Learn how to make bubble bath with this quick and easy 4 ingredient recipe and no harmful chemicals.

Making your own bubble bath is fun and easy. It’s a great project for the kids to help with too. And there’s no better way to relax at the end of a long day than a nice long soak in the tub.

We are big bubble bath fans at my house, and the girls were more than willing to test my recipes. Even Fozzy got in on it. I left the tub to fill and came back to find him covered in bubbles and the floor sopping wet. And then we had a very wet and soapy chase through the house!

Criteria for a Great Homemade Bubble Bath Recipe

Lots of Long-Lasting Bubbles

Many recipes use liquid castile soap as the base for the bubble bath. I bought some and mixed up my first batch. I excitedly poured it in and filled the tub… and the bubbles were very underwhelming. There weren’t very many, and they were pretty much gone before I ever got into the tub.

So next I tried an all-natural unscented hand soap as the base. This was much, much better.

All-Natural Ingredients

I wanted to find the best combination of simple, relatively inexpensive, all-natural ingredients for this recipe.

Great Scent

Great relaxing fragrance is one of the best parts of the bath experience. This recipe uses plant-derived essential oils for scent.

Shelf-Stable

I don’t want to have to mix up a fresh batch every time someone wants to take a bath… and I’m also planning to give homemade bubble bath as gifts. So I’m only using ingredients that won’t grow bacteria and get nasty sitting on the edge of the tub. So we’ll skip some of the all-natural ingredients common to homemade bubble bath recipes like egg white, goat’s milk, flower petals, etc.

Bubble Bath Bottles

A standard-sized tub requires about 3/4 cup of bubble bath for optimal suds. So I like to make it in a large bottle so it will last a while. I got these 16 oz glass bottles from Amazon.

And I got these 16 oz plastic pump bottles for the kids’ bathroom. I don’t know what goes on in there, but there’s always A LOT of bath water on the floor when they’re done, and I don’t want any broken glass in there!

How to Make Bubble Bath

Ingredients

A. Natural Fragrance-Free Hand Soap (I’m using this one from Amazon)

B. Glycerin

C. Fractionated Coconut Oil (or other carrier oil like Vitamin E oil, Jojoba Oil, or sweet almond oil)

D. Essential Oils (I’m using lavender & vanilla) See the chart below for more combinations.

Materials & Bottles

A. Large liquid measuring cup or large bowl & measuring cups

B. Funnel

C. Plastic or Vinyl Sticker labels (these are my favorite chalkboard sticker labels)

D. Fine Point White Paint Pen and Extra Fine Point White Paint Pen

E. Glass Bottle (this recipe will fill one 16 oz bottle)

or

F. Plastic Bottle (I’m using these 16 oz plastic pump bottles for the kids)

Essential Oils

Here are a few of my favorite essential oils for DIY bubble bath. Be sure any oils you use are skin safe.

I really like Plant Therapy essential oils from Amazon and they have a Kid Safe line. I like to use their Sniffle Stopper blend in bubble bath when the kids are sick, and I also like their Germ Destroyer blend.

Directions

1. Measure & Add Soap Base

Add the hand soap to the measuring cup first. It’s not important to get really precise measurements.

2. Add Glycerin

Next, pour in the vegetable glycerin.

3. Add Coconut Oil

The fractionated coconut oil (liquid) is optional. I’m adding it to help counteract any drying ingredients in the soap. I did find that the more oil you add, the fewer bubbles you’ll get, and the quicker they will dissolve. Oils can also make the tub slippery, so be careful and don’t add too much!

4. Add Essential Oils

Lavender + vanilla is one of my all-time favorite bath scent combinations. But you can use any skin-safe essential oils you like. I’ll include a list of winning combinations below. Or, if you want to branch out from essential oils, you can use skin-safe fragrance oils. My favorites are from makesy.

5. Stir

Stir well to combine all the ingredients before filling the bottles. The ingredients will separate some in the bottle, and that’s fine.

6. Fill Bottles

Place the funnel in the bottle opening and pour the bubble bath in, being sure to leave a little space at the top if you’re using pump bottles.

You may want to recruit a helper to hold the funnel in place while you pour. And consider doing this step in the sink to avoid a mess.

Replace the lid and rinse off anything that spilled down the sides.

7. Label

These are my favorite chalkboard sticker labels, and I’m using a medium point white paint pen to write the labels. You can use any plastic or vinyl sticker labels, but I don’t recommend paper labels since the bottle is likely to get wet.

Helpful Tips

How to Enjoy Your Homemade Bubble Bath

Give the bottle a good shake before use. Then turn on the hot water and pour about 1/2 cup of bubble bath under the running water. Larger tubs may require a bit more. Enjoy!

Bubble Bath Conversion Chart

Here’s a conversion chart if you want to make a larger or smaller batch.

More Homemade Bath Products…

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The Very Best Himalayan Salt Bath Recipe

The Ultimate Bath Bomb Recipe

How to Make Bath Salts