’Tis the season of gift exchanges, twinkly lights, and hot chocolate. As students, though, our all-consuming studies intrude on this joyful season, leaving little time to find the perfect gift amid exams and essays. For those short on time, a quicker alternative to buying the right gift is often making it. Bath bombs are a trendy, enjoyable, and easily homemade gift to win the hearts of everybody on your Christmas list this year.

DIY Detonator

Yields one bath bomb.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup baking soda

• ¼ cup corn starch

• ¼ cup citric acid*

• ¼ cup Epsom salt

• 1 to 1 ½ tsp. water

• 1 tsp. essential oil, any scent

• 1 ¼ tsp. coconut oil

• 1-2 drops food colouring (optional)

You will need:

• Two medium-sized mixing bowls

• A cupcake tray

*If you cannot find citric acid, then you can use lemon juice, but it will not be as fizzy.

Instructions:

1. In the first mixing bowl, combine the baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Mix together thoroughly.

2. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave or on the stove, in order to combine it more easily with the other wet ingredients.  

3. Mix the melted coconut oil in with the citric acid, water, essential oil, and food colouring in the other mixing bowl.

4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, but make sure to do so slowly. You do not want to encounter any activation, such as fizzing or bubbling.  

5. As you are mixing, if the ingredients do not stick together, add in water until they do.  

6. Fill the cupcake tray with the mixture.  

7. Let the bath bombs sit overnight in the refrigerator.  

8. The next morning, using hot water, warm the outside of the cupcake tray to gently remove the bath bombs in one piece.

9. Once the bath bombs are ready to go, wrap them however you please.

Recipe adapted from A Beautiful Mess.