Baking soda, water, essential oils and food coloring all have one thing in common—they are the ingredients needed to make homemade bath bombs.

In celebration of National Relaxation Day, TRIO Student Support Services hosted an event on Thursday, Jan. 17 where students could come and relax while making unique bath or shower bombs.

The event got started last year when TRIO staff members were trying to decide what socials to host by finding obscure holidays, Jordan Hilbert, TRIO retention adviser, said.

“We found National Relaxation Day and then thought making homemade bath bombs would pair well with the celebration,” Hilbert said.

The event was a success among students, so plans were made to host the event for a second year.

“Last year we potted plants along with making the bath bombs. However, we noticed the bath bombs were such a hit that we decided not to do the potted plants this year,” Hilbert said.

Junior, family and consumer sciences education major Kristina Rice participated both years in making bath bombs.

“I heard about this event on Facebook and I thought it just sounded like a nice break from classes and it really only takes about five minutes to make,” Rice said.

The bath bombs are made by simply mixing baking soda and water together. Then students can add food coloring and choose from an assortment of essential oils, ranging from lemon to cinnamon to frankincense.

Next, the mixture is placed into muffin tins where they will sit until Hilbert takes them to bake in an oven until they are dry. Students can then pick up their bath bombs the next day in the TRIO office.

“I used mine last year in the shower, but it doesn’t quite have the same effect as if you were to use it in a bath,” Rice said.

Hilbert suggests setting the bath bombs on a shower shelf where they will still dissolve from the moisture, but will not disintegrate as quickly as they would if placed directly over the drain.

“We know the beginning of the semester can be overwhelming and busy, so this event is put on to help students take a deep breath and slight break from everything to simply relax,” Hilbert said.