DIY Peppermint Bath Bombs – Christmas Candy Cane Bath Bombs

See how to make DIY peppermint bath bombs with essential oils! You’ll also learn how to make a homemade candy cane essential oil blend and tricks to paint the bath fizzies with mica for the best holiday bath bombs ever! This easy Christmas bath bomb recipe looks and smells very festive and is an excellent handmade bath gift idea for the holiday season.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Gya Labs. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this site possible! This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Learn more

DIY peppermint bath bombs – Easy holiday bath bomb recipe

Some may call these homemade bath fizzies DIY peppermint bath bombs, candy cane bath bombs, or peppermint candy bath bombs. And all of these names work for my easy homemade bath bombs recipe. And you know what else does? Christmas bath bombs. Because this natural bath product features a festive design and makes a lovely handmade Christmas gift for friends and family.

DIY candy cane essential oil blend

The secret to fragrant DIY peppermint bath bombs is an easy candy cane essential oil blend. A pre-made mix might be good but mixing your own EO blend makes these Christmas bath bombs so perfectly fragrant and minty.

And with only two ingredients, candy cane essential oil incredibly simple to make. Just mix together equal parts vanilla oleoresin and peppermint essential oil and you’ll feel like you’re smelling candy canes or peppermint mint candies.

Before we delve into the tutorial, a few quick notes about the essential oils:

Vanilla oleoresin essential oil

As a reader of this blog, you already know that I’m a huge fan of vanilla oleoresin. I used it in my vanilla cleansing bars, body lotion, DIY air freshener sprays, wax melts, and homemade soap.

So imagine my excitement when Gya Labs, the sponsor of this post, kindly sent me their vanilla oleoresin to create these natural DIY candy cane bath bombs. The 0.34 oz / 10 ml amber bottle came packaged in a lovely white carton featuring a vanilla orchid design.  I found both the bottle and packaging very pretty and think Gya Labs vanilla oleoresin would make a lovely gift.

Now on to the best part of this EO, the rich vanilla fragrance! Vanilla oleoresin from Gya Labs smells like a freshly cut vanilla bean, sweet and strong but not overwhelming. It’s pure vanilla heaven! The natural vanilla smell is calming and relaxing with a touch of romance – perfect for aromatherapy applications, diffuser blends and DIY beauty recipes.

Benefits of vanilla oleoresin

Vanilla oleoresin is extracted via a solvent and therefore not technically an essential oil. The product is very mild and suitable for all skin types, including children. The oleoresin is said to have the following aromatherapeutic and skincare benefits:

• The comforting aroma of vanilla oleoresin can relieve stress, agitation and nervous tension.
• The oleoresin can also promote relaxation for a good night’s sleep.
• The antioxidants in vanilla oleoresin are beneficial for skin health and can reduce the risk of premature skin ageing and skin damage from free radicals.

Peppermint essential oil

As I mentioned, two ingredients are needed to create homemade candy cane essential oil, vanilla oleoresin and peppermint. Gya Labs peppermint essential oil has a revitalizing, fresh minty scent that pairs perfectly with the warming vanilla aroma.

The peppermint scent is both invigorating and soothing, making you feel energized and calm. The essential oil provides relief from respiratory problems, headaches, and coughs, which is especially useful during the winter months.

The toning qualities of the aromatic oil are said to soothe skin itching, while peppermint’s mild antibacterial properties may speed up healing of small cuts and wounds.

Candy cane essential oil mix for kids

Peppermint essential oil is a wonderful choice for adults and teenagers. But due to its high camphor and menthol content peppermint EO isn’t suitable for children. To make a kid-safe candy cane holiday essential oil blend simply substitute peppermint for spearmint essential oil.

Gya Labs offers a wonderfully fragrant spearmint essential oil that is gentle enough for kids and will give you an amazing all-natural candy cane scent. Spearmint smells a little sweeter than peppermint, but its attributed properties match those of peppermint.

Materials and supplies for DIY Christmas bath bombs with essential oils

We already talk about the essential oils to make a festive DIY candy cane essential oil blend. Now let’s see what other materials and supplies we need to make homemade peppermint holiday bath bombs.

• baking soda and citric acid – Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is the main ingredient, and citric acid is needed to activate the soda. Both materials in conjunction create the lovely fizzing reaction when homemade bath bombs come in contact with water.
• Natrasorb Bath – Essential oils aren’t water-soluble, meaning if you add them to bathwater, they will pool on the surface, which can cause irritation and skin rashes. I used Natrasorb Bath, a modified tapioca starch, as an emulsifier for the essential oils.
• isopropyl alcohol – Isopropyl alcohol is used to bind the dry ingredients together. The alcohol evaporates completely while the bath bombs dry. Either buy the alcohol in a spritz bottle, or fill the product into a small spritz bottle. Witch hazel can be used as well, but I found that alcohol works better.
• cylinder silicone mould – I used this set of cylindrical silicone moulds with 3 different sizes to form my DIY peppermint bath bombs and candy cane bath fizzies.

Step-by-step tutorial for how to make DIY peppermint bath bombs

How do you make peppermint bath bombs? One of the best things about this easy DIY peppermint bath bombs recipe is that even though the bath fizzies look fancy, the homemade bath product is relatively easy to make!  Here are the steps for how to make DIY candy cane peppermint bath bombs:

1. Mix together the Natrasorb Bath and vanilla oleoresin and peppermint essential oil in a small mixing bowl.
2. Sieve the baking soda and citric acid into a large mixing bowl. Add the Natrasorb Bath from step 1 and whisk until combined.
3. Spritz the bath bomb mixture with alcohol, a little at a time, and incorporate well before adding more. Don’t add too much liquid to avoid a reaction.
4. The bath bomb mixture should have the look and consistency of damp sand and keep its shape when pressed it in your hands. Tip: Isopropyl alcohol evaporates quickly, so you may have to continually add more to ensure that the bath bomb mixture has the right consistency.
5. Fill a cylinder silicone mould with bath bomb mixture and press firmly down.
6. Let the peppermint Christmas bath bombs dry in the mould for a couple of hours or overnight. Leave the mould uncovered so that the alcohol can evaporate.
7. To unmould the candy cane bath bombs, gently pull the silicone mould away from the bath bomb and carefully push the snowflake bath bombs out of the mould.

How to decorate candy cane peppermint bath bombs

After finishing the previous steps, you’ll have white, candy cane scented bath bombs. Now I want to show you three different bath bomb decorating ideas to turn your peppermint bath fizzies into stunning candy cane Christmas bath bombs!

How to make mica paint

Making a mica paint for bath bombs is super easy: Simply mix mica with 99% isopropyl alcohol until you have a thick paint. I used a red and green shade from this set of 21 micas. Here are a few tips for the best results:

• The technique only works with 99% isopropyl alcohol because this alcohol evaporates quickly. Alcohols with a lower percentage (e.g. rubbing alcohol) can cause a reaction due to the higher water content.
• The homemade peppermint bath bombs need to be completely dry before painting. Ideally, wait 24 to 48 hours.
• If the mica paint starts clumping and becomes too thick for painting, mix in a bit more alcohol and combine well.
• Allow leftover paint to dry. After the alcohol has evaporated completely, you will be left with mica powder that you can reuse for other projects.

Candy cane peppermint bath bombs

The large DIY peppermint bath bombs feature a red and white candy cane swirl design similar to peppermint candy. I’m not very good at painting but if I can paint a candy bath bomb so can you! Let me walk you through the steps to paint these DIY Christmas bath bombs:

• First, paint a small dot in the centre of the bath bomb.
• Next, paint 8 curved lines from the centre to the edges.
• Then paint every other section with red mica paint to create a pattern of alternating white and red segments.
• Extend each section down the sides of the bath bomb.

Tip: When painting, try not to touch the painted areas to not smudge the mica.

Peppermint candy bath fizzies

The design of the mini peppermint star fizzies was inspired by peppermint starlight mints. Here’s how to create this easy peppermint candy bath bombs design:

• Start by painting 4 small stripes on opposing sides of the DIY bath fizzies.
• Fill in the gaps with more small strips to create a circular pattern all around the homemade bath fizzies.
• Lastly, continue each line down the sides of each peppermint bath fizzy.

Candy cane drip bath bombs

My last candy cane bath bomb design idea is the easiest: a festive mica drip pattern in red and green. I used a dropper to drizzle paint over the bath bombs for a paint splatter effect. This bath bomb decorating idea is great for kids and the less artistically inclined.

How to package DIY peppermint bath bombs and peppermint candy bath fizzies for gift-giving

How do you make bath bombs as a gift? Easy candy cane bath bombs are a lovely seasonal DIY gift idea for Christmas and the holiday season. To package the bath bombs for gifting, cut out rectangular pieces of cellophane and wrap around your DIY peppermint bath bombs. Gather the extra cellophane on both sides of the bath bomb and tie each side with baker’s twine. Optionally, attach one of our free printable candy cane holiday gift tags.

Over to you!

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Irena xx