This bubble bar recipe is the secret to soft bubble bars that foam and bubble on contact with water! They are the coolest, cutest bars because they crumble easily and make mountains of long-lasting, creamy bubbles.
This master formula took over a year to perfect and was a top seller at FizzButter.
Bubble Bar Video
Watch what makes this Bubble Bar extra special: it foams and bubbles on contact with water.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA) Ingredient Spot light
SLSA is a powder made from coconuts and is gentle to the skin. It makes long lasting, creamy bubbles. Always buy coarse SLSA.
Please note, fine SLSA is horrible to work with and it results in a hard, brick-like bars that do not dissolve well. In addition, fine SLSA makes a big mess. It is never worth it so don’t even think about it. Always buy coarse SLSA!
Get SLSA Coarse now at Amazon
Bubble Bar Recipe Master
Recipe author: FizzButter Yield: 15 bubble bars. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 4 hours Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
NOTE: INGREDIENT NAMES LINKED TO AMAZON FOR EASY PURCHASE.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Tartaric Acid (not cream of tartar!)
- 5 1/2 cups Baking Soda
- 2 cups SLSA Coarse
- 1-1/2 cups Vegetable Glycerine
- 3 drops Coco Betaine
- 1 Tbsp Wilton Gel Colorant
- 1/3 cup Essential or Fragrance Oil
- 3 Mini Loaf Pans
- 1 Sculpey Super Slicer
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STEP 1: Add Wet Ingredients to Dry Ingredients
- Put the dry ingredients in a medium bowl in this order: a) slsa, b) tartaric acid, and b) baking soda.
- Next, add the wet ingredients in this order (on top of the dry ingredients): a) glycerine, b) fragrance and c) CocoBetaine.
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STEP 2: Make White Base
- Mix together all ingredients (but color).
- You should end up with a soft, cookie dough consistency.
- If your mixture is still powdery and not holding together, add a small amount of vegetable glycerine. If your mix is extremely dense and brick-like, add another drop of coco betaine.
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STEP 3: Add Color
- Add color to you white base. You can divide the white base and add different colors for different layers.
- Micas and shimmers can also be used in this base.
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STEP 4: Mold in Small Loaf Pans (or any mold)
- Line each loaf pan with wax paper. Put a strip on the narrow side and the wide side.
- Pack your colored mixture into your lined loaf pans.
- Let these sit in the loaf pans for 2-4 hours before you slice them. Some bubble bars will rise more than others. That’s okay, just check them periodically and flatten the loaf back down in the pan. Don’t try to cut the bubble bars while they are still in the ‘rising’ phase.
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STEP 5: Cut your Bubble Bars
- Unmold the loaf on a sheet of wax paper. Use the sides of the wax paper to make the final shape of your loaf. You can still shape it at this point before you slice it. It should be firm, but not hard.
- Slice into 3/4 to 1 inch slices with a Sculpey super slicer
- Let them cure for two days before packaging. Store bubble bars out of sunlight! The sun can degrade the color and fragrance.
Bubble Bar Recipe Troubleshooting
Have I added enough glycerine?
If your mix is still powdery and does not hold together like a soft cookie dough, it needs more glycerine.
Have I used too much or too little coco betaine?
Even though just a few drops of this go into a bubble bar, it can make a HUGE difference. In addition, it will vary with different fragrances. Example: Eucalyptus essential oil will cause the bubble bar to rise less vs. almost any other fragrance oil.
Don’t leave out the Coco Betaine!
Unfortunately, if you leave out the coco betaine, you will get a dense, brick-like bubble bar that it hard to crumble. It is like making bread without the yeast.
Don’t do it. Whereas, if you add too much coco betaine, your molded mixture will rise and spill over the sides of the pan. Don’t worry. If this happens, just wait to cut your loaf after it completely relaxes.
NOTE: Now that you have coco betaine and SLSA on hand, you can also make our Floating Bath Bombs.
Have I undermixed my wet/dry mix?
If you mix it right, you will have a soft cookie dough consistency and the color is evenly distributed and not speckly.
Submit your review | |
So easy to make! I gave them as gifts to the women at my book club. Everyone loved them!
I loved these from FizzButter!!!! A-may-zing! Thanks for sharing.
These were very easy to make and they worked great. Thanks for linking to exactly the items that I need!
These are the best thing that ever happened to my wine and bath night.
Do you have bubble bar making questions?
Use the comment button below to post any questions you have. I will respond to all questions!
Can you clarify 3 “drops” of Coco B? Do you mean like from a pipette? Doesn’t seem like a lot. Thaks!
Yes, you can use a pipette and do 3 drops as a baseline. This recipe is fairly forgiving so there is a range that is acceptable. It will also vary a bit based on fragrance and how much color is used. If you make this recipe all the time, it’s best to use a scale and you will weigh the coco DEA in grams and write down how much was the perfect amount for each fragrance.
When you use too much Coco DEA, it rises over 60% and stays too wet and sticks to the paper. When it’s not enough, your mix is very dense and brick-like.
It is also IMPERATIVE that coarse SLSA is used or no matter what you do, it will come out like a brick. It is the most important thing about this mixture. Stepan brand is the highest quality SLSA. It has long lasting, creamy bubbles. We did a lot of testing.
Good morning, What did you use to get the design on the bubble bar?
It merely takes a small bread pan, color, a sculpey slicer and your imagination.
Link to Sculpey slicer: https://amzn.to/2IQ86J8
Link to Mini Loaf pans: https://amzn.to/2MG3wQp
I want to make these for my 3 year old who LOVES bubbles, but has semi-sensitive skin. Would the recipe above be ok for sensitive skin? If not, are there supplemental ingredients you suggest for the ingredients that may cause irritation to sensitive skin?
This is your best bet for sensitive skin because the SLSA is coconut derived.
Hi Do you know what I can use instead of Tartaric acid? can i use citric acid instead? just not easy to find the tartaric acid in australia. Also how do you package these? would they be the same as bath bombs with the shrink wrap? although they look a little softer than a bath bomb.
You must use tartaric for it to turn out right. And, you can still shrink wrap them.
Can you use citric acid in place of Tartaric Acid?
No, it will ruin the batch. One of my employees did it by mistake once and we had to throw it all away.
Silly question, I’ve never seen these before. How do you use a bubble bar?
Crumble it under running water for fabulous bath bubbles.
Hello! Thanks for this recipe. Would the use put in the entire bubble bar or break it in half? Thanks.
Usually, use an entire bubble bar. It depends on size of bar and tub and fragrance strength.
Hey, if I wanted to add a small amount of oil to this recipe, would I just have to add more dry ingredients? Thank you
I would add a little more dry SLSA if you want to maintain bubble strength or perhaps baking soda. They may dry softer, too. So, watch out for that.
Hi there. Are these supposed to remain soft after you remove them from the mold. They did not get very hard. Thank you.
They should be a little soft like a piece of cake. If they get too hard, they do not dissolve as well. If you like them harder, add a little more liquid to mixture but start with 1/8 teaspoon. A little goes a long way.