How to Dry Bath Bombs Quickly: (Oven, Fridge, Freezer, Kaolin Clay)

If you’re making bath bombs at home, then you’ll know that it can take a few days for them to fully dry. But there are ways of speeding up the drying process so they’re ready in no time! This blog post is aimed at those who want to make their own bath bombs and includes advice on oven drying times as well as humidity.

The best way to dry your bath bombs quickly is to let them sit for 4-8 hours and then give them maybe 2 hours on the lowest heat in the oven. If you put bath bombs in the oven too early and with too much heat they will expand and crumble on removal

The oven is not the only option but can help in humid climates, so let’s take a look at various other methods of making the perfect quick drying bath bombs at home.

Using less water and oil will help

You of course do need at least oil [for scent and binding] as well as water [to assist with the mix] to make a bath bomb, but use too much and you will find you drying process will be elongated with few resolutions to speeding the process up.

Try to use the absolute minimum amounts required, just a few drops off essential oil, and add witch hazel instead of water if possible for the final mixing and packing process.

The less moisture in the mix, the quicker your bath bombs will dry. If you can avoid force drying, it is a good thing. When evaporating the moisture within the bath bomb at a quicker rate than would be normal, you run the risk of the bath bomb expanding, cracking and crumbling as the outer area dries mu quicker than the inner.

Imagine, use too much heat and the moisture in the middle is going to be trying to escape quickly and has to force a way out.

How Long to Dry

How long it takes for your homemade bath bomb to dry will depend on the method you use.

1. Air Drying = 6-8 hours overnight
2. Oven Drying = <1 Hour

The ideal time to allow a homemade bath bomb to dry is overnight in the air. Air Drying will take 6-8 hours to fully harden whereas drying in the oven can bring that tie down significantly to around 1 hour.

Oven drying is only recommended if you need to dry your bath bombs quickly for a specific reason, or if you live in a humid climate.

Air drying is preferred as this does not ‘force’ dry’ the moisture, which can produce stability problems with the finished product.

Oven Drying

Oven drying a bath bomb does not mean cooking it!!, Don’t have the heat to high as this will evaporate the moisture too quickly. The outside of the bomb will seal and harden far quickler than the center. The moisture in the center will super heat and need to escape. The mot likely outcome in this scenario is the bath bomb expanding and raising like a life of bread, and you’ll get the same results with the surface cracking and crumbling to allow the heated moisture out.

If using the oven to dry your bath bombs, pre heat to the lowest temperature. When at temperature, switch the oven off and place the bath bombs inside for 45 minute to 1 hour as the oven cools.

Air Drying

The preferred method of bath bomb drying is setting aside in the air to dry for a full 24 hours. Drier climates may be ok after 6-8 hours, but do not wrap within 24 hours to avoid sealing any remaining moisture in the packaging.

What to dry Bath bombs on

Setting your bath bombs aside on a tray with some parchment paper to dry will suffice, but if you can use a tray with a baking soda base [like a sand pit], will provide a softer base on which to stand them. This can also help with drawing out some moisture too.

Setting on a soft surface can also prevent a little falttening on the base of the products.

If you have to leave them on a hard surface to dry, giving the bath bombs a turn every few hours will also be helpful in keeping them as spherical as you can

Fridge

I do know from some bath bomb groups that placing them in the fridge in hot climates has been used.

For me, unless you have a dedicated fridge for the purpose, it wouldn’t be my preferred method, especially if they are strong scented. Essential oil fragrances are pretty powerful and I wouldn’t personally want any of that fragrance to transfer to foodstuff.

The one exception to this rule would be if you have made bath bombs with coconut oil which will solidify at low tempretures. But then again, you will probably only need a few minutes at most and the freezer could be the better option

Freezer

The freezer is an alternative method for placing your bath bombs once made. This is only an option if you have used coconut oil or another carrier oil that will harden at lower temperature.

It doesn’t dry the bath bomb out any quicker but does harden them

Kaolin Clay

Kaolin clay as one of th ingredient is a good way to avoid having to place your bath bombs in the oven, fridge or freezer to dry and harden.

Kaolin clay will provide you with a far more stable bath bomb for the hardening/drying process but comes at a cost which will have to be factored into the total cost of making bath bombs, and especially if selling in your bath bomb business.

It is a powdered product, so will still ned oil and water to complete the mic before molding and setting to dry.

Kaolin clay is a natural product, mined from the earth.

It is a finely ground clay with high levels of kaolinite and other minerals which provide its properties that have been used as an ingredient in china, porcelain, paints, rubber and many other products.

Humidity

Humidity is one of the biggest problems for DIY bath bomb makers. And not just high humidity but low humidity can cause problems with the mix drying too quickly before placing in molds.

Humidity can be a confusing factor in the production, and I have a complete article on ways to control and monitor your personal humidity, which I recommend reading in any case.

Summary

After the effort of sourcing and mixing your bath bomb ingredients, shaping them in the mold and removing to dry, the final process of crating the perfect product is often overlooked.

If you have been having some problems with drying your bath bombs and found this artile because of that, I hope you find your solution to more stable bath bombs by using one of these processes during the drying period