Bombs Away!!! Bath bombs... of course!

I have made no secret in my blogs of my absolute love of baths and my addiction to Lush Cosmetics bath bombs.  There is almost nothing that ends a day more perfectly than a bath, offering up just the right mood through the use of scents and color.  Well, about a week ago I stumbled upon a site where you could purchase the ingredients and equiptment to make your very own bath bombs.  I waited in breathless anticipation for the kits I ordered to arrive and now that they are here, I have decided to see just how challenging it will be to make my own bath bombs. 

You see, I have been using custom aromatherapy blends (created by me) in my baths for over 15 years.  I have come up with quite a few that are simply wonderful.  The problem is that they don't create the total bath experience in the way a bath bomb does.  A bath bomb doesn't just give you scent... it adds color, skin softening ingredients and of course the fun fizzing as it dissolves into the tub.  Plus you never have to measure anything... all the ingredients for a perfect bath are contained in one ice-cream-scoop-sized ball that you simply drop in the tub.  I've always wished there was a way to create bath bombs out of my formulas... I even thought about selling some of my formulas to Lush...  but I never dreamed there was actually a way I could create my own bath bombs.

Well, after making the first batch I can say that it is not the easiest process in the world.  The mixture is a bit tempermental and the moisture content is difficult to get right on the first try.   It's going to be hard to decide exactly how much essential oil blend to use, since the fragrance oils that came in the kit behave so much differently.  Then there's the very challenging task of figuring out how to add the honey center for my famous Cleopatra bath blend.  But, while milling over all of the apparent challenges, I have come up with some fantastic ideas.  I will be working on perfecting my formulas/mixtures, working on my molding technique and will be coming out with at least one perfected bath bomb to unveil to the world by the end of the week.  I will also be creating a website to showcase my creations, doing a lot of design work, and figuring out the pricing structure. 

During the creation process, I will actually get to take baths for "work"... how totally awesome is that?!?!?  My daughters are extemely excited... Lush bath bombs get expensive and they have not been allowed to invade my stash.  Now they will not only be allowed, but encouraged to test the bombs I'm making.  I will not be releasing anything until it is absolutely incredible... the perfectionist that resides within me simply won't allow it.  My frame of reference is the best brand on the market, so I've got quite a lofty goal, but I think I can accomplish it!

For now, here's a peek at my first attempt.  These are Sugar Cookie scented bombs from a kit I purchased from Lathers and Lotions (a company I found on Facebook).  They turned out pretty good for a first try and look almost identical to the Lush bombs.  Now I'm off to take a bath and see how they hold up in the tub... it will be the ultimate test.  I'll let you know tomorrow how it all went.