Easy DIY Glow-In-The-Dark Bath Bombs For Kids

Homemade bath bombs are a breeze to create and make an easy DIY gift idea that anyone will love. Made from common, budget- and planet-friendly ingredients, these glow-in-the-dark bath bombs for kids have a fun twist that makes them even more special!

bath bomb recipe pin image

Bath bombs are HUGELY popular for self-care and at-home relaxation. Fizzy bath bombs like these make bath time relaxing for adults and great fun for kids!

While you can buy bath bombs at a store for $3.50+ a piece, these homemade glow-in-the-dark bath bombs for kids make it easy for you to treat yourself to luxury at home much more affordably.

And as anyone with tweens can probably tell you, bath bombs are a HOT commodity!

But First – Love Kid-Friendly DIY Projects? Grab These Too!

Click here to grab your free mini activity book of diy activities for kids.

What Are Bath Bombs?

Given that you can find bath bombs in displays in practically every store (and grocery store), if you’ve never seen them, then I have to assume you’ve been living under a rock. 😂

But even if you’ve seen them, you may not know what they are. Bath bombs are hard-packed balls of dry ingredient mixtures that bubble and fizz when wet.

They make bath time extra fun – and anyone can make homemade bath bombs!

And normally you find them in single colors or maybe a mix of a couple of colors. But today, I have a recipe for you to make DIY glow-in-the-dark bath bombs for kids!

Aren’t they cute?

Glow in the dark bath bomb recipe finished product on a towel.

DIY Glow-In-The-Dark Bath Bombs For Kids

Now here’s the thing. When you buy bath bombs, they can contain a bunch of unknown and unwanted ingredients including artificial colors and fragrances. AND you’re paying a lot of money for that on top of it.

OR, you can make them yourself and know EXACTLY what’s in them – and save a TON of money in the process.

Plus, since they’re in such high demand, you can make them as easy DIY gifts…or even items that your kids can sell for a fundraiser!

But there’s one thing I know for sure: glow-in-the-dark or not, colorful bath bombs appeal to kids (especially tweens!). 😂

bath bombs

Glow-In-The-Dark Bath Bombs Are Super Easy To Make

Companies want you to think that you can’t make many things on your own because selling products is how they make money, right?

And I admit that I’ve fallen into that trap much more than I’d like to admit – even with bath bombs!

But glow-in-the-dark bath bombs are actually SUPER easy – and even fun – to make! And if you have kids, they’ll love to watch them fizz away in the bath.

Use this step-by-step tutorial to make your own homemade bath bombs!

glow-in-the-dark bath bombs

Ingredients Needed For Glow-In-The-Dark Bath Bombs For Kids

  • Baking soda – the base of this recipe and the one that reacts most for that nice fizzy reaction. Baking soda is SO useful for so many household purposes, that it’s totally worth buying it in bulk.
  • Citric Acid – a natural ingredient in citrus fruit, citric acid mixed with the baking soda, is what makes the fizzy reaction.
  • Epsom Salt – a.k.a. magnesium sulfate. It works wonders as a soak for sore muscles.
  • Cream of Tartar – activates the baking soda to help create that fizzy fun as well as provides integrity to your bath bomb recipe.
  • Mica Powder: a natural soap colorant used to add color to your bath bombs (or other DIY beauty recipes).
  • Cosmetic glitter – totally optional, but I include it for fun color and sparkle in this recipe.
  • Coconut Oil: this is the liquid that holds your bath bombs together. You could use Almond oil if you prefer.
  • Polysorbate 80 – an emulsifier used to ensure the colors and essential oils and colors in your bath bombs disperse evenly in the bathwater so they don’t pool on top. It also keeps the mica and oils from clinging to the tub, making it super slippery.
  • Essential Oils – they’re optional in bath bombs but add a pleasant fragrance to your bath. You can 100% skip them if you prefer. I use cardamom in this recipe, but you can use other scents such as lavender or tea tree oil if you want to.

Tools Needed

Optional Items

ingredients for bath bombs

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Important Notes & Tips

You probably already have most of the ingredients for this project already. If not, they’re all items I recommend stocking up on because they can be used in MANY other recipes and other ways around the house.

Storing Your Glow-In-The-Dark Bath Bombs

You can store them in an airtight container for up to six months. Another option is to wrap them in plastic wrap.

If you want to get really fancy, you can use shrink wrap sleeves to wrap your bath bombs. Heat them with a blow dryer or heat gun to shrink the wrap around your homemade bath bombs.

How to Use a Bath Bomb

Wondering how to even use a bath bomb? I couldn’t be EASIER!

When you’re ready to use it, simply drop it in water and let it fizz and dissolve. It should take about 30 seconds or up to a minute for it to dissolve completely.

Customize it

Feel free to play with essential oils and mica powder to customize different looks and scents.

Love Kid-Friendly DIY Projects? Grab These Fun Projects Too!

Click here to grab your free mini activity book of diy activities for kids.
glow-in-the-dark bath bombs

How To Make Homemade Bath Bombs For Kids

Wondering how to make bath bombs? Just follow these step-by-step instructions, and before you know it, you’ll have your own incredible glow-in-the-dark bath bombs at home!

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, add the baking soda, citric acid, cream of tartar, and Epsom salts and whisk together.

glow-in-the-dark bath bombs process

Step 2

Add the coconut oil. This binds all the ingredients together, so your bath bombs don’t crumble when you touch them!

Also add the polysorbate 80, which helps disperse the colorant and helps it not stick to the tub. (*The polysorbate 80 is mixed in with the coconut oil in the supplies picture.)

glow-in-the-dark bath bombs process

Step 3

Add essential oil to the glow-in-the-dark bath bombs for kids mixture.

adding essential oil to ingredients

Step 4

Add in cosmetic glitter.

adding glitter to the ingredients

Step 5

Mix everything together thoroughly. You may need to use your hands to break down any lumps and make sure everything is mixed in.

The mixture is ready when it holds together as you press it into your hands and feels like wet sand.

mixing together ingredients

Step 6

Separate mixture into 6 small bowls.

coloring bath bomb mixture

Step 7

Add 1 tablespoon of each mica powder into each small bowl. Mix in thoroughly. If you want a darker color, add in an additional tablespoon of color.

bowls of colored bath bomb mixture

Step 8

Fill both sides of the mold with the mixture, until slightly overflowing. If the mixture gets dry while making your bath bombs, mix in a spritz or two of the rubbing alcohol.

filling up the bath bomb mold

Step 9

Press molds together and grind to remove the excess glow-in-the-dark bath bombs mixture.

glow-in-the-dark bath bomb process image

Step 10

Gently tap each side of the mold to release the bombs. To avoid the bombs breaking during the drying phase, I put them in a mini muffin tin. They fit perfectly!

Allow drying for a minimum of 24 hours. If your climate is wet or cold, allow an additional 24 hours.

My rule of thumb is that when it is hard to the touch, they are ready for the tub! Store in an airtight container until ready for use.

glow-in-the-dark bath bomb closeup

There you go! I hope you love these glow-in-the-dark bath bombs for kids! I KNOW the kids will love them whether they help with the creation or just enjoy using them!

More Fun DIY Ideas

If you love these bath bombs for kids, check out these other DIY projects everyone will love!

Love Kid-Friendly DIY Projects? Grab These Fun Projects Too!

Click here to grab your free mini activity book of diy activities for kids.

Pin for Later:

homemade glow-in-the-dark bath bombs pin image
DIY glow-in-the-dark bath bombs pin image
DIY glow in the dark bath bomb recipe

DIY Glow in the Dark Bath Bomb Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Baking soda
  • 1  cup Citric acid
  • 1/4 cup Cream of tartar
  • 2 Tbsp Coconut Lime Epsom salts
  • 1/3 cup Coconut oil
  • 1 tsp Polysorbate 80
  • 10-20 drops Cardamom essential oil
  • 1 Tbsp Green glow in the dark cosmetic glitter
  • 1 Tbsp each of 6 Glow in the dark mica
  • Stainless steel bath bomb molds or silicone molds
  • Spray bottle filled with Rubbing Alcohol
  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • 6 small bowls

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, add the baking soda, citric acid, cream of tartar and Epsom salts and whisk together.
  2. Add the coconut oil. This binds all the ingredients together, so you bath bombs don’t crumble when you touch them! Add polysorbate 80, which helps disperse the colorant and helps it not stick to the tub. (*The polysorbate 80 is mixed in with the coconut oil in the supplies picture.)
  3. Add in essential oil.
  4. Add in cosmetic glitter.
  5. Mix everything together thoroughly. You may need to use your hands to break down any lumps and make sure everything is mixed in. The mixture is perfect when it holds together when you press it into your hands and feels like wet sand.
  6. Separate mixture into 6 small bowls.
  7. Add 1 tablespoon of each mica powder into each small bowl. Mix in thoroughly. If you want a darker color, add in an additional tablespoon of color.
  8. Fill both sides of the mold with the mixture, until slightly overflowing. If mixture gets dry while making your bath bombs, mix in a spritz or two of the rubbing alcohol.
  9. Press molds together and grind to remove excess mixture.
  10. Gently tap each side of the mold to release the bombs. To avoid the bombs breaking during the drying phase, I put them in a mini muffin tin. They fit perfectly!
  11. Allow to dry a minimum of 24 hours. If your climate is wet or cold, allow an additional 24 hours. My rule of thumb is that when it is hard to the touch, they are ready for the tub! Store in an airtight container until ready for use.

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9 Comments

    1. You can expect to make 3-5 bath bombs with this recipe, depending on the size you make. If you make standard size bath bombs, you should get 3. 🙂

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