How to make bath bombs

34 years ago, in 1989, Lush co-founder Mo Constantine invented the first ever bath bomb. Since that day, we’ve created over 400 different designs and sold over 300 million of our brilliant bath bombs globally.

But what really goes into creating Lush bath bombs, aside from all-natural ingredients like sugar, spice and all things nice? We’re here to give you a peek behind the scenes.

Here’s the inside scoop on our business of fizzness:

Step 1. Mixing our base of sodium bicarbonate with citric acid with fantastic fragrances and creative colours, as well as any luminous lustre if the mood calls for some sparkle.

Step 2. Once it’s all mixed up, we move on to our pressing table. This is where we’ll add any hidden surprises or delightful extras to our bath bombs.

Step 3. We add our mixture to the moulds and hand press them, which means no two bath bombs are the same!

Step 4. We say the super secret magic words and shimmy the sacred bath bomb shake to cap off our creations! In other words, we have some trade secrets. But doesn’t a little mystery make things more exciting?

A generous dollop of handmade enthusiasm

Mo Constantine hand-pressed the very first bath bomb in her garden shed over three decades ago and we haven’t looked back since.

The physical process of creating bath bombs is, literally, in the hands of compounders rather than machines—allowing our Lushies to gain the skills and expertise to grow within the business. And, with a huge range to choose from, each Lush bath bomb is as unique and creative as the people who make them.

A pinch of trial and error

All our bath bombs start out as a base of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, but we love to push the boundaries of bathing by mixing in spectacular aromas, vivid colors, skin-nourishing ingredients and extra special surprises.

Bold choices can lead to fantastic flops, but we’d never have found our way to the technicolored waters of Intergalactic or shimmering florals of Goddess if not for a little experimentation.

It’s all about dreaming big, making mistakes and trying again in order to make innovative magic.

One large scoop of community

The Lush community has always been the driving force behind the products we make. We wouldn’t be where we are today without our customers, as your stories and feedback have inspired new products, campaigns and conversations.

From the good, the bad and the bubbly, the diverse range of feedback from our community helps us shape our decisions so we can continue to grow together.

Endless heaps of ethically- sourced ingredients

When it comes to high quality, ethically- sourced ingredients, Lush bath bombs rise to the top. We’ve created a range of bath bombs to suit every need, using fresh ingredients that are sustainably sourced from across the globe—like fair trade cocoa butter, plastic-free glitter and flowers grown with permaculture techniques to name just a few.

We work directly with our suppliers and visit them regularly, ensuring we’re practising the most ethical form of sourcing possible. We’re proud to ensure Lush suppliers help protect wildlife, support local communities, stand against animal testing and much, much more. Lush’s strict Ethical Buying policy means we pack our products with fresh ingredients of the highest quality while safeguarding the land and communities we source them from.

Do you still have burning questions? Want to know when bath bombs expire? Are you curious as to what the first bath bomb called? Wondering how many licks does it take to get to the centre of a bath bomb? The answer to that last one is none. Don’t lick them.

But for all your remaining inquiries, you can read Breaking Down The Bath Bomb or reach out to our Customer Care team online or by visiting your local Lush. We’ll be more than happy to talk all about bath bombs.