DIY Shower Steamers

Shower steamers / shower bombs are *AWESOME*! 😄 put them in the bath tub corner out of direct water, and when water splashes it fizzing starts and fragrance explodes- your shower turns into an aromatherapy spa!

I like to whip up some shower steamers with new fragrance oils I get so that I know how much I like the scent before I turn it into a soap/candle/perfume/etc. Here's some messy pics of my work station (lol) and how I keep my steamers organized in a cute basket on my bathroom toilet.

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My Recipe: 2 parts baking soda, 1 part citric acid, 1/4 part cornstarch, 1/4part kaolin clay, fragrance, pinch of crushed menthol crystals

(I make small batches so for me "part"= tbsp)

The cornstarch and kaolin clay help hold the scent and make the steamer last longer. I think they're important ingredients but I've seen other crafters skip using them 🤷

Directions: Mix everything but add the citric acid in very last, and then lightly spray witch hazel and squeeze with your hands trying to make clumps. Repeat spray-squeeze until you get it clumping. You want to use as little witch hazel as possible!! When it starts clumping you press the mixture into your molds. 

Use a hard plastic mold- ice cube trays work, I like little plastic clam shells (like packaging for wax melts, I ordered mine from Maple Street Candle Company), or plastic candy/soap molds. Don't use silicone molds they're too soft. You can use tin muffin pans but the steamers are harder to remove and might break. You can use bath bomb molds and presses, too.

Let's talk about menthol crystals~

Using menthol crystals will help clear your sinuses, but you don't have to use them if you don't want to. I don't use menthol with any food/sweet scents.

Also, a little menthol goes a long way!! LOL 

If you're using peppermint essential oil then there's menthol already in there, don't add menthol.

Epsom salts are not menthol crystals. I've seen other crafters online use Epsom salts instead of menthol crystals... But I have never tried it.

Let's talk about fragrance~

Only use skin safe fragrance oil or essential oil.

 Don't use alcohol-based fragrances.

Vanilla fragrances can turn your product a brownish color- beware!

If the fragrance oil you use is colored then it will dye your steamers that color. Consider that when deciding if you want to add additional colors (sometimes mixing colors gets ugly).

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Let's talk colors~

Don't use too much dye pigment or it can 

stain your tub!

Beware: when you mix in color pigment the color won't show up immediately- after the shower steamer dries in the mold the color darkens. So don't worry while you're mixing ingredients! You don't have to overdo the color!

I mostly use TKB micas. I've also used eyeshadow as pigment (hey, it's skin safe! haha), but I have not tried using food coloring. Dye isn't necessary for a shower steamer, it's optional. Unless color "brings you joy" then it's a waste of money.

Problem: they blew up in the molds 😂

If your shower steamers look like fluffy clouds then you made them too wet and the citric acid activated (use less witch hazel next time). It's ok, try  to press them back down and let them harden.

You do not have to trash them, they're still usable!

 They just won't fizz when water hits them- so it will give off scent but there's no fizz to push the scent into the air (use your hands to wave the scent around). 

If you have a shelf in your shower put the steamer there instead of side of the tub.