Treat yo’self! This is one of the most cliche parts of self-care for moms, but honestly it’s a cliche for a good reason. So rather than fighting it, I decided to lean it and make some Mother’s Night bath bombs. So take a fancy bath, read a book or do whatever brings you a little joy this holiday season. These also make great gifts for other stressed out moms. To make it even easier you could just add the herbs to some epsom salt and make bath salts without the bomb or the drying time. A little more about the ingredients: evergreen is a powerful symbol of long life and the Winter Solstice season. Rose reminds us to practice self love. Chamomile grants patience, wisdom and long life. Linden soothes and relaxes. Motherwort is kind of the mother herb, steady and strong gifting mothering and resiliance. Yarrow is the warrior herb, named for Achilles the greek hero. (Achillea millefolium) Not only are mothers warriors, but as it turns out, Achilles himself was granted his invulnerability when dipped in the river Styx by his mother, because of course he was. You can add some dissolving paper affirmations in the center of your bombs to remind yourself about just how great you are.
Mother’s Night Self Care Bath Bombs
I chose the herbs in this recipe with the intention of supporting mothers, if you don’t like any of them, or don’t have the time/ desire to aquire more herbs, use whatever you like. This is about you after all!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup baking soda
- ½ cup citric acid
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup powered milk (or powdered coconut milk)
- pinch of rose petals
- pinch of chamomile
- pinch of linden
- pinch of motherwort
- pinch of yarrow
- ¼ cup epsom salt
- 2 tsp shea butter
- 1 TBS honey
- 1 TBS apricot seed oil (or whatever you prefer)
- 1 tsp rose or evergreen essential oil
- small spray bottle with water or witch hazel*
- rose molds
- evergreen branches
- tealights
Method:
Mix all of the dry ingredients (baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch, powdered milk, epsom salt, and herbs) in a large bowl with a whisk.
Add the shea butter, honey and apricot seed oil to a heatproof container and microwave just until the shea is almost melted. Stir to combine. (You can also do this over a double boiler if you prefer.)
Quickly add the oil mixture and the essential oils to the dry mixture while stirring with a whisk. You want combine everything while also not setting off the reaction of the baking soda/ citric acid which happens in the presence of moisture.
Next take your little mister bottle and spritz/ stir the bath bomb mixture until it is just wet enough that when you squeeze a clump it sticks together, sort of like wet sand. I know the spray bottle seems a little silly, I thought it was the first time I saw someone suggest it, but it really makes this so much easier.
Pack the wet sand mixture into a rose mold. (This makes 5-6 standard sized bombs)
Allow the bombs to dry for a few days before taking them out of the mold to dry completely.
On bath night add some evergreen branches, tea lights and a bath bomb or two to a warm bath. Enjoy and relax!
