Bath bomb kits contain all the cosmetic-grade ingredients customers need to make their own bath bombs. Kits can be readily purchased from craft stores or Internet retail stores in a variety of sizes and themes. Many kits come ready-made, but retailers often allow the consumer to choose which colors, scents, and inclusions they want to make their own customized bombs. They may also offer inclusions that enhance the bathing experience such as butters, salts, and decorations.
Base ingredients included in bath bomb kits include sodium bicarbonate and citric acid. These ingredients, when they come into contact with water, cause the bombs to fizz. Available in different amounts, they are premeasured in kits into the correct ratios for use. Sodium cocosuplhate is also included in some packages, which increases the amount of lather and bubbles that the product produces. The instructions provided often contain examples and ideas.
Colors tend to come in powdered pigment form because this does not cause the bicarbonate and the acid to react. A variety of colors are available depending on the kit, and often, the buyer can choose which pigments they want. Scents usually come in the form of essential oils, and like color, there is usually a variety to choose from. Popular scents available in bath bomb kits include lavender, coconut, and vanilla.
Oils are commonly used to bind the basic bath bomb ingredients together and also to moisturize the skin. Typical oils provided in kits include almond, jojoba, and apricot kernel. The use of oils means that the products require a certain amount of drying time to be become firm, so some kits alternatively include witch hazel, which has a faster drying time and also does not cause the fizzy reaction to occur.
Inclusions in bath bomb kits can consist of butters and salt. Butters, such as shea, cocoa, or coconut, help moisturize the skin. Salt helps soften the water in hard-water areas, and some, for example, those from the Dead Sea, are used by producers to detoxify skin. Epsom salts aid in the drying process. Colored salts are also available for kits and can be used for decoration as well as more practical purposes.
Other additions include flower buds and petals, dissolvable paper decorations, and glitter. These may be in ready-made bath bomb kits or are available separately. The variety of choice for these items tends to be greater in custom-made kits. Finally, all kits include some form of mold to shape the bath bombs. These are typically spherical, but egg, flower, and heart shapes are also popular.