Bubble Bath Ingredients

Many people are beginning to discover the joys of making their own bubble bath at home; the challenge of trying something new, combined with the sense of satisfaction and pride derived from making something from scratch, makes this a popula hobby among all types of people.



However, if you are new to the arena of making your own homemade bath products, and don't know where to start, you may be wondering what actually goes into a batch of bubble bath.



There are three basic ingredients in common liquid bubble bath. The first of these is liquid soap; the most common variety of liquid soap used for bubble bath is Castile soap. The term "Castile soap" means any soap that is made primarily from olive oil, but it is also erroneously used to refer to almost any soap that is made from vegetable oils (as opposed to lard or other animal fats).



Liquid or solid Castile soap can be used to make liquid bubble bath; if the soap is solid, it must be melted before being mixed with the other ingredients, but this is an easy process because Castile soap is usually quite soft.



The next ingredient in all homemade liquid bubble bath is glycerin. Glycerin is a natural byproduct of the soap-making process; it is one of the compounds that is released during saponification (when sodium hydroxide lye combines with water and oils to make soap).



Commercial soap-makers usually remove the glycerin from their products and sell it separately because it is valuable, and will profit them more if it is sold on its own than if it stays in the soap. This is unfortunate, because glycerin is a powerful moisturizer and skin conditioner, and when it is removed from commercial soap, the result is a dry, irritating and harsh detergent.



The glycerin is sometimes replaced with synthetic humectants or other moisturizing ingredients, but they are never as good for skin as the pure glycerin. People who make their own bubble bath almost always add glycerin to their products because it's so good for skin, and leaves skin feeling soft and nourished after a relaxing bubble bath.



The third ingredient in homemade bubble bath is the simplest: water. Most bubble bath-makers prefer not to use tap water, as it contains minerals and other impurities which can alter the quality or longevity of bubble bath once it is made and stored.





For the purpose of making personal care products, most people prefer to use distilled or filtered water, as it is pure and not as wasteful as bottled water.



These are the basic ingredients necessary for making homemade bubble bath, but there are a variety of additives that can be included to customize your bath products and make them truly special. Essential oils, colorants and other extras will add your personal touch, and enable you to make a wide variety of products, each of which is tailored to your tastes, or those of the people for whom you make the products.