Valentine Bath Bombs (Rose Hearts, Makes 6)

Valentine bath bombs are an easy February gift, and they are among the simplest bath bombs to make, because a silicone heart mold does the hard work that a two-part metal sphere normally makes tricky. These are soft pink hearts, coloured with beetroot powder, scented gently with rose geranium and a touch of vanilla, and each one has a few dried rose petals pressed into the top. One batch makes six, enough for a small box or two, and they take about half an hour plus a day to dry.

If you have never made bath bombs, the planned how to make bath bombs guide explains the basics in more depth.

How do you make Valentine bath bombs?

1Gather the ingredients

Bath bombs differ from shower steamers in two ways: they carry less essential oil, because you sit in the water, and they add a little oil and Epsom salt to soften the bath. Beetroot powder gives a soft pink that does not stain the tub the way red dye can.

2Whisk the dry ingredients

Whisk one cup of baking soda, half a cup of citric acid, half a cup of cornstarch, half a cup of Epsom salt and one to two teaspoons of beetroot powder until evenly pink. Break up any lumps; a lump of citric acid leaves a crater in the finished heart.

3Melt the oil and add the scent

Melt two and a half tablespoons of coconut oil, let it cool for a minute, and stir in twelve drops of rose geranium and six drops of a vanilla fragrance oil made for bath products. That is about three drops per bath bomb, the right amount for something you soak in.

4Stir the oil into the powder

Pour the oil in slowly while stirring, then rub the mixture between your fingers to spread it evenly. It will start to clump. Mist with witch hazel, one or two sprays at a time, mixing between, until a squeezed handful holds its shape like damp sand.

5Press into the heart mold over petals

Scatter a few rose petals into the bottom of each heart first; they end up on top of the finished bath bomb. Overfill each cavity, press very firmly, paying attention to the point of the heart, then top up and press again. Hearts are thicker than steamers, so they need more pressure.

6Dry and wrap

Leave the hearts in the mold for at least 24 hours, 48 in a humid kitchen, then flex the mold and push each one out from underneath. Wrap them in tissue or a plain box, and keep them somewhere dry until Valentine’s Day. They are best used within two months.

How do you use a Valentine bath bomb?

Drop one into a full, warm bath and watch it fizz; the petals float to the surface. It fizzes for a minute or two and leaves the water soft, faintly pink and lightly scented. The oil makes the tub slippery, so take care getting out, and a small sieve over the drain catches the petals.

Why beetroot instead of red dye?

Strong red dyes and pink micas can stain grout, towels and the tub, and red food colouring is mostly water, which sets off the fizz in the bowl. Beetroot powder is dry and gentle, gives a soft dusty pink, and rinses away easily. It fades in bright light over a few weeks, which is another reason to make these close to the day. My food coloring vs mica guide compares colourants in detail.

Can you make them without a heart mold?

Yes. A round silicone mold, a muffin tray lined with silicone cups, or even a small heart-shaped cookie cutter pressed on a sheet of baking paper all work. With a cutter, pack the mixture in firmly, leave it in place for an hour, then lift the cutter gently and let the heart dry where it sits. The shape is a little softer at the edges, but the bath is exactly the same.

Scent ideas

Keep to about eighteen drops in total. Rose and Vanilla, as written, is soft and romantic. Lavender and Vanilla: 12 lavender, 6 vanilla fragrance, for a calmer evening bath. Sweet Orange and Cocoa: 18 sweet orange with a teaspoon of cocoa powder in place of the beetroot, for a chocolate-orange heart. Unscented: just the petals, for sensitive skin.

Gifting them

Six hearts fit neatly in a small box lined with tissue, each one wrapped separately. Add a small card that says they are for the bath, not for eating; pink hearts with rose petals look a lot like sweets, so keep them away from children and pets. Paired with a few bath melts or bath truffles, they make a lovely small spa box. The bath bomb gift set has more packaging ideas, the bath bomb molds guide covers other shapes, and the Christmas bath bombs use the same method. More seasonal ideas are in the gifts hub.