Bath bombs can be a nice addition to your bubble bath. These fragrant colorful balls turn your bathtub into a psychedelic mishmash of colors and contain an explosion of tantalizing smell. While you can buy bath bombs at your specialty store, it is always nicer to actually make one yourself. Making bath bombs is pretty easy once you have some good bath bomb molds and other necessary equipment and ingredients. However, one hurdle comes in the form of coloring the bath bombs.
In this article, we will find discuss some key tips as well as recommended dyes for coloring your bath bombs. Avoid getting a sickly pale bath bomb with these guidelines and ensure that your bath bombs will deliver an extravagant rainbow-colored scented explosion.
Bath Bomb Colorants
The sky is the limit when it comes to coloring bath bombs. You can really let your imagination run wild here. Bath bomb colorants come in two types: water-based and oil-based. Obviously, using either will require a different approach. Water-based colorants, normally found in liquid form, water-based colorants are mixed into water-based binding agents or powdered ingredients with salt.
We also have oil-based colorants like micas and oxides that are mixed in with oil-based binding agents and powdered ingredients as well. Micas and oxide colorants are better choices as they seldom bleed or fade over time.
A rule of thumb when adding dyes to your bath bomb is when in doubt, use fewer colorants. Putting too many colorants can cause your skin to be dyed with color as well. It might also stain your bathtub which will be quite a hassle to remove. Simply put, don’t over-saturated your bath bombs with dyes.
An alternative to coloring bath bombs can in the form of natural colored powders. Clays and herbs can yield amazing results, color-wise, to your bath bomb.
Bath Bomb Coloring Techniques
- Mixing Dyes During the Liquid Phase
This is the most common method of coloring bath bombs and involves you adding the colorant into the mixture during its liquid phase. You can choose to use either dry powdered colorants or water-based colorants as long as it is water-soluble. Using oxides or micas with this method might lead to some unpredictable results as these chemicals are not exactly water-soluble.
A quick tip I can give you when it comes to using this method is to apply the colorant before you mix in the fragrance oil but after you’ve stirred in the borax solution. Using a dry colorant, on the other hand, requires you to be more meticulous with the amount. A safe amount would be a ½ teaspoon of the dry colorant into the mixture.
- Mixing Dyes During the Dry Phase
You can also apply the colorant to the mixture during its dry phase. This will result in the bath bomb having a freckled and slightly coarse appearance. In order to do this, you should mix the colorant with the salt before you mix it in with the other ingredients.
Using Epsom salt is the best approach as it has larger rock salts that can absorb the colorant better. Take the Epsom salt and apply a couple of drops of the colorant and mix it well in a small bowl. Don’t worry if you discover that some of the rock salts have dissolved, as long as most of it retains its form then you have nothing to worry about.
Be aware that with this method there is a chance of the colorants bleeding into the mixture but most of it will remain within the Epsom salts.
3 Highly Recommended Bath Bomb Colorants
Now that you have an understanding of the properties of colorants as well as how to use them, I’ll next be giving you a list of some of the best bath bomb colorants that you can buy today. This list is made based on the consumer feedback to these products so you are guaranteed that these are all proven and tested.
Chameleon Colors HOLI Colored Powder is one that offers versatility in terms of color options. Each packet of HOLI contains 70 grams of powdered dye and comes in various colors. Customers also get one free packet of white powder which helps when you are trying to find that right balance in shade.
The colorants are non-toxic and perfectly safe for skin application as it is basically a combination of cornstarch and cosmetic quality dyes. I found the powder extremely fine and blends together easily. Colors are vibrant and won’t stain your skin or the bathtub. As an addition, the dye is also fragrant and comes in an assortment of scents.
How to Look Pretty developed this liquid colorant as an alternative to dry dye powders. This dye is food grade, toxin-free, and completely gluten-free (if that’s a factor for you). The colorant is extremely vibrant yet gentle on the skin and is a great choice for those with sensitive skin or toddlers.
As a bath bomb colorant, this dye is superbly easy to use. As this is basically a food colorant, you can expect it to be perfectly safe and can be used on other things like baking. The biggest complaint when using liquid colorant is the risk of it sticking to your skin. Fortunately, How to Look Pretty has addressed this issue and has since re-evaluated its formula to prevent this issue from happening.
This is a cosmetic-grade quality colorant and is developed to be safe and gentle on the skin. You can mix and mash these different colors to create your own hue and shade for your personal bath bomb. Personally, I would prefer Mica-based bath bomb colorants as they deliver a livelier color.
Conclusion
Choosing the right bath bomb colorant is simpler than it sounds. The trick all lies in how you will mix it into your bath bomb recipe. Hopefully, this simple guideline will help you in that regard. Use only the suggested ingredients and follow the instructions as much as possible. It’s okay to deviate from the rules every once in a while, when it comes to making bath bombs but doesn’t go overboard with, okay?
While quality age-appropriate bath toys are a standard for kids’ bath to keep them in the tub and entertained, the occasional addition of colorful bath bombs can be a great way for kids to enjoy their bath times even more.
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