A beginner’s guide to blooming bath bomb colourants
If you’ve ever struggled with speckly colours or uneven mixes, blooming could be the trick you’re missing.
It’s a simple technique that helps dyes spread evenly through your product, giving a professional, polished finish. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.
What Is Blooming? 🌸
The long and short of it is: blooming is when you pre-colour your Sodium Bicarbonate, usually with a dye. You can also get away with using more water to really make those colours pop!
However, you will need to let your mixture fully dry before using it, so it must be prepared a few days in advance.
How to Bloom: Step by Step 🧪
1. Take a small bowl or cup.
2. Add your chosen dye.
3. Mix in a tiny splash of your binder (we suggest alcohol or water).
4. Stir until the colour forms a smooth, concentrated wet paste/liquid
5. Add this paste to dry Bicarbonate of Soda and mix really well.
Why Blooming Works ✨
Blooming stops clumps of pigment from showing up in your mix.
It gives you brighter, more even colour that holds its pop once it hits the water. It can also reduce speckling, meaning your final product looks more uniform.
Pro Tips for Blooming 🎨
- Use just enough liquid to dissolve the dye. The more water you add, the longer it will take to dry again! Adding dampness into your recipe can make the mix fizz (activate) early.
- Try blooming two colours separately, then mix them together for unique shades.
- Save blooming for dyes, as micas and neons usually don’t need it.
- Pre-make large batches of bloomed (dyed) bicarb in different colours. After they are fully dry, put them into an airtight container, labelled and out of sunlight. Don’t forget to record the batch numbers you used!
- If you have the space to store bloomed bicarb, this could be the hack for you 🪄
Adding this extra step doesn’t take long, but some people swear that it makes a huge difference to the look of your products. But love it or hate it, blooming isn’t for everyone. Give it a go and see what you think.