Bath salts vs bath bombs: which soak suits you?

Bath salts vs bath bombs is a choice between a quiet soak and a fizzing one. Salts are loose grains that dissolve and scent the water. A bomb is a single pressed dose that fizzes as it dissolves. What goes into each, how many baths you get and how much clean-up follows are all different, and those are the things worth choosing on.

Bath salts vs bath bombs at a glance

What bath salts are

Bath salts are mineral salts with fragrance or essential oils added. The salt is the bulk of the jar; the scent is the reason you buy one over another.

Our Lavender Bath Salt blends sea salt and Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) with real dried lavender and cornflower petals. It smells of fresh lavender with herbal, citrus and eucalyptus notes. Our Sandalwood Bath Salt is coarse sea salt with a warm, woody scent of papyrus, spicy amber and sandalwood over patchouli. Sandalwood there is a scent note, not an ingredient.

Step-by-step directions are in how to use bath salts.

What a bath bomb is

A bath bomb is held together dry and comes apart wet. In ours, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are the pair that fizzes and foams when they meet water. The rest is scent and extras.

Our Eucalyptus Bath Bomb has eucalyptus and wild mint oils with menthol for a fresh, green scent, real peppermint leaf flecks, and a little sweet almond oil for soft-feeling skin after the bath. There are no colorants on its ingredient list.

The full method, including when to drop it in, is in how to use a bath bomb.

How to choose between them

• You bathe every week: salts. A jar gives about five baths, and you can use a little less for a lighter scent.
• You bathe now and then, as an event: a bomb. One bath, no jar to store.
• You want something to watch: a bomb. The fizz is the point.
• You want a calm, low-key soak: salts. Nothing happens in the water except scent.
• You are buying a small gift: a bomb fits in a stocking; a jar of salts feels more generous. See our skincare gift ideas.
• You avoid nut oils: check the list. Our bomb contains sweet almond oil; our two salts do not list any nut oil.
• You avoid fragrance: neither. All three of ours are scented.

Scent is the real decider

Once you know which form you like, pick by nose. Ours cover three different moods:

• Fresh and minty: Eucalyptus Bath Bomb. Eucalyptus, wild mint and peppermint.
• Floral and herbal: Lavender Bath Salt. Fresh lavender with herbal, citrus and eucalyptus notes.
• Warm and woody: Sandalwood Bath Salt. Papyrus, spicy amber and sandalwood over patchouli, lavender and pine. A good pick if you do not like sweet bath scents.

What is the same for both

• Warm water, 15 to 20 minutes. That is the suggested soak for all three of ours.
• Rinse off after. Then pat dry and put on a body oil or cream while skin is still damp.
• Rinse the tub. Either can leave some residue.
• External use only. Skip scented soaks on broken or irritated skin.
• Shorter if your skin is dry. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests five to ten minutes in warm water for dry skin, with moisturizer straight after.

Neither one is a remedy. We make no health claims for our salts or our bomb. They make a bath smell good and feel like an occasion.

Can you have both?

On your shelf, yes: salts for the weekly soak, a bomb for the night you want more. In one bath we would pick one. Both are scented, and eucalyptus mint over lavender or sandalwood is a muddle. Our whole bath and candles range is in one place if you want to compare.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, bath salts or a bath bomb?

Neither is better. Salts suit regular baths because you dose them yourself and a jar lasts about five soaks. A bomb suits a one-off bath because it is a single, fizzing dose.

Can you put Epsom salt in a bath bomb?

Ours does not have any. Its base is sodium bicarbonate and citric acid with ordinary salt (sodium chloride). Epsom salt is in our Lavender Bath Salt instead.

Is it safe to bathe in bath salts?

Bath salts are made for bathing when used as directed: dissolved in warm water, for external use only, and rinsed off after. Skip them on broken or irritated skin, and ask your doctor if you have a skin or medical condition.

Are bath bombs good for bathing?

They are good for making a bath more enjoyable: fizz, foam and scent. Ours also has a little sweet almond oil for soft-feeling skin after the bath. That is as far as we go.

Do bath salts or bath bombs last longer?

Salts. A 500 g jar of ours holds about five baths at 2 to 3 handfuls each. A bath bomb is used up in one.

Do you rinse off after bath salts or a bath bomb?

Yes, for both. Our directions say to soak for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse off.

Sources

American Academy of Dermatology. Dermatologists' top tips for relieving dry skin. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/dermatologists-tips-relieve-dry-skin
Product details are taken from the exokiss product pages. This article is general information, not medical advice.