How To A Make Donut Bath Bomb

Did you know you can make your own donut bath bomb right at home? Not only do these bath bombs look incredible, they also enhance your bath as well, with their delightful fragrance and skin loving ingredients. For me, there is nothing better than a long bath at the end of the day. 

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DIY Gift Idea

If you are searching for a unique DIY gift, these donut bath bombs are sure to please. Simply find a box or a bag with tissue paper!

How to Make Donut Bath Bombs

Making these donut bath bombs is a two-step process. The first step being the actual making of the bath bomb and the second step is the decorating with the frosting and sprinkles.

Mixture consistency

The same as when you are making a regular bath bomb, you are looking for a wet sand consistency. You want to be able to squeeze the mixture in your hand and drop it back into the bowl from about 4 inches high and have it hold its shape.

When I am spraying the mixture with witch hazel, I will check the consistency about every 2 sprays. The goal is to get the mixture to this ‘wet sand’ consistency and not use any more witch hazel then you have to.

Can you use food sprinkles in your donut bath bomb?

You can absolutely use sprinkles on top of your bath bombs! Sprinkles are nontoxic, because they are intended to be eaten and they will dissolve in your bath water.

Donut Bath Bomb Ingredient Overview:

Dry Ingredients

Baking Soda & Citric Acid

Baking soda and citric acid are the backbone of the recipe. Remember when you use to make volcanoes with vinegar and baking soda? I like to think of this as a dry version of that. Basically, once these ingredients get wet, they activate or start to bubble, quickly dissolving the donut bath bomb and releasing the fragrance. On top of that, baking soda helps to give the bath water a silky feeling.

Epsom Salt

There is nothing better in the bath than Epsom salt. It is known for its relaxing and detoxifying properties.

Wet Ingreditents

Sweet Almond Oil

Sweet almond oil is going to add some moisture to your bath.

Polysorbate 80

Polysorbate 80 is your emulsifier, which means it is going to keep the water and oil from separating. Learn more about emulsions here. Without using an emulsifier, any oils you add are going to float to the top of the tub. And when you drain the bath water, will leave behind a slippery mess.

Fragrance oil

I am using Rainbow fragrance oil, it has top notes of pear, kiwi and raspberry, combined with base note of white musk. When selecting your fragrance, be sure to pick one with a vanilla content of 0 to prevent discoloring.

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is our secret ingredient that is used in most bath bombs. It is used to wet the mixture so it holds together without using any water. The witch hazel evaporates relatively quickly too, leaving behind a solid bath bomb.

Depending on the humidity or where you live, you may need to use more or less witch hazel.

Rubbing alcohol is a great substitute if you do not have any witch hazel.

Colorants

When looking at colorants for donut bath bombs, you have options, so so many options. The colorant that you use is completely up to you.

Mica Powder

Mica powder is great for coloring the bath bomb, but will not color the bath water. When I first started making bath bombs, I would use a ridiculous amount trying to get the water to change color. I use the mica powder in the melt and pour soap just to add a splash of color.

Lake Dyes

The lake dyes that I have are in powder form. I prefer to use powder as bath bombs are very sensitive to moisture. The cool thing about these lake dyes are they will color your bath water. And, a little bit goes a long way.

Donut Mold

The most important thing for this bath bomb is the mold. You will need to use a silicone donut shape mold. When you are placing the bath bomb mixture into your mold, be sure to really press it in there.

You should be able to have a heaping pile of mixture on the mold and press it all in there. Then just level off the top!

Frosting

What really puts these donut bath bombs over the top is the frosting and sprinkles. For the frosting, I used melt and pour soap! The key is to pour slowly over the bath bomb until you reach the drizzle look you desire.

Donut Bath Bomb FAQs

Why is my bath bomb expanding while it dries?

This means that the bath bomb is starting to activate because of moisture. You will need to start over and use less moisture (rubbing alcohol or witch hazel) when making them.

Why is my bath bomb crumbling?

Often, your bath bombs will crumble is they are not packed well enough in the mold. Often this will occur because the mixture is too dry. You will need to start over and use a little more moisture (rubbing alcohol or witch hazel) or add some more oils to them.

What is the difference between bath bombs and bath salts?

The main difference is that bath bombs are made with baking soda and citric acid. This creates a high alkaline bath that is said to help reduce toxins.

Why are my bath bombs soft?

If your bath bombs are soft, this probably means that they have too much moisture. You can try adding more dry ingredients to your recipe. I found that adding some kaolin clay can help them harden and be sturdier.

Why is my bath bomb discoloring?

Bath bombs will discolor because of fragrance oils that have a high vanilla content. Often, in bath bombs this discoloration takes up to a few weeks to appear.

How long do the donut bath bombs last?

I think it’s always best to use them sooner verses later. The longer you wait to use them, the more likely they are to get exposed to moisture. Depending on how fresh your ingredients are, they can last about 6 months. Citric acid if not stored in an air tight container, tends to lose its fizziness pretty quickly. 

To protect your bath bombs, wrap them in plastic or use a heat gun to seal them into an airtight package.