Mermaid Bath Truffle Project
There’s no denying how fun bath bombs are. As soon as they hit the water they start fizzing, moving around the tub, and releasing color. But have you ever used a bubbling bath truffle? The experience is a bit different but just as fun. As you break them up under the running faucet, they slowly produce creamy, fluffy bubbles. It’s a luxurious experience unlike any other.
This recipe has all the components of a great truffle – SLSA for bubbles, Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter to moisturize, and Cream of Tartar for the signature fluffy texture. These bars also have sea-inspired additives like Dead Sea Salt and Aqua Pearl Mica. Finish them off with Island Escape Fragrance Oil and it will feel like you’re at the beach every time you use a bar.
Looking for more bath bomb making supplies? Try these DIY bath bomb kits.
Note*: This recipe originally made with coarse pink sea salt, which has since been discontinued. Dead Sea salt will yield a similar result but may look different than photos.
What You Need:
Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
- Sodium Bicarbonate - 1 lb
- Citric Acid - 1 lb
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate - SLSA - 1 Jar
- Cream of Tartar - 2 oz
- Shea Butter - 1 lb
- Organic Cocoa Butter Wafers - 1 lb
- Glycerin - Liquid - 1 lb
- Polysorbate 80 - 1 oz
- Island Escape Fragrance Oil - 1.75 oz
- Aqua Pearl Mica - 1 oz
- Super Pearly White Mica - 1 oz
- Gold Sparkle Mica - 1 oz
- Dead Sea Salt - Coarse - 2 lbs
EQUIPMENT:
Instructions
You will need:
- 25 oz. Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) (41%)
- 7 oz. Citric Acid (12%)
- 13 oz. SLSA (21%)
- 2.5 oz. Cream of Tartar (4%)
- 6 oz. Shea Butter (10%)
- 4.5 oz. Organic Cocoa Butter Wafers (7%)
- 1.5 oz. Liquid Glycerin (3%)
- 0.5 oz. Polysorbate 80 (1%)
- 0.6 oz. Island Escape Fragrance Oil (1%)
- Aqua Pearl Mica
- Super Pearly White Mica
- Gold Sparkle Mica
- Coarse Dead Sea Salt
Follow these steps:
1
In a small heat-safe container, add 6 ounces of shea butter and 4.5 ounces of cocoa butter. Place the container in the microwave and melt the butters using 30-60 bursts. The cocoa butter takes a little while to melt. Be careful when removing it from the microwave, as it may be very hot.
2
Add 0.6 ounces of Island Escape Fragrance Oil, 0.5 ounces of polysorbate 80, and 1.5 ounces of glycerin to the melted butters. Use a spoon to thoroughly incorporate. Set aside.
3
Push 25 ounces of baking soda, 7 ounces of citric acid, and 2.5 ounces of cream of tartar through a sifter into a large container. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients together. Very carefully, add 13 ounces of SLSA (do not put it through the sifter). SLSA is extremely fine and powdery, so it can become airborne very easily. It can be irritating, so wear a face mask if you prefer. Once all the ingredients have been added, slowly mix together the dry ingredients using a whisk.
Add 1 teaspoon of Super Pearly White Mica to the entire batch and use the whisk to fully mix it in.
4
Add about 1/3 of the melted butter mixture. We recommend adding the liquid ingredients when they're about 180° F. This is quite hot, so use gloves to mix.
5
Continue adding the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix together until fully incorporated. The final texture will be very similar to bread dough – soft, workable, and slightly sticky. The warmer the dough, the softer it will be. We found a dough temperature of about 85-100° F is a great moldable texture. If your dough is cooler than that, place the entire mixture into the microwave for 10-20 seconds to warm it.
6
You will have about 60 ounces of mixture. Split the batch into 2 containers. One container will have about 40 ounces, the other will have about 20 ounces.
7
To the larger container, add 1 teaspoon of Aqua Pearl Mica. Use your hands to thoroughly mix in the colorant until there are no streaks.
8
Once all the colors are mixed, it’s time to roll! Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper down and sprinkle baking soda on top to prevent the dough from sticking.
9
Place chunks of the white bubble bar mixture onto the blue. Use your hands to spread it evenly onto the blue, and press them down on each other. Create a flat rectangle shape – about 14 inches long, by about 7-8 inches tall.
10
Use the parchment paper to roll the bubble bars. The bars may stick to the parchment or wax paper slightly, but that’s okay. You can use your hands to smooth out the roll.
11
Continue rolling, and use your hands to help create a smooth, even log.
12
Once you’re happy with the shape, sprinkle the top with coarse Dead sea salt and press the salt into the bars to help them stick.
13
Sprinkle the top with Gold Sparkle Mica.
14
Use a sharp non-serrated knife to cut the log into bars. If it's extremely soft, it can be a little sticky and needs to be handled very carefully. You can wait for about 30 minutes for it to harden slightly, or cut the bars very gently.
15
Once the bars are cut, place them gently on a piece of parchment paper or wax paper. Use your hands to give them a more uniform shape, smooth the edges, or fix any pieces that may have fallen off while cutting. As the butters in the bath truffles cool, they become hard. It takes about 3-4 hours for the bars to become firm depending on your room temperature. It can be hard to wait, but be patient!
Once you’re ready to use the bath truffles, place them in the tub for a slow fizzing reaction with a small amount of foamy bubbles. If you want to activate more bubbles, hold the bar directly under the running bath faucet while breaking off small amounts of the bar.
Tutorial credits
Photographer: Amanda Kerzman
Mermaid Bath Truffle Project
- LEVEL Intermediate
- TIME 1 hour
- YIELD 10-12 bubble bars
Project Description
There’s no denying how fun bath bombs are. As soon as they hit the water they start fizzing, moving around the tub, and releasing color. But have you ever used a bubbling bath truffle? The experience is a bit different but just as fun. As you break them up under the running faucet, they slowly produce creamy, fluffy bubbles. It’s a luxurious experience unlike any other.
This recipe has all the components of a great truffle – SLSA for bubbles, Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter to moisturize, and Cream of Tartar for the signature fluffy texture. These bars also have sea-inspired additives like Dead Sea Salt and Aqua Pearl Mica. Finish them off with Island Escape Fragrance Oil and it will feel like you’re at the beach every time you use a bar.
Looking for more bath bomb making supplies? Try these DIY bath bomb kits.
Note*: This recipe originally made with coarse pink sea salt, which has since been discontinued. Dead Sea salt will yield a similar result but may look different than photos.
You will need:
- 25 oz. Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) (41%)
- 7 oz. Citric Acid (12%)
- 13 oz. SLSA (21%)
- 2.5 oz. Cream of Tartar (4%)
- 6 oz. Shea Butter (10%)
- 4.5 oz. Organic Cocoa Butter Wafers (7%)
- 1.5 oz. Liquid Glycerin (3%)
- 0.5 oz. Polysorbate 80 (1%)
- 0.6 oz. Island Escape Fragrance Oil (1%)
- Aqua Pearl Mica
- Super Pearly White Mica
- Gold Sparkle Mica
- Coarse Dead Sea Salt
Follow these steps:
1
In a small heat-safe container, add 6 ounces of shea butter and 4.5 ounces of cocoa butter. Place the container in the microwave and melt the butters using 30-60 bursts. The cocoa butter takes a little while to melt. Be careful when removing it from the microwave, as it may be very hot.
2
Add 0.6 ounces of Island Escape Fragrance Oil, 0.5 ounces of polysorbate 80, and 1.5 ounces of glycerin to the melted butters. Use a spoon to thoroughly incorporate. Set aside.
3
Push 25 ounces of baking soda, 7 ounces of citric acid, and 2.5 ounces of cream of tartar through a sifter into a large container. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients together. Very carefully, add 13 ounces of SLSA (do not put it through the sifter). SLSA is extremely fine and powdery, so it can become airborne very easily. It can be irritating, so wear a face mask if you prefer. Once all the ingredients have been added, slowly mix together the dry ingredients using a whisk.
Add 1 teaspoon of Super Pearly White Mica to the entire batch and use the whisk to fully mix it in.
4
Add about 1/3 of the melted butter mixture. We recommend adding the liquid ingredients when they're about 180° F. This is quite hot, so use gloves to mix.
5
Continue adding the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix together until fully incorporated. The final texture will be very similar to bread dough – soft, workable, and slightly sticky. The warmer the dough, the softer it will be. We found a dough temperature of about 85-100° F is a great moldable texture. If your dough is cooler than that, place the entire mixture into the microwave for 10-20 seconds to warm it.
6
You will have about 60 ounces of mixture. Split the batch into 2 containers. One container will have about 40 ounces, the other will have about 20 ounces.
7
To the larger container, add 1 teaspoon of Aqua Pearl Mica. Use your hands to thoroughly mix in the colorant until there are no streaks.
8
Once all the colors are mixed, it’s time to roll! Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper down and sprinkle baking soda on top to prevent the dough from sticking.
9
Place chunks of the white bubble bar mixture onto the blue. Use your hands to spread it evenly onto the blue, and press them down on each other. Create a flat rectangle shape – about 14 inches long, by about 7-8 inches tall.
10
Use the parchment paper to roll the bubble bars. The bars may stick to the parchment or wax paper slightly, but that’s okay. You can use your hands to smooth out the roll.
11
Continue rolling, and use your hands to help create a smooth, even log.
12
Once you’re happy with the shape, sprinkle the top with coarse Dead sea salt and press the salt into the bars to help them stick.
13
Sprinkle the top with Gold Sparkle Mica.
14
Use a sharp non-serrated knife to cut the log into bars. If it's extremely soft, it can be a little sticky and needs to be handled very carefully. You can wait for about 30 minutes for it to harden slightly, or cut the bars very gently.
15
Once the bars are cut, place them gently on a piece of parchment paper or wax paper. Use your hands to give them a more uniform shape, smooth the edges, or fix any pieces that may have fallen off while cutting. As the butters in the bath truffles cool, they become hard. It takes about 3-4 hours for the bars to become firm depending on your room temperature. It can be hard to wait, but be patient!
Once you’re ready to use the bath truffles, place them in the tub for a slow fizzing reaction with a small amount of foamy bubbles. If you want to activate more bubbles, hold the bar directly under the running bath faucet while breaking off small amounts of the bar.
Tutorial credits
Photographer: Amanda Kerzman