How to Make Homemade Bubble Bath With 2 Ingredients
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A homemade bubble bath is an excellent easy, and inexpensive way to pamper yourself at home. It also makes a fabulous DIY to do with your kids that they will love using too!
So, let’s get started!
What is the best way to make a bubble bath?One of the easiest ways to make a homemade bubble bath is with castile soap. This is a versatile ingredient and can be used for so many things! It is excellent in foaming hand soap and is super concentrated, so a little goes a long way.
You can easily mix up a batch of DIY bubble bath and keep it under your sink, so it’s ready to go whenever you’re craving some relaxing bubbles.
One of the great things about this homemade bubble bath recipe is how cost-effective it is! So even if your kids dump the entire bottle in at one time, you’ll be completely chill about it because it’s no big deal to whip up another batch. And then maybe next time you’ll store it in smaller kid-sized bottles 😉
What ingredient makes bubble bath bubbly?
It’s not one ingredient but two that make homemade bubble bath bubbly! The combination of glycerin and soap makes for a super bubbly bath.
Fair warning: if you’re looking for those conventional, giant-sized bubbles in your bath, you may be disappointed.
Many conventional bubble baths have chemical bubbling agents added to make those crazy giant bubbles. In my experience, a naturally made bubble bath will NOT be as bubbly as the bubble bath of your childhood.
The culprit is sodium laureth sulfate or some similar derivative of this surfactant ingredient. Maybe you’ve heard of it; it’s gotten a lot of flak for its use as a bubbling agent in products like shampoo and…..you guessed it – bubble bath. It has been known to irritate the skin, the opposite of what you want in a relaxing bath.
But don’t worry, there is good news! You can still have a wonderfully bubbly and relaxing bath by using just a few natural ingredients.
When making bubble bath, it is important to use a glycerin-soap mixture because it’s the combo that creates a bubbly bath. Glycerin is a natural humectant, and soapy water combined with it makes a sudsy bath.
Bubble Bath Variations
Lavender Buds – add one tablespoon of dried lavender flowers to your bath for an herbal bath experience you will love! Just be sure to clean out the lavender flowers when you’re finished, so they don’t clog the drain. Feel free to use any herb you prefer instead of lavender: rose petals, chamomile, calendula, or green tea would all be excellent additions.
Lavender tea – instead of adding lavender flowers right to your bath, you can pre-brew a lavender ‘tea’ and add it directly to your bathwater. To do this, use ¼ cup of lavender flowers with 2 cups of hot water. Let lavender infuse for at least 10 minutes, then strain out the flowers. Pour the lavender tea into your bath for a double-lavender bubble bath.
Honey – add ¼ cup of honey to the mix for an extra nourishing bath! Honey is excellent for the skin and acts as a humectant, meaning it draws moisture into the skin. Glycerin has the same effect, so honey + glycerin + castile soap = bubbles, moisture, and ahhhhhhh.
Essential Oils – I’ve added lavender to my main recipe, but you can vary the essential oil based on your personal preference. I love to use a relaxing blend like this one, or make sure to use something kid-friendly if you have littles using the bubble bath.
Epsom Salt – add ½ cup of Epsom salt to your bath water before adding the bubble bath and stir it around to dissolve. Epsom salts help detox the body and are high in magnesium, supporting relaxation. Try an Epsom salt bath to relieve nasal congestion!
What Can I Use Instead of Bubble Bath?
When you’re itching for a relaxing bath but don’t have any bubble bath on hand, you may be tempted to try shampoo or body wash as an alternative. After all, they get bubbly and clean, right?
I don’t recommend shampoo as an alternative to bubble bath since it is specially formulated for hair and scalp, not your entire body. Using shampoo all over your body can dry out your skin, especially if you do it frequently.
Body wash may be a decent replacement, but it will likely not get as bubbly as a homemade bubble bath. Do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle of castile soap and glycerin so you can whip up a batch of bubble bath at a moment’s notice.
Or check out these alternatives that you don’t have to DIY 😉
Best Natural Bubble Bath Brands
I’ve tried these two bubble bath brands with my kids and had good results. These are natural brands with no harsh ingredients I try to avoid in personal care products, like artificial surfactants, sulfates, parabens, fragrances, or colorants.
These bubble baths won’t create those giant bubbles of your childhood dreams, but they’re chemical-free and gentle on the skin.
Alaffia bubble bath – I like this bubble bath with shea butter from Alaffia because it’s unscented with a good ingredient list and comes in a BIG bottle. You can expect a moderate amount of bubbles from this bubble bath. Since it’s unscented, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to customize your bubble bath!
Everyone 3-in-1 comes in a BIG jug, is gentle on skin, and adds some bubbles to a bath! It can be used all over the body AND as a shampoo as well (my kids use it as shampoo, although I’ve never tried it). This has a mild scent that is not too overpowering, which I appreciate.
More Ways to Have a Relaxing Bath
You don’t have to stop at a bubble bath for a relaxing bath experience! Why not try one of these DIY bath recipes and up your bath game.
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