rosemary, eucalyptus, patchouli, clary sage, spearmint, lemon, lavender, pink grapefruit, peppermint, cinnamon cassia, lime, and bergamot.

Take it easy on the cinnamon as it’s very potent. Otherwise, have fun!

Other ingredients to make bath bombs

That’s it for the selection of the top essential oils for the bath.

Now, let’s see the other ingredients you need to make fizzies.

Milliard Citric Acid

Citric acid is part of what makes bath bombs effervescent. It gives them the fizz we enjoy.

This 5-pound bag of citric acid powder is great for getting started as you only need about a cup for each batch.

But the same company offers up to fifty-pound bags as well.

Happily, the bags are resealable and stand up on their own for easy storage.

Should you decide to give up crafting fizzies, you can also use citric acid for canning, making bread, and cleaning whenever you need an acid (instead of vinegar, for example).

Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda

Don’t we all have a box of Arm & Hammer in the refrigerator?

This is a five-pound resealable bag of baking soda. It’s exactly what you need to create the fizzy reaction alongside the citric acid.

Again, even if you never make another batch of bath bombs, this stuff is useful all around the house.

ARGO Corn Starch

Cornstarch isn’t just for thickening gravies and fruit pies.

It’s the binder for your bath bombs.

Furthermore, it’s gluten-free and comes in a resealable bag.

Solimo Epsom Salt Soak

Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate.

It enhances the healing power of the warm bath water and the essential oils.

(You can also use it to fix constipation.)

Fractionated Coconut Oil by Artizen

It’s crucial to blend the essential oils with a carrier oil before you mix it with the powder to make your bath bombs.

Fractionated coconut oil is a good choice as it’s lightweight and fragrance-free.

You can also use it as a body moisturizer or massage oil. It doesn’t tend to stain towels or clothing.

McCormick Assorted Food Coloring

Here’s a pack of yellow, green, red, and blue liquid food coloring.

The little vials allow just one drop at a time to emerge.

Conclusion

I’m excited for you to make essential oil bath bombs.

I’d love to hear about your experience and the recipes you love the most.

Feel free to leave me a note in the comments below.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_bomb accessed December 30, 2019

2. https://www.instructables.com/id/Egg-Bath-Bombs/ by ghollister, accessed December 30, 2019