What Is Essential?

When it comes to commodities I've made do without since moving to LA, the most salient for me  has been, not a yard, not a second bedroom, not even a washer and dryer (all of which we now have!) but a bathtub. I am all about bath soaks to detoxify the skin, especially since working in an open-air environment next to the freeway which causes my skin to break out in hives by the time I get home. Usually I just pour Epsom salt, baking soda and a little essential oil directly into the tub, but this past December, I decided to try my hand at bath bombs. I had just about everything on hand except the cream of tartar (84¢ at Aldi's). I used silicone molds from our wedding registry which we use as mostly as ice trays. I added lavender and lemon essential oils, but left them color-free. This was how they came out:

I tried using the Yoda molds as well, but they crumbled out around the sharp angles. Once I ran through these little bombs about three per bath, I decided to order larger silicone molds that might work well for one bomb per bath. Following this recipe, same as before, I added bergamot, clary sage, and frankincense for a fresh new scent. The mixture came together pretty dry, so I added a little more water to keep it together.

Still too dry! I pitched all but one bomb back into the mixing bowl.

Then the mold shapes reminded me of another liquid I should add: rose water!

Better second time around--still not perfect--but good enough for me! 

Without citric acid to react with the baking soda, the bomb's performance in water was not that dramatic. I had to crumble it between my fingers to get it to fully dissolve. However, the scent of the essential oils released by the steam made up for the lackluster opening act, and soaking in the bath left me coated with a substantial layer of coconut oil. 

In addition to my skin being naturally dry, I struggle to keep up with the daily eight glasses of water regime. My husband jokes that I think oil and lotion are acceptable substitutes for drinking water. But why can't there be another way to attain proper hydration than chaining myself to a thermos? Although that is a problem I'll continue to tackle all my life, the bath bomb project gets one more go once I get a hold of some citric acid, and then it's most likely back to dumping Epsom salt and baking soda in the bath for me. 

Read about my second attempt here.