A bath bomb adds emollients and softeners to your bath water that moisturize and satisfy your skin. No matter what your skin type is, the beneficial ingredients of bath bombs leave it soft, supple and silky. Yes, it will cleanse your skin, but the ingredients in it will also pamper and soothe it. But as far as your skin is concerned, they are essentially no different from adding a splash of bath oil or salt into the water.
Bath bombs can add oils to a bath and oils are moisturizing, says Amy Wechsler, a dermatologist in New York City. On the other hand, some of the ingredients can be irritating, especially fragrances and dyes. Not to mention getting glitter from places that should never shine. However, bath bombs may not be completely safe.
Bath bomb ingredients can irritate sensitive skin and cause redness, itching, or rash, and irritation can persist long after the tub is drained. In addition, bath bombs can affect a woman's vaginal pH balance. The resulting changes in normal levels of bacteria can cause irritation or even infection. Once dissolved in water, bath bombs release citric acid that fades away and helps loosen damaged layers of skin.
Bath bomb oils also tend to be super moisturizing, and sunbathing in a tub of moisturizing oils will leave your skin soft and supple. They're scented, bubbly and fun, but do bath bombs really do anything (besides staining the bathtub)? We talked to a cosmetic chemist and a dermatologist to find out. Bath bombs are full of very simple ingredients such as salts, dyes, oils and maybe some add-ons, such as glitter. Bath bombs, those sparkling and scented additives for “bath party” are a big hit, especially with children.
If you're feeling adventurous and haven't had irritation issues in the past, be sure to check the ingredients of your bath bomb and test it with patches before throwing it into the tub. Greves recommends rubbing the bath bomb on the inside of your arm (near the elbow crease) and waiting 48 hours to make sure there is no irritation or allergic reaction. This organic bath bomb is made with essential oils and plant-based dyes and, as a bonus, has no added fragrance. To make bath bombs so fragrant and colorful, ingredients are added that can cause unpleasant reactions once exposed to the skin, such as itching or redness.
As always, read the ingredients of your bath bombs and find out what you're putting in the water (via Bustle). Unless your skin is extremely sensitive, you probably don't have to give up bath bombs altogether, but use them carefully. Packed with coconut oil, lavender, green tea and oatmeal, this nourishing, all-natural bath bomb is fragrance-free and ideal for sensitive skin, including those that are itchy and prone to eczema. According to dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, bath bombs are made with a combination of baking soda and citric acid.
Remember that vaginas clean themselves (which means you shouldn't steam your vagina), so strong-smelling bath bombs might not be a good idea either.
