Bubble Bars and Bath Bombs

Bubble bars fill your bathtub with lots of soft, fluffy bubbles that leave your skin feeling silky soft. They can look a little like bath bombs, but they work a little differently.

Bath bombs are a great way to enhance your bath. They come in many different colors, scents, shapes, and sizes, and are often filled with moisturizing and skin-nourishing oils and butters. Plan to use your bath bomb soon. Bath bombs will keep their solid form as long as they are kept in a dry environment; however, the fresher a bath bomb is, the more it will fizz when you drop it into the bathtub. If you wait too long to use it, it will not fizz as much. Here are some common types of essential oils that can be found in bath bombs and their uses:

• Lavender essential oil has a classic scent with fresh, floral notes. It may help reduce anxiety, depression, and stress.
• Rose essential oil is another classic scent with sweet, floral notes. Like lavender, it helps ease depression.
• Lemon essential oil has a fresh, clean scent. It is very uplifting and may leave you feeling fresh and energized.
• Peppermint and other minty essential oils have a cool, refreshing scent. They are great for easing headaches and nausea. They may also leave you feeling refreshed and energized.

Using Regular Bubble Bars

1. Plan ahead. Make sure you have enough time for a nice, long, relaxing bath. About twenty minutes should do. Bubble bars are luxurious, and not worth a quick, five minute bath. Save them for when you have time to take a longer bath and relax.
2. Consider cutting the bar in half or into quarters with a knife. Bubble bars create a ton of bubbles, and sometimes, you don't even need to use the entire bar to get a decent amount. By cutting your bar into smaller pieces, you'll be extending the life of one bar, and saving money. You can store the extra bars in a plastic bag or box. Make sure that the bag or box seals up tightly.
3. Make sure your bathtub is clean, then start filling it with water. Use a temperature that is most comfortable for you. Have your bubble bar ready.
4. Crumble the bar, and hold it under the running tap. The bar will start to melt in your hand and release its scent and/or color. The tub will begin to fill with thick, fluffy bubbles.
   • Some people prefer to put the crumbled bar into a strainer first, so that they don't drop any pieces into the water.
   • The stronger the water flow, the more bubbles you'll get.
   • Some bubble bars are colored, but you may not see the color at first. The color will become deeper the longer you hold the bar under the water.
5. Turn off the tap when the tub is full and give the water a swish with your hand. This will help create more bubbles. If there are not enough bubbles to your liking, add a little bit more of the bubble bar.
6. Get into the tub, and relax for 10 to 20 minutes. Light some candles, turn on some music, or read a book. Baths are supposed to take a little longer than showers so that the body and mind can relax. Expect the bubbles to last about 20 minutes.

Using Reusable Bubble Bars

1. Plan ahead. Bubble bars are luxurious, so you wouldn't want to waste them on a quick, five minute bath, Make sure you have about 20 minutes to spare so that you can enjoy them.
2. Get out your reusable bubble bar. These bars are relatively new, so not every place may have them. They are harder than regular bubble bars, and don't crumble as easily. They usually come on a string or stick, and can be reused up to 10 times.
3. Make sure your bathtub is clean, then start filling it with water. Use a temperature that is most comfortable for you. Have your bubble bar ready and a towel handy. You will need to set your bubble bar on the towel so that it can dry.
4. Swish the "reusable" bubble bar around in the water. These bars don't need to be held under running water. When the tub as full as you like it, turn the water off and stick the bar under the water. Swish it around until bubbles form. You won't need to use the entire bar.
5. Set the bar down on a towel to dry. Once it is dry, you can store it in its bag, or in a plastic box with a tight fitting lid. If you store the bar in its bag or box while it is still wet, you'll trap the moisture, and the bar will melt away.
6. Climb into the tub and relax. Light some candles, turn on some music, or read a book. These bubbles will last for about 20 minutes, so take your time in the bath.

Finding Other Uses for Bubble Bars

1. Use fragrant bubble bars as air fresheners. If you like the smell of bubble bars, but don't like taking long baths, use them to freshen up your room. Find a pretty dish that matches the bar, and place bar onto the dish. Set the dish down someplace safe, such as a shelf, dresser, desk, or vanity. These bubble bar "air fresheners" can also double up as pretty decorations.
2. Freshen up your clothes with a bubble bar. Place the bubble bar into a dish or a chiffon bag. Place it in the corner of your dresser drawer or wardrobe. Bubble bars are made out of baking soda, so they will absorb bad odors, and the essential oils in them will fragrance your cloths.
3. Use them in a foot soak. Bubble bars leave the skin feeling soft and smooth. If you just spent a long day on your feet, you can give yourself a foot soak. Simple fill a small, plastic tub with lukewarm water and plop in a small piece of a bubble bar. Sit down some place comfortable, swish the water with your hand, then plop your feet in.

Using a Bath Bomb

1. Choose a bath bomb. Bath bombs are available in many different colors, scents, shapes, and sizes. Some even have extra items embedded inside, such as flower petals and glitter. Other bath bombs contain additional oils and butters that are good for your skin, such as almond oil and cocoa butter. Find a bath bomb whose color and smell appear to you the most; if you have dry skin, then look for one with additional oils and butters for extra moisture. Here are some things you can expect to find in a bath bomb:
   • Essential oils such as lavender, chamomile, and rose. These not only make the bath bomb smell nice, but they can also help you feel relaxed or more awake.
   • Skin softening and nourishing oils and butters, such as almond oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter. These are great for dry skin!
   • Fun additives such as glitter and flower petals will float on top of the bath water. They are for aesthetic purposes and can help enhance the mood.
   • Salts and powdered clays and herbs are also often found in a bath bomb. They help soften, moisturize, and nourish your skin.
2. Consider wrapping the bath bomb with fabric. Some bath bombs include flower petals, which can get stuck in the tub after you drain the water out. You can prevent this from happening by putting the bath bomb inside a small cloth bag or a nylon stocking. The detergents, fragrances, and oils will pass through the fabric and enhance the bath water, but the petals will remain inside the bag or nylon stocking. Once the bath is over, all you have to do is empty out the bag or recycle it.
3. Consider cutting your bath bomb in half. Bath bombs are expensive, but you can make yours last longer by cutting it in half using a serrated knife. You will use one of the halves for your bath, and save the other half for another bath. If a bath bomb makes an artistic effect in the water, it's best not to cut it in half. It's like a bath bomb inside a bath bomb and won't look as nice.
4. Plug the bathtub and fill it with water. You are making this bath for yourself, so make sure that it is comfortable for you. Make the water as deep or as shallow as you like, and use a temperature that is not too hot and not too cold for you. Once you have filled the tub to your liking, turn the water off.
5. Put the bath bomb in the water. As soon as the bath bomb enters the water, it will start to bubble and fizz. Over time, the bath bomb will start to break apart and dissolve, thus allowing all the beneficial oils, salts, and butters to be released into the bath water.
6. Get undressed and step into the tub. You can enter the tub while the bath bomb is still fizzing, or you can wait until it has finished.
7. Sit back in the tub. Get into a comfortable position. Fold a soft towel and place it behind your head, neck, and shoulders before you lean back in the bathtub. This will make things more comfortable. You can close your eyes and relax, meditate, or even read a book. The bath bomb will dissolve, and fill the water with fragrant essential oils, nourishing and moisturizing butters and oils, and additional items, such as flower petals, glitter, and color.
8. Get out of the tub when the water gets cold and dry off. After a while, the water will start to naturally cool down. At this point, you can leave the bathtub and drain the water. Do not stay in the water too long, or your skin will turn pruney and wrinkly!
9. Consider rinsing off in the shower. You do not have to rinse off after using a bath bomb, but if you used a colored bath bomb or one with glitter in it, you may consider doing so. Simply drain the bathtub, then take a shower and rinse the oils and butters off your skin. You may use a loofah and shower gel as well, if you wish.
10. Clean the tub. Some bath bombs use dyes that may stain your tub. The dyes will be easier to clean off while they are still damp. Use a bathtub cleaning sponge or brush and scrub the dye residue away. If there are any flower petals or glitter in your tub, you can either pick them out or run fresh water over them and let them flow down the drain.

Finding Other Uses for a Bath Bomb

1. Use your bath bomb as an air freshener. Sometimes, bath bombs can be almost too pretty to use! If you find it difficult to drop your pretty bath bomb into the tub, consider displaying it in a pretty dish in your bathroom. The fragrance released by the bath bomb will be subtle and not overpowering.
2. Consider using a shower fizzy instead. If you like to pamper yourself but dislike sitting in baths, you can use a shower fizzy instead. Shower fizzies are similar to bath bombs, except that they contain fewer oils so that they don't make the floor of your shower slippery. Simply place a shower fizzy on the floor of your shower where the water will hit it, turn on the water, and step inside. The water will cause the shower fizzy to break apart and dissolve, thus releasing the fragrant oils.