Warning! This post is only for fun! However, since having fun relieves stress, and stress is one of the 5 habits for healthy skin, I guess there is some practical application here.
In the video, I make a GIY (Green It Yourself) bubble recipe using a combination of ½ cup (120 mL) Sal Suds, ½ cup (120 mL) corn syrup, and 2 cups (480 mL) distilled water.
However, in my testing, I experimented with a range of other ingredients. Several of them worked reasonably well, and if this is what you have on hand, here are some substitutions you can try:
- 2/3 cup (160 mL) Castile Liquid Soap in place of Sal Suds
- ¼ cup (60 mL) glycerin in place of the corn syrup
- 1 cup (240 mL) of simple syrup in place of the corn syrup; reduce water to 1 ½ (360 mL) cups
There’s no preservative in my formulation, so this isn’t for long–term storage in your garage all summer. Use it in a week or so.
A huge thank you to my awesome nephew and niece for their bubble blowing (and popping!) help! And to Tucker, the noseless wonder, for his super brief cameo.
I am surprised–and saddened– that you recommend Dr Bronner’s Sal Suds for it has a number of suspect ingredients, especially Sodium Lauryl Sulphate being the very 2nd ingredient. This is suppose to be a ‘natural’ and healthy product. Please do not recommend it to people.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/174367-dangers-of-sodium-lauryl-sulfate/
Hi Ruth – I’m so glad you raised your concern with me. Unfortunately, the Livestrong site has conflated two ingredients with similar names but different risks. SLS is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and SLES is Sodium Laureth Sulfate. The EWG gives SLS a hazard rating of 1-2, on their scale of 1-10 with 1 being the lowest hazard. While SLS can be irritating to the skin because it is so good at grabbing oils that it is drying and it is irritating to the eyes as almost every surfactant is, most of the statements in the Livestrong article are about SLES. SLES has the moderate hazard score of 3 from the EWG. SLES is the one that can be contaminated with the carcinogenic 1,4-Dioxane, which is a byproduct of the ethoxylation process that gives SLES its -eth and its E. SLS does not undergo ethoxylation.
All that being said, I do agree that SLS should not be in personal care products because it is drying to the skin. However, it does make an excellent all-purpose household cleaner. Please let me know if I can answer further questions.
Is distilled water absolutely necessary? Or will tap water work fine?
Hi Maya- The mineral content in hard water can interfere with the elasticity of the bubbles. If tap water that’s all you have though, give it a go!