Friday, January 27, 2017

Bath Bombs: Why Do They Sink or Float? (Part 1)

The idea for this post has been turning around in my head for some time, as it was one of the biggest challenges I had when developing my own recipes. To be fair, I am STILL tweaking and I am very close to getting exactly what I want for a floating BB, but I had a very precise set of requirements and expectations I wanted my BBs to have.

With that, I’d like to share what I’ve learned along the way…

Photo courtesy of Wilivia

Not All Bath Bombs Are Meant to Float


Before I go into the factors that contribute to a sinking or floating BB, I would like to share some perspective that might ease your expectations and frustration:

Not all bath bombs are meant to float, depending on their purpose or intention!

Ask yourself, "What do I want my bath bomb to do?"

For example, if your bath bomb’s main purpose or intention is to give a luxurious experience to your user, it’s loaded with lots of butters, salts, and other yummy, soothing ingredients, and it doesn’t float: THAT’S OKAY! If it’s beautiful to look at, dried hard, and does all the other things you intend for it to give to your user, then don’t worry if it doesn’t float. Please don’t continue to pull your hair out trying to make it be something other than its primary intention.

Photo courtesy of Crafthubs
On the other hand, if your bath bomb’s main purpose or intention is to entertain with spinning, lots of colors, foam, glitter, and “bath art,” then yes, you DO want it to float.

This can be frustrating to grasp, especially when it seems that everyone on Pinterest, Youtube, and Facebook are only making bath bombs that put on a show. 

Photo courtesy of Lush
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
Not that it doesn’t mean that you can’t have both purpose and entertainment in your bath bombs. If you manage to have both in a reliable product that you are happy with, then go for it! For me, I have found it easier and less frustrating to focus my energy on one or other purpose(s) for my recipes. I also feel this gives me more diversity for my products.

Lastly, another thing to consider is not everyone wants a foaming, sparkly bath bomb experience; they’re more interested in the soothing or luxury experience. I have found that younger users often want the “show” and the older users want the luxury or splurge. 

Please stay tuned for Part 2 and Part 3 of this topic where I talk to the following 5 factors that contribute to a sinking or floating bath bomb:
  1. Ingredients
  2. Ingredient Density
  3. Molding
  4. Shape
  5. Drying Time
Have a great weekend!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness!, your statement: “Not all bath bombs are meant to float, depending on their purpose or intention!“...this was such an ah-ha moment for me. So much anxiety was alleviated! My bombs definitely have a purpose and I knew I was ok after reading your posts. I just wanted to say thank you!

Just the Right Size said...

Hi Chanelle,

This is so weird...I didn't see your comment until today! Anyway, I'm so glad that "light-bulb" moment worked for you too. It really was a game-changer for me once I came to that realization.

Thanks for stopping by!

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