The bath bomb market is blowing up in a good way. Plus, it is a good option for entrepreneurs wanting to start a business at home and with a low startup cost. This article details how to start a bath bomb business in five steps.
First, what do we mean by bath bombs? Despite their incendiary name, these hard-packed mixtures of dry ingredients, which dissolve in water to add scent, essential oils, bubbles, or color to bathwater, are often soothing. Often made with natural fragrance, these can also offer detoxifying or immune-boosting benefits.
So, why start a bath bomb business? The bath bomb market is growing, and demand is expected to continue. Transparency Market Research attributes the market trend to:
- “Increasing population of working women and their preference for aromatherapy and cosmetics for relaxation”
- “Increasing trend of giving luxurious gifts to friends and family on special occasions”
- “Rising preference of customers to apply essential oils as part of their routine”
For the entrepreneur, a small bath bomb business is appealing because many of the supplies are readily accessible at home. They also don’t need a lot of space for inventory, and it is relatively easy to make a unique product.
We don’t want to be too bubbly about it (haha), but there is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs working from home selling bath bombs. This article will share how to start a bath bomb business from home:
- Develop the recipes
- Obtain licenses, if required
- Build online store
- Sort out branding, labeling, packaging, and shipping
- Market your products
1. Develop the Recipes
The first step in any guide for selling bath bombs? Learn how to make bath bombs! Boom, didn’t see that one coming, did you?
The main styles of bath bombs are a classic ball, jewel bath bomb, or crystal bath bomb. But you can also find bath bombs molded into fun shapes to speak to certain audiences.
Search online for bath bomb recipes, and you’ll find all sorts of DIY recipes. The core ingredients are usually:
- Baking soda
- Citric acid
- Epsom salt
- Cornstarch
Then, you’re going to mix in the fun stuff like essential oils (lavender? lemongrass?), moisturizing butter (shea?), and carrier oils (almond, coconut). Plus, you can customize the look of the bath bomb with food coloring, sparkles, dried flowers, and more.
If you want to offer aromatherapy, you’d have a different recipe for your bath bomb than someone looking to help parents get their kiddos in the tub with something funny. For example, what toddler wouldn’t want to bathe when she can dump in a “unicorn poop” bath bomb and see the water turn a rainbow of colors and sparkles?
2. Obtain Licenses, if Required
An important thing to understand about bath bombs is that they can be considered a cosmetic or a drug. To make sure you’re selling bath bombs legally, you’ll want to look into licenses for bath products.
The rules vary, so check with local governing bodies before getting too far in:
- U.S. FDA’s Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP)
- Canada’s Cosmetic Notification Form (CNF)
- UK’s Cosmetic Product Notification to the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)
You will lose the benefit of having a low startup cost if you have to pay fines.
Along with the approvals you could need for your product, you’ll also want to look into what kind of legal requirements there are to start a business (any type of business) in your community. Our Business Maker tool can help you learn what’s necessary to launch your bath bomb business from home in keeping with regulations.
3. Build Online Store
Sure, you can dream of the day your bath bomb business is so big that you have storefronts and warehouses. But to begin, you’ll want to launch an online shop and business website.
Fortunately, this is increasingly easy to do since many web hosting sites offer templates and themes to get you up and running sooner. Otherwise, enlist the help of a web designer to give your e-commerce efforts a jumpstart. Working with an experienced designer can help you prioritize essentials such as:
- Mobile-friendliness
- Load time
- Calls to action
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
You’ll also want to partner with a reliable web host that can help you build trust and secure customer transactions.
Decide now on your business branding. You want your business website and online shop to reflect your brand voice. So, if you’re selling high-end bath jewels, you’re probably not going to go with big cartoon bubbles and hot pink text.
Get started with your e-commerce presence by reading How to Choose the Right Domain Name in 3 Easy Steps.
4. Sort Out Labeling, Packaging, and Shipping
Along with understanding how to make and sell bath bombs, you’re going to need to learn the logistics too. Bath bombs require careful packaging and shipping. It’s no good if your customers get a bomb in the mail that’s already exploded.
Innovative product packaging choices can help to convey your business brand too. Don’t underestimate the importance of the right style, color, and material choices at this stage.
You’ll also need to be careful in terms of your product labeling. Again, this is an area that you could run afoul of regulations. If you market your product as having a mental or physical benefit, it can be considered a drug, and that changes the rules.
When starting your bath bomb business at home, it’s a good idea to take yourself seriously and set up a full business plan. This helps you guide your decisions as you’ll have given thought to your unique value proposition, mission, vision, competitors, business model, and costs.
5. Market Your Products
The success of your bath bomb business is going to depend on your recipe, of course. But without marketing, you won’t get any customers buying your great product.
Since the bath bomb market has a low barrier for entry, it’s also a competitive market. You will need to invest time and money into your marketing effort to stand out. We’ve already discussed the need to be specific about your marketing claims. Plus, we mentioned that brand voice. Here is where you really use that voice to communicate with your prospects and customers. Let the mission from your business plan drive your business marketing too.
Next, think about the unicorn poop bath bomb versus the bath jewel we’ve brought up in this article. One targets parents with young kids to get their young ones in the tub without complaint. The other may target parents too, but with the idea that bath jewels represent a chance to enjoy a kid-free, calm time. So, where you decide to market, and how will reflect those differences.
Beyond your business website, you’ll want to market using social channels and digital advertising too. You may also find it helps to co-market with similarly oriented products and services. Another solid approach in our digital age is to partner with influencers who can help raise awareness of your product with their loyal followers.
Hosting giveaways and contests can also help your marketing campaign. Plus, this approach often nets you user-generated content, which helps extend your reach and expand your credibility.
Launch Your Bath Bomb Business
Now that you have this guide to starting a bath bomb business, it’s time to get started. Take the fun you find in making bath bombs and become an entrepreneur. Find out more about starting your business in our Resource Center.
