Butter Butt Bath Melt Recipe

Butter Butt Bath Melt Recipe

 Version 1:
This will melt in your hand so handle them as little as possible
Dry Ingredients:
*7 ounces baking soda (depending on how thick you want it you can add more)
*1.5 ounce citric acid

Wet Ingredients:
*6 ounces Cocoa Butter
*1/2 ounce Shea Butter
OR
1/2 ounce coconut oil (solid at room temp 92 degree)
*1/4 oz polysorbate 80

****You can use any combination of softer butters totalling 1/2 ounce****

Version 2: will be a bit more solid but will still melt in your hand if you hold it to long

Dry Ingredients:
*7 ounces baking soda
*1.5 ounces citric acid

Wet Ingredients:
*6 ounces Cocoa Butter
*2 ounces soy wax (I prefer pillar blend)
 *1/2 ounce Shea Butter
OR
1/2 ounce coconut oil (solid at room temp 92 degree)
*1/4 oz polysorbate 80

****You can use any combination of softer butters totalling 1/2 ounce****


Optionals:
*Fragrance oil to recommended usage
*color to recommended usage
*If you do not have 92 degree coconut oil you can replace it with any similar weight butter
*preservative is not required for this recipe
*powdered oats or milk (use 1 Tbsp or to liking.  The more you add the less buttery it will become texture wise)
*botanicals to mix in or top with
*Clays are also a nice addition (remember less is more 1 tsp-1 tbsp)
*you can substitute the soy wax for Candelilla wax, Carnauba wax or beeswax.  You may have to adjust the amount used. Make sure it is a wax that will melt in the tub :)  High melt point waxes will just stay in clumps
*you can also substitute some of the baking soda for other dry ingredients like tapioca starch or corn starch.  Remember that starches feed yeast so... make sure you note this on your products.

Directions:
Step 1:  Pick your mold and have it ready to go.

Step 2: In a microwave safe bowl weigh out your cocoa butter and shea butter (soy wax if doing version 2).  Heat these 2(3) ingredients in the microwave in 30 second bursts until it is almost completely melted.   Remove from microwave and add your coconut oil and poly 80.  Don't worry about the coconut oil being solid.  It will melt from the heat of the other oils. 

Step 3:  While you are heating your butters, measure your baking soda and citric acid into a bowl.  Sift, blend well and set aside. This is the step where you will add any optional powders like botanicals, clays, oatmeal or milk.

Step 4:  Now go back to your oils and make sure it is all melted.  Stir it up to help any chunks that might still be floating.  If you need more heat only do it at 10 second intervals in the microwave.

Step 5: This is the fun step.  Add all your melted oil and butters into the dry ingredients and stir like crazy. Add in your liquid optionals like fragrance or liquid color.   Remember that as this cools it will start to solidify on you so you need to mix it in well.  This recipe gives you plenty of time for molding so take your time.  No need to rush.  Make sure when you fill your molds you are continuously stirring so that you are evenly distributing the powders that will want to sink to the bottom of your mixing container.

Step 6:  pop them in the freezer for 20 -30 minutes (depending on your mold size) to allow them to cool quickly.  Pop them out of the molds when they are solid.  If you have to press hard and they seem difficult to release then you need to leave them in the freezer a bit longer.  Even detailed molds should release very easily.

I do not recommend shipping these in hot temperatures.

NOTE OF CAUTION:  THIS WILL MAKE THE TUB A BIT SLIPPERY SO IF YOU ARE INTENDING TO GIVE THIS AS GIFTS OR FOR SALE YOU WILL NEED TO PUT A CAUTION STICKER ON YOUR PACKAGING.


FUN STUFF:

Option 1:  Make recipe as is for a nice plain jane bath melt full of buttery goodness.

Option 2: Make recipe as is but add 1/4 cup slsa for a foaming bath melt.

Option 3: Fill your molds with colored epsom salts or botanicals and pour your uncolored mixture into the mold making sure that all the butters get mixed in as you pour.  The mix is liquid enough that you should not have to worry much about mixing it in.

Option 4: Put some whole oatmeal in the mold and wait until the mixture thickens and scoop it into the mold so that the oatmeal stays on the top.  Some people have added a bit of honey to the mix.  If you add honey you will need to add a preservative.