The formula for bath bombs is pretty simple. A little baking soda, a dash of citric acid, a few spritzes of witch hazel – that’s all you need for a good bath bomb. But adding special touches set your recipe apart. These Rose Gold Bath Bombs illustrate what a few simple ingredients can do.

What You’ll Need:
10 Disk Mold & Packages
2 cups Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
1 cup Citric Acid
1 cup Extra Small Pink Sea Salt
3 oz. Coarse Pink Sea Salt
¼ tsp. Rose Gold Mica
3 oz. Coconut Oil
9 mL Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil
0.3 oz. Polysorbate 80
Dropper
Witch Hazel in Spray Bottle

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ONE: Mix the coarse pink sea salt with Rose Gold Mica. Add a small amount of the salt to the bottom of the bath bomb molds and set aside.
TIP: Don’t add too much salt to the bottom of the molds, or a large majority of it will fall off when the bath bomb is removed from the mold. 
TWO: Sift together the baking soda and citric acid. Add the extra small pink sea salt and mix to fully incorporate.
THREE: Add the remaining coarse pink sea salt to dry the ingredients. Mix in thoroughly.
FOUR: Melt the coconut oil in the microwave using 30-60 second bursts. In a separate fragrance oil-safe container, mix together the coconut oil, Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil, and polysorbate 80.
FIVE: Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Use your hands to fully mix together all the ingredients.
SIX: The perfect bath bomb texture is similar to damp sand, and holds its shape when squeezed in your hand. To achieve this texture, spritz the mixture with witch hazel with one hand and mix with your other hand. How much witch hazel you add will depend on your climate.
SEVEN: Once it’s the correct texture, add the mixture into the bath bomb molds. Press the mixture firmly and use your hands to smooth the back. Fill up each mold and allow the bath bombs to harden for at least 3-4 hours, up to overnight. Remove from the molds and enjoy!

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Rose Gold Bath Bomb Tutorial

These Rose Gold Bath Bombs are full of pink sea salt, coconut oil and rose gold sparkle!

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 10 Disk Mold & Packages
• 2 cups Baking Soda Sodium Bicarbonate
• 1 cup Citric Acid
• 1 cup Extra Small Pink Sea Salt
• 3 oz. Coarse Pink Sea Salt
• ¼ tsp. Rose Gold Mica
• 3 oz. Coconut Oil
• 9 mL Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil
• 0.3 oz. Polysorbate 80
• Dropper
• Witch Hazel in Spray Bottle

Instructions

• Mix the coarse pink sea salt with Rose Gold Mica. Add a small amount of the salt to the bottom of the bath bomb molds and set aside. TIP: Don't add too much salt to the bottom of the molds, or a large majority of it will fall off when the bath bomb is removed from the mold.
• Sift together the baking soda and citric acid. Add the extra small pink sea salt and mix to fully incorporate.
• Add the remaining coarse pink sea salt to dry the ingredients. Mix in thoroughly.
• Melt the coconut oil in the microwave using 30-60 second bursts. In a separate fragrance oil-safe container, mix together the coconut oil, Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil, and polysorbate 80.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Use your hands to fully mix together all the ingredients.
• The perfect bath bomb texture is similar to damp sand, and holds its shape when squeezed in your hand. To achieve this texture, spritz the mixture with witch hazel with one hand and mix with your other hand. How much witch hazel you add will depend on your climate.
• Once it's the correct texture, add the mixture into the bath bomb molds. Press the mixture firmly and use your hands to smooth the back. Fill up each mold and allow the bath bombs to harden for at least 3-4 hours, up to overnight. Remove from the molds and enjoy!

The post Rose Gold Bath Bomb Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

Citric acid and baking soda (aka sodium bicarbonate) are the two main ingredients in bath bombs. That combination creates the fun fizzy reaction when the bath bomb is introduced to water. Additional ingredients can be added, such as oils, fragrance, color, glitter, and more. Then the mixture is molded into fun shapes.

But, at the core, bath bombs are baking soda and citric acid. The most common bath bomb recipe is 2 parts baking soda to 1 part citric acid. Citric acid is a mild preservative that’s often used in canning and other applications like candy making. It can be a little tricky to find in stores, which is why some recipes call for substitutions. So, can you make bath bombs without citric acid?

The combination of citric acid and baking soda produce the best, most fizzy bath bomb. Head over to the Bath Bomb Questions and Answers post for more tips and tricks. Can’t find your answer there? Be sure to search the comments; with more than 400 comments and counting, your question may have already been answered!  The “recipes” for the bath bombs tested in the video are below, although we don’t really recommend them.

Lemon Juice Bath Bomb:
1 cup baking soda
Lemon juice (until moldable texture)

Cream of Tartar Bath Bomb:
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cream of tartar
Witch hazel (until moldable texture)

Cornstarch Bath Bomb:
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
Witch hazel (until moldable texture)

If you’d like a variety of tried-and-true bath bomb recipes that include citric acid and have plenty of fizz, check out the Bath Bomb category page. 

The post Can You Make Bath Bombs Without Citric Acid? appeared first on Soap Queen.

Homemade laundry soap is also a great time to use up any lye-heavy cold process soap you may have on hand. While lye-heavy soap is too harsh for the skin, it works great on dirty clothes that need extra cleansing! You can also use regular, non-lye heavy soap in your laundry recipes. Just keep in mind that any free floating oils in your soap will be added to the laundry as well. I prefer to use soap with a superfat of 3% or less in my laundry soap recipes. In addition, you can download and print these free Natural Cleaning Labels to give your products a professional look.


I recommend a small test batch of our recipes with your clothing and your washing machine to ensure that the recipe works the way you expect it to. Washing preferences, like soap preferences, can vary from household to household. This recipe is great for heavy duty loads, like towels.

Natural Lavender Laundry Soap
What You’ll Need:
2 cups Washing Soda
1/2 cup Citric Acid
2-3 cups Cold Process Soap (finely shredded)
5-8 mL Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil (increase or decrease depending on preference)
Optional: 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
Small Cubes Mold & Package, Plastic
Natural Cleaning Labels Templates

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

 ONE: Using a cheese grater, shred your cold process soap using the fine grate option. If you have lye heavy soap, this is a great time to use it! If not, non-lye heavy soap works great too.

TWO: In a large mixing bowl, add the washing soda and citric acid. Washing soda can cause skin irritation, so I recommend wearing gloves and long sleeves when working with it. It can also irritate the nose and throat, so you can wear a mask if you like. Add the grated soap and mix to combine. Add the lavender 40/42 essential oil and use your hands or spatula to fully mix in. Spritz the mixture with rubbing alcohol until it has a slightly damp texture. This step is optional, but it helps the mixture keep its shape in the mold, much like a bath bomb!

THREE: As the laundry soap sits, it will begin to harden. You can place the soap into a jar, but within a few days it will harden and be difficult to scoop. To prevent this, I recommend placing it into individual cavity molds. I used the Small Cubes Mold & Package. In our tests, the Bendy Basics Molds worked great as well!

NOTE: If using a jar to store the laundry soap, use within 2-3 days to make scooping easier. If you placed the mixture into a mold, allow the soap to dry and harden for several days. This way, you can remove the soap from the individual cavities and place several tabs into the washer. For a very large load, I used about 4-5 small cubes of the soap. Enjoy!

If you love the smell of fresh laundry (who doesn’t?), these natural dryer sheets are for you. They are extremely easy to make and give your clothes a very light scent with essential oils. All you need are small towels or fabric scraps, white vinegar and essential oils. I bought my towels at the dollar store. They don’t need to be fancy! I used a combination of lavender and lemon essential oils for a fresh and calming scent.

I also love that these dryer sheets are reusable. I recommend storing them in an airtight container to make sure they stay moist, and to keep in the vinegar-y smell. Don’t worry about these sheets making your clothes smell like vinegar. The vinegar acts a fabric softener, leaving your clothes feeling soft and clean. In my tests, I had no problems with the essential oils transferring to my clothes. But, I would not recommend using too much essential oil in this recipe. Too much oil could cause oil stains on clothing.

Natural Dryer Sheets
What You’ll Need:
Small Hand Towels (or other pieces of fabric)
About 13 oz. White Vinegar
5 mL Lemon Essential Oil
6 mL Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
Natural Cleaning Labels Templates

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: If necessary, cut your hand towels or fabric into small pieces. My towels were 15×25 inches and I cut them down to 15×12.5 inches. The exact size of the towels is not important, but the larger the towels, the more vinegar and essential oils you may need. Depending on the fabric, you may also want to sew the seams to ensure they don’t unravel in the dryer.

TWO: Roll the towels and place them into the container you plan on storing them in. Then, mix the lemon and lavender essential oils with the vinegar in a small container. Depending on how big your towels are, you may need more liquid to fully saturate the towels. You can also add more essential oils depending on your personal preference. With the amount listed above, I found them to not leave a strong essential oil scent. If you would like it to leave a stronger scent, feel free to add more.

THREE: Pour the vinegar and essential oil mixture over the towels, making sure to saturate each one. You don’t want the towels to be dripping with liquid, but they should be damp to the touch. I recommend storing them in a large container that has a lid. That way, they won’t dry out before use. Once you’re ready to use, place one towel into the dryer and dry as normal.

Have you ever made laundry soap or natural dryer sheets before? I would love to hear about what kind of formula works for you!

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Natural Laundry Soap and Dryer Sheet Recipes

This laundry soap recipe uses washing soda, citric acid and cold process soap to thoroughly

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 2 cups Washing Soda
• 1/2 cup Citric Acid
• 2-3 cups Cold Process Soap finely shredded
• 5-8 mL Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil increase or decrease depending on preference
• Optional: 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
• Small Cubes Mold & Package Plastic

Instructions

• Using a cheese grater, shred your cold process soap using the fine grate option. If you have lye heavy soap, this is a great time to use it! If not, non-lye heavy soap works great too.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the washing soda and citric acid. Washing soda can cause skin irritation, so I recommend wearing gloves and long sleeves when working with it. It can also irritate the nose and throat, so you can wear a mask if you like. Add the grated soap and mix to combine. Add the lavender 40/42 essential oil and use your hands or spatula to fully mix in. Spritz the mixture with rubbing alcohol until it has a slightly damp texture. This step is optional, but it helps the mixture keep its shape in the mold, much like a bath bomb!
• As the laundry soap sits, it will begin to harden. You can place the soap into a jar, but within a few days it will harden and be difficult to scoop. To prevent this, I recommend placing it into individual cavity molds. I used the Small Cubes Mold & Package. In our tests, the Bendy Basics Molds worked great as well!

NOTE: If using a jar to store the laundry soap, use within 2-3 days to make scooping easier. If you placed the mixture into a mold, allow the soap to dry and harden for several days. This way, you can remove the soap from the individual cavities and place several tabs into the washer. For a very large load, I used about 4-5 small cubes of the soap. Enjoy!

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Natural Laundry Soap and Dryer Sheet Recipes

These dryer sheets use vinegar and essential oils to make your clothes smell clean and feel soft.

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Small Hand Towels or other pieces of fabric
• About 13 oz. White Vinegar
• 5 mL Lemon Essential Oil
• 6 mL Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil

Instructions

• ONE: If necessary, cut your hand towels or fabric into small pieces. My towels were 15x25 inches and I cut them down to 15x12.5 inches. The exact size of the towels is not important, but the larger the towels, the more vinegar and essential oils you may need. Depending on the fabric, you may also want to sew the seams to ensure they don't unravel in the dryer.
• Roll the towels and place them into the container you plan on storing them in. Then, mix the lemon and lavender essential oils with the vinegar in a small container. Depending on how big your towels are, you may need more liquid to fully saturate the towels. You can also add more essential oils depending on your personal preference. With the amount listed above, I found them to not leave a strong essential oil scent. If you would like it to leave a stronger scent, feel free to add more.
• Pour the vinegar and essential oil mixture over the towels, making sure to saturate each one. You don’t want the towels to be dripping with liquid, but they should be damp to the touch. I recommend storing them in a large container that has a lid. That way, they won’t dry out before use. Once you’re ready to use, place one towel into the dryer and dry as normal.

The post Natural Laundry Soap + Natural Dryer Sheet Recipe appeared first on Soap Queen.

The combination of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid help fight stains. Once the freshener hits the water, it starts to fizz and release a fresh and clean scent from Lemon Essential Oil and Peppermint Essential Oil, 2nd Distillation. You can store them in an airtight container, like the Tall 8 oz. Plastic Bail Jar, and use them whenever your bathroom needs a pick me up.

These fizzies are great for freshening your toilet, but are not intended for use in the bathtub. Because they are strongly scented to mask bathroom odors, the excess amounts of essential oil can cause skin irritation.

What You’ll Need:
1/2 cup Sodium Bicarbonate
1/4 cup Citric Acid
Witch Hazel
12 mL Lemon Essential Oil
6 mL Peppermint Essential Oil, 2nd Distill
Droppers
Spiral Flower Wax Tart Mold
Optional: Tall 8 oz. Plastic Bail Jar

FOUR: Check the moisture level of your fizzies. The mixture should be wet enough so when you squeeze the powder in your fist it holds its shape when you open your hand. If it doesn’t hold its shape, spritz with witch hazel. You want to spray enough so that the powders stick together and aren’t crumbly. Be careful though, because spraying too much can cause the mixture to fizz prematurely and ruin your fizzies. How much witch hazel you use depends on a number of factors, including the humidity in your area. We used about 6-8 spritzes of witch hazel on a rainy day in Washington state. Read more in the Sunday Night Spotlight: Witch Hazel post.
FIVE: Once the mixture holds its shape, pack it tightly into the mold. Make sure to pack the powder into the flower shape so the details are clear when they’re unmolded.
SIX: Leave the fizzies in the mold until they’re set up, which can take several hours or up to overnight. After they’re unmolded, drop a freshener into your toilet and let it fizz. When it’s done fizzing, flush and enjoy the clean scent!

What is your favorite quick and easy cleaning trick? 

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Fizzy Toilet Fresheners

Simple to make, these Fizzy Toilet Fresheners keep your bathroom smelling clean.

Course Home Crafts

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 -8 Fizzies

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Sodium Bicarbonate
• 1/4 cup Citric Acid
• Witch Hazel
• 12 mL Lemon Essential Oil
• 6 mL Peppermint Essential Oil 2nd Distill
• Droppers
• Spiral Flower Wax Tart Mold
• Optional: Tall 8 oz. Plastic Bail Jar

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add the baking soda and citric acid and mix to combine. The baking soda and citric acid mixture may have clumps. You can use your fingers to break them up, or sift the powders through a strainer.
• Add 12 mL of Lemon Essential Oil and 6 mL of Peppermint Essential Oil, 2nd Distill.
• Stir the essential oils into the baking soda and citric acid mixture. Using your hands is the easiest method. Wear gloves if you want to protect your manicure, as citric acid will dull nail polish. Note: These fizzies may smell quite strong as you're mixing them together. They're heavily scented so the fresh smell fills your whole bathroom!
• Check the moisture level of your fizzies. The mixture should be wet enough so when you squeeze the powder in your fist it holds its shape when you open your hand. If it doesn't hold its shape, spritz with witch hazel. You want to spray enough so that the powders stick together and aren’t crumbly. Be careful though, because spraying too much can cause the mixture to fizz prematurely and ruin your fizzies. How much witch hazel you use depends on a number of factors, including the humidity in your area. We used about 6-8 spritzes of witch hazel on a rainy day in Washington state.
• Once the mixture holds its shape, pack it tightly into the mold. Make sure to pack the powder into the flower shape so the details are clear when they're unmolded.
• Leave the fizzies in the mold until they're set up, which can take several hours or up to overnight. After they're unmolded, drop a freshener into your toilet and let it fizz. When it's done fizzing, flush and enjoy the clean scent!

The post Fizzy Toilet Fresheners appeared first on Soap Queen.