8 Best Substitutes for Essential Oil in Bath Bombs

Everybody likes to have a nice and relaxing bath, and bath bombs can help you with it. Some big companies use technology to increase the production of bath bombs but you can also make them at home. Essential oil is the most used ingredient in making bath bombs, but you can also use other ingredients to make them. Here are some of the substitutes for essential oil in bath bombs.

1.Natural Bath Bomb ingredients

You can use natural recipes to achieve a natural sensation on your skin. It is not hard to make one, and you only need to have the ingredients to achieve this. Before you begin the process of making natural bath bombs, you should have all the ingredients on hand. It takes less time to develop a mixture, and most ingredients are ordinary households like baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch, oil salt, and liquid.

The bath bomb is achieved by mixing the ingredients as follows.

Mix two tbsp oil with  one cup of baking soda;

Mix cornstarch with a mixture of oil and baking soda;

Add water to the mixture.

Mix using your hand with gloves until the mixture holds itself together;

Give the mixture 24hours to harden;

The bath bomb can be used for two weeks.

2. Fragrance Oils 

Fragrance oil can be used as alternatives to essential oils. They produce brewed coffee scents, apples, fruits, and flower-like scents. They are made using synthetic oils and cosmetic grade. The ingredients are used to make bath bombs, but they are also suitable for making soaps, shampoo, shower gel, cream bases, and bath salts.

Fragrance oils are made with a mix of natural ingredients and aroma chemicals. One fragrance oil can be made up of many materials. The choice of fragrance oil is determined by smells after six weeks of the cold soap curing process.  If the scent turns out to be light, the oil is not chosen.

ProsHave more than 200 varieties.It doesn’t have a significant change in cold process soap.Skin-safe when used to make bath bombs.

ConsChemically manufacturedSome discolor or accelerate during the cold process soap.

3. Coconut oil

Coconut oil is another substitute for essential oils in bath bombs. The oil is readily available and easy to make to use oil to make bath bombs for yourself. Coconut oil has an element that prevents the bath bomb from breaking, sticking, and crumbling. 

To harden the coconut oil, you can put it in a freezer for a few minutes, and it will be so hard for it to break. 

How to prevent bath bomb from crumbling

• Combine the coconut oil with dry ingredients when the oil is in liquid form, and it’s warm. Mix the combination thoroughly and quickly before it hardens. If the oil hardens before the even dispersion of the mixture, you end up with a clumpy bomb that does not hold together.
• If the hardening of the mixture is not the problem, the amount of coconut in the mix might be less. You, therefore, need to add more coconut oil. Put everything back to the bowl and warm coconut oil, and mix the combination thoroughly. After obtaining an even mixture, put it in the freezer to harden. This will prevent your bath bomb from crumbling. 
• If you have used baking soda in the process of making a bath bomb, pack the baking soda tightly to help everything hold.

4. Oatmeal

Although an unusual ingredient for making bath bombs, oatmeal is well known for its effectiveness in skincare when it comes to smoothening it. Oatmeal bath bombs are created using oat extract mixed with colloidal oatmeal. The mixture creates an experience that is soothing while bathing. The colloidal oatmeal is outstanding hence works well for dry skins.

Honey fragrance and oatmeal offer the oatmeal bath bombs a comforting scent. Oatmeal also gives bath bombs a healing effect for skin irritations. You can make bath bombs by yourself in the comfort of your home. Here is what you need to do;

• Mix baking soda, citric acid, oatmeal, and cornstarch;
• Add oil and mix until the mixture hold together;
• If the resulting mixture is crumbly, and 1tbsp of water;
• Press firmly in your hand or silicon mold;
• Give the mixture 24 hours to dry.
• If you used a mold, remove it from a mold after 12 hours and leave it for another 24 hours to dry.

Pros	Cons
Colloidal oatmeal helps the skin to maintain a normal pH Reduce the rate at which histamine in mast cells is released	Works temporarily
Helps in treating molluscum contagiosum – skin rashes	It is difficult to clean it
Cleansing agent for skin

5. Green Apple

Green apple ingredients for bath bombs are common, and they make your skin soft. It is also gluten-free. When you use green apple bath bombs, you will love the experience while bathing and feel a soft sensation on your skin after bathing. If you want to use a single bath bomb multiple times, remove the bath bomb after you are done bathing to prevent it from fizzing out. 

Green apple is created with a mix of scents to enhance a relaxing bathing experience, and they also complement homemade bathing soaps. Green apple as an ingredient is mixed with other ingredients to come up with a more effective bath bomb. The components that may be used together with green apple are; baking soda, Shea Butter, Citric Acid, Grapeseed oil, fragrance, and water. 

Each ingredient plays a vital role in skin enhancement as follows;

• Grapeseed oil is rich in vitamins C, E, and D which prevents the development of scars, and wrinkles. It is also good for the treatment of acne and helps in keeping the skin moist. Clogged skin pores can be unclogged by Grapeseed oil.
• Shea butter helps in the treatment of wrinkles, itching, skin allergies, eczema, and sunburns. By mixing it with green apple, you will have an excellent skin treatment.
• Epsom salts help to treat sunburns, sore muscles, and bruises.

6. Citrus 

Citrus is the most used ingredient after essential oils for making bath bombs. It is loved due to its classic color and unique fragrance. The citrus ingredients can be found in citrus fruits like orange and lemon. Most are organic ingredients. The following directions will help you come up with a citrus bath bomb. 

Have two separate bowls;

One bowl put all dry ingredients, and mix them well: citric acid, baking soda, mica powder, Epsom salt, and cornstarch.

• Ensure that there are no plumps.
• In the other bowl, combine the almond oil, witch hazel, and essential oil.
• Pour the mixture in the second bowl into the first bowl.
• Mix using folk until the mixture appears moist and holds together.
• Create your bath bomb in any shape that you feel is good for you.
• Give the mold some hours to dry, and after that, you can use it.

7. Cocoa Bath Bombs

Coco is not just used for beverages only. It is an essential oil alternative ingredient for bath bombs too. Bathing in a rich chocolate aroma can be so relaxing. Cocoa moisturizes your skin, and it is also healthy for you. Cocoa bath bombs have a chocolate scent that is so attractive and cool. 

Creating a cocoa bath bomb is not difficult; hence you can be able to make it in the comfort of your home. The following steps will guide you when making a bath bomb with the cocoa ingredients.

• Mix citric acid, baking soda, cocoa butter, and honey fragrance oil.
• Mix cocoa powder with cocoa butter to achieve a rich brown color.
• You will notice the mixture is drizzling on top like melted chocolate.
• Add pink sea salt on top when the butter is still warm.
• The butter should be at the perfect temperature to allow drizzling to occur, and you will have achieved the bath bomb with a chocolate scent. 

8. Green Tea

Another substitute for essential oils ingredients is green tea. Green tea helps in soothing skin and reducing redness. It also helps in treating muscle pain if you have been working the whole day. Green tee has an anti-aging element, thus helping your skin recover. 

 Mix little cut green tea, culinary matcha, and powdered green tea with Epsom salt, fragrance oil to make green tea bath bombs. The following steps can guide you when making bath bombs using green tea ingredients.

You need; citric acid, spoon, cornstarch, tbsp avocado oil, water Epsom salt, ornament, and pink icing decoration. 

• Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl and make sure it’s evenly mixed.
• Put liquid ingredients into the mixture one at a time while mixing with your hands and ensure the mix clump when you squeeze it.
• Put a pink icing flower facing downward in the ornament.
• Add green tea mixture into the pink flower while holding it firmly with your hands.
• Fill the other side of the flower with green tea mixture as well and ensure it is full.
• Join the two halves. Ensure they snap together.
• Give the bath bomb an hour and remove it from the mold and place the bomb on a towel and allow it to dry overnight for eight hours. 

Green tea has antioxidants that help in skincare. They help the skin to fight against the things that can cause damage to it. Green tea is readily available in supermarkets and once you have it you can make bath bombs in the comfort of your home.