Moisturizing Snowflake Bath Bombs for Dry Skin – Winter Bath Bombs

Learn how to make moisturizing snowflake bath bombs with essential oils! This easy DIY bath bomb recipe is made with natural ingredients and perfect to hydrate dry winter skin.

The instructions include a step-by step tutorial for how to make bath bombs in a silicone mould and an essential oil blend for dry skin. The beautiful winter bath bombs are a luxurious bath time treat and a lovely handmade gift idea for Christmas and the holidays.

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Moisturizing bath bombs for dry winter skin

Moisturizing snowflake bath bombs with essential oils are a show-stopper. This natural holiday bath bomb recipe releases a lovely fragrance and is made with skin-loving ingredients that will pamper your skin and relax your senses while you take a bath.

Many of my bath bomb recipes are made with shea butter, cocoa butter, or coconut oil. While the butters have wonderfully moisturising qualities, the drawback is that they reduce the fizziness and make the bath bombs slightly softer compared to bath bombs without oils.

This snowflake bath bomb recipe gives a great fizz and is made with natural ingredients. The addition of dried milk powder and colloidal oatmeal hydrates your skin as you soak in the tub. The bath bombs dry rock solid, similar to commercial bath bombs, which is ideal for gift giving.

Materials and supplies for DIY moisturizing bath bombs

As I already mentioned, these moisturizing bath bombs contain milk powder and bathing oatmeal. Now let’s see what other ingredients are need to make this winter bath bomb recipe:

Baking soda and citric acid

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is the main ingredient, and citric acid is need to activate the soda. Both materials in conjunction create the lovely fizzing reaction when homemade bath bombs come in contact with water.

Dried milk powder

The bath bombs get their moisturisingqualities from the addition of powdered milk. The milk fat and proteins make your skin feel soft and nourished. Furthermore, the lactic acid, a mild alpha hydroxy acid, gently exfoliates the skin while you soak.

For vegan bath bombs, sub for coconut milk powder.

Colloidal oatmeal (bathing oatmeal)

Colloidal oatmeal or bath oatmeal is finely milled oatmeal that dissolves in the bath and makes the water soft and silky. The natural saponins in colloidal oatmeal act as a gentle cleanser. This product is also anti-inflammatory and a skin-softening emollient that can help to reduce redness, irritation and is beneficial to soothe eczema.

Isopropyl alcohol

We have to add a liquid to shape the bath bombs. A neutral alcohol with high alcohol content,  such as Isopropyl alcohol, does this job best. 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.

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. To use essential oils safely in bath bombs, an emulsifier has to be used that dilutes the essential oils in the bath.

I used Natrasorb Bath, which is a modified tapioca starch, to stabilize the bath bomb mixture and as an emulsifying agent for the essential oils. The product can absorb large amounts of essential oils, which are released and dispersed once the bath starch comes in contact with water.

This powder emulsifier is a natural alternative to Polysorbate 80 and very useful for bath bombs as it creates little ‘pockets’ that bind the essential oils in a dry powder form. It also gives the bathwater a silky smooth feel but doesn’t leave a film.

Soap colourant

A few drops blue soap colour gives these moisturizing bath bombs a lovely light blue hue, perfect for winter bath bombs. I tinted my easy DIY bath bomb recipe with a hue from this set of liquid soap colours. This colourant is very potent so use only tiny amounts. The colours are suitable for many homemade bath projects so you can repurpose them for other beauty DIYs.

If you want truly all-natural bath bombs, skip the colourant.

Snowflake mould

We need a silicone snowflake mould to shape the wintery Christmas bath bombs. The recipes makes around 10 bath bombs  and the moulds I bought on Amazon have 6 cavities and came in a set of two. which is perfect to form all bath bombs at same time.

Of course, you can also use sphere bath bomb moulds to form your bath bombs. Check the instructions in my aromatherapy bath bomb DIY to see how to use round bath bomb moulds.

Essential oils for dry winter skin

You can add up to 5 g / 0.18 oz / 100 drops essential oils to this bath bomb recipe. Lavender is very gentle and a wonderful choice for dry skin. Peppermint smells very refreshing and is perfect for Christmas bath bombs. And if you like to try something new, make my hydrating essential oil blend!

Not only will the essential oils moisturise and condition dry skin, but they also give the holiday bath bombs a wonderful and refreshing scent. Here is what we need to make a moisturizing essential oil blend for dry skin:

• bergamot mint – Bergamot mint is the gentlest mint essential oil for skincare. It has a clean, minty scent and a slight cooling effect.
• manuka – Manuka essential oils restores moisture in the skin and its calming, herbaceous scent pairs well with the other EOs.
• palamrosa – Palmarosa has a fresh, floral smell and excellent skin-balancing properties, suitable for all skin types.

This essential oil blend is safe for kids.

As always, if you are pregnant, have sensitive skin or a health condition, consult with a health care provider about the safe use of essential oils. By the way, bath bombs without essential oils are still plenty of fun.

How to make bath bombs in a silicone mould – Step-by-Step Tutorial

Ready to learn how to make moisturizing bath bombs with milk powder and oats? Making bath bombs in a mould seems fancy, but I promise it’s easy! DIY snowflake bath bombs takes just 30 minutes of active time and the rest is drying time – no work needed.

Here are the steps for how to make bath bombs in a silicone mould:

Make the bath bomb mixture

Sieve the baking soda, citric acid, milk powder and colloidal oats into a large mixing bowl.

Mix together the Natrasorb Bath and essential oils in a separate mixing bowl, then whisk into the other dry ingredients.

Optionally add a few drops liquid soap colourant and incorporate well – a little goes a long way! If no colour is used, the moisturizing bath bombs will be white.

Spritz the bath bomb mixture with alcohol, a little at a time, and incorporate well before adding more. Don’t add too much liquid at once as the citric acid and baking soda will start to fizz and bubble. Avoid breathing in the alcohol and keep the working area well ventilated.

Break down any lumps. The bath bomb mixture should have the look and consistency of damp sand and keep its shape when pressed it in your hands.

Fill the silicone mould

Fill the bath bomb mould 1/3 with mixture and press firmly down. Pay special to the edges of the shape and to the prongs. You really want to compress the mixture tightly into the mould to get compact bath bombs and a crisp snowflake design.

Keep adding and packing bath bomb mixture until the mould is 1/2 full. I only filled the cavities half-full as the bath bombs will be huge otherwise.

Tip: Isopropyl alcohol evaporates quickly, so you may have to continually add more to ensure that the bath bomb mixture has the right consistency.

Dry the bath bombs

Let the bath bombs dry in the mold for a couple of hours or overnight. Leave the mould uncovered so that the alcohol can evaporate. Don’t put the snowflake bath bombs in the refrigerator as the moisture from the fridge can cause a premature fizzing reaction. A dry, dark place is best.

Unmould the bath bombs

To unmould the bath bombs, gently pull the silicone mould away from the bath bomb. Then carefully push the snowflake bath bombs out of the mould. And there you have it: beautiful moisturizing snowflake bath bombs.

Bath  bomb gifts – A unique homemade Christmas gift idea

These moisturizing bath bombs are a beautiful homemade Christmas gift idea and a lovely present all winter long. You can package the bath bombs in little gift boxes, treat bags, or organza bags. Pop on a gift tag and your handmade holiday gift is ready to go.

How to use snowflake bath bombs

Add one or two bath bombs in the bottom of your shower or in your warm bathtub to create fizz and bubbles and to release the fragrance.

How to store homemade bath bombs

Store the moisturizing bath bombs in an airtight container, away from heat and humidity as water can cause the bombs to lose their fizziness. Bath bombs with milk powder can be kept for up to 2 months.

More DIY bath bomb recipes

Want more homemade bath bomb recipes? Try these milk and honey bath bombs, aromatherapy bath bombs for sleep, bath bombs with pink Himalayan salt, fall bath bomb recipes or these cute lavender bath scoops.

More homemade winter skincare ideas

Whether you need more winter skincare ideas or just enjoy making natural products, the following homemade beauty recipes will make your skin looking and feeling great!

Bath & Body:

• Hawaiian black lava bath salt with cornflower and hibiscus
• moisturizing melt & pour soap for dry skin
• body lotion for dry skin with cornflower and chamomile

Face:

• 6 blue clay mask recipes
• exfoliating cleansing balm with jojoba beads
• hydrating eye cream with birch sap
• lip repair cream with berry wax and pomegranate seed oil
• face moisturiser for dry and sensitive skin

Over to you!

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Irena xx