It’s a talking hat that can see deep into our soul to determine what drives you and your core characteristics. It then uses that to assign you to the perfect house. It might be an intimidating moment when first years step up and put on the Sorting Hat, but from that moment forward their House becomes their family at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What better way to wrap up our week of Harry Potter Bath Bombs, than to create a bath bomb that actually looks like the beloved Sorting Hat!
Sorting Hat Bath Bomb Recipe
What you will discover in this article!
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A few months ago we created a Cauldron Bath Bomb that had a house colour reveal. It was our version of a Sorting Hat bath bomb that was super easy and fun for kids to make.
But there was a complaint from the kids, it didn’t look like the Sorting Hat!
So when we discovered a Sorting Hat silicone mold, I knew we had to make a bath bomb that actually looked like the Sorting Hat.
Now this bath bomb does not have a house reveal. To have a house reveal really POP, you need the outer layers to be white so they don’t muddy the colours. Instead we decided to make our Sorting Hat bath bomb brown like the hat in the books and movies.
To add a little extra Harry Potter magic we also added Butterbeer scent! And trust me, these smell magical, just like it was freshly brewed by Madam Rosmerta herself!
Want a delicious Butterbeer treat? Try our Butterbeer Fudge! Sooooo good!
Sorting Hat Bath Bombs Recipe
2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid
1/4 Epsom salts
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tbsp polysorbate 80
1 tsp butterbeer fragrance (adjust as desired)
Brown mica powder (approx. 1 tsp, increase if you prefer a darker colour)
1 tsp Brown cosmetic glitter *
Sorting Hat mold
1 large mixing bowl
1 microwave safe bowl or cup
To GLITTER Or Not Glitter
Some people love the magical touch of a bit of glitter in their bath bombs, but I know all of us are well aware of the need to protect our environment and glitter is one of those contentious issues. When making bath bombs you can use cosmetic glitter, or you can chose a biodegradable glitter. Both versions are linked below. You can also leave out the glitter from this recipe entirely. The choice is yours.
HOW TO MAKE SORTING HAT BATH BOMBS
In a large bowl, add the baking soda, citric acid, Epsom salts and cornstarch. Mix the dry ingredients together with a spoon or your hands. Use caution so the dry ingredients don’t become airborne. Citric acid can be very irritating if it becomes airborne from overly enthusiastic pouring or stirring.
In a microwave safe container, melt the coconut oil in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between. You want the oil to just become liquid. Don’t let it boil!
Add the butterbeer fragrance and polysorbate 80 to the oil and stir to blend.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and start to mix it all together. Use your hands to break down any lumps and make sure everything is really mixed in there. You may want to use gloves. The mixture is perfect when it holds together when you press it into your hands and feels like wet sand.
Add 1 teaspoon each of the brown mica and brown glitter (if desired) and continue working the mix with your hands until the colour is evenly distributed. Add a bit more mica if you prefer a darker brown.
Tip! Prep the mold for easy release
Spritz the molds with a little bit of vegetable oil, then wipe it around to leave a thin layer over the whole inside of the mold. This really helps when it comes time to remove the bath bomb from the mold.
Pack the mixture into the molds. Press down firmly to ensure it is nicely packed in but ensure there is no cracking. Spritz with rubbing alcohol if it starts to crack and dry out too much during the mold filling process.
Leave the bath bombs to harden in the molds for 48 hours in a warm, dry location.
Once they are hard to the touch (leave longer if they are not hard after 48 hours). it is time to remove them from the molds. To release, place a large plate or cutting board over the bottom of the mold and flip over. GENTLY tap all the different parts of the mold. Slowly lift up. If any bath bombs are still in the cavity, gently tap 1-2 times to release. Be careful, you don’t want to break your Sorting Hats! But if you do, the pieces will still erupt! We always have a bin of broken bits and the kids love adding them to their bath.
Potions Class Lesson – Why Bath Bombs Fizz
We love having Potions Class with the kids and bath bombs are the perfect topic for a potions lesson! They have this magical ability to erupt and fizz all the the addition of simple water. It seems crazy but there is some really cool chemistry behind the bath bomb fizz.
Baking Soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a weak alkaline (base). Citric acid is found every day in citrus fruits and is a weak acid. In their dry state these acids and bases are stable and don’t react, but once they are exposed to water they undergo a chemical reaction known as a neutralization reaction. One of the results of this neutralization is CO2 gas (carbon dioxide). This is what forms the bubbles and fizz.
Check out our Bath Bomb Science Fair Project explore the effect of water temperature on fizz.
Another important ingredient in our bath bomb potion is Polysorbate 80. As we know, oil and water do not mix. The oil floats on the top. We need a magical ingredient that will make the oils and water mix so the colours, fragrances and coconut oil disperse throughout the water. If they don’t we end up with a layer floating on top sticking to everything. This ingredient is called an emulsifier and for bath bombs we use the emulsifier Polysorbate 80.
