DIY Calming Lavender Mini Bath Bombs / Pedicure Bombs

As I mentioned in a recent pedicure post, I like to use a portion of a bath bomb to have a foot soak before doing my toe nails.  With all that is going on in my life right now, I decided to make a bunch of lavender pedicure bombs (or mini bath bombs) to help me relax.  I make mine in plastic shot glasses from the dollar store and find them the perfect size.  You can use ice cube trays and add a couple of them to your foot soak tub instead if you can’t find the shot glasses.

Mini Bath Bomb / Pedicure Bombs Supplies

This recipe made 11 shot glass sized pedicure bombs

• 1 cup Baking Soda
• 1/2 cup Epsom Salts
• 1/2 cup Citric Acid
• 5 tsp solid Coconut Oil
• 1 tsp warm water
• 2 tsp essential oil

While most recipes for bath bombs have liquid oil, I like using solid coconut oil as it cuts into the dry mix with less fizzing.  I went for affordable for these and used decent quality Thursday Plantation Essential Oil as I found it really good and strong scented when I tried it earlier this year.  I prefer not to have to clean colouring from the sides of my tub so don’t use any when I make them myself, but add a few drops if you want.

Citric Acid can be hard to find affordably in Canada.  Bulk Barn sells it in the jar shown which is a little under 1/2 cup and costs around $5.  If you want to make them on a regular basis, buy a bulk bag from Amazon to save money.

How To Make DIY Pedicure Bombs or Mini Bath Bombs

Mix your dry ingredients together in a larger bowl.  I used cheap Epsom salts which are larger pieces so ran mine through a food processor to break up any clumps and pieces.  But if you buy some in the beauty section of Bulk Barn, they are fine grained.  Mix them well making sure to break up any clumps.  Ensure your bowl and any mixing tools are 100% dry so they don’t react with your Citric Acid.

Add your wet ingredients to a small bowl.  I use a teaspoon of warm water to help melt the coconut butter a little, but not too hot.  Then stir up the mixture to an emulsified mush.  This is the point to add some colouring if you want to.  Remember that it will be darker in the oil mix but lighter once mixed with the baking soda and other dry ingredients.

Add the mixture slowly to the dry ingredients stirring or hand mixing quickly to ensure the fizzing reaction doesn’t start.  It works best if you start with a whisk to cut in the oil mix then hand mix it wearing latex gloves.

You may need to add some dry ingredients or oil until the mixture is like wet sand and clumps when you pick up a handful.  Once you have the right consistency, fill the shot glasses packing the mixture down as much as possible.

When you fill them loose to the top, you will push them down to about 2/3 full.  I leave mine to dry for 24 hours in the shot glasses.  If you take them out too soon, they absorb moisture in the air and expand.

Once dry, you can take them out of the plastic shot glasses.  Simply roll the plastic glass in your hands to loosen the edges and the pedicure bombs just pop out.

Wrap them in individual bags or store them in an airtight jar.  Use them within 3 months to get the full fizzing experience and rub the extra coconut oil from the mini pedicure bombs into your feet when you are done soaking.