Bath products – bubble baths, salts and bombs: INCI analysis

Bath products are added to running or standing bath water rather than applied directly to the skin. A capful of bubble bath produces foam under the tap, salts and bath bombs dissolve in the water, and bath oils spread over the surface or disperse into a milky liquid. The amount to use is usually given on the pack.

Bubble baths resemble shower gels, with surfactants such as SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE and foam boosters. Bath bombs combine SODIUM BICARBONATE with CITRIC ACID, which react and release carbon dioxide in water, plus binders and colourants. Salts list SODIUM CHLORIDE, MARIS SAL or MAGNESIUM SULFATE, and bath oils start with plant oils and a dispersing agent.

Bath bombs and coloured salts often carry several CI numbers, which must appear in Annex IV and are listed at the end. Glitter and decorative particles can be listed as MICA, CALCIUM ALUMINUM BOROSILICATE or synthetic polymers. As rinse-off products, bath preparations name fragrance allergens above 0.01%, and highly scented bombs may list several of them.