WHEN DO CBD BATH BOMBS EXPIRE, AND HOW TO MAKE THEM LAST

Like any other product, CBD bath bombs have a shelf life. The fastest expiration date is after six months from manufacture since that's the shelf life of baking soda, a primary ingredient therein. Keeping bath bombs in a cool, dry environment helps them retain quality until the shelf life ends.

CBD bath bombs do not become rancid or develop molds as a sign of expiration, but they lose effectiveness 6 months from the manufacture date. The key ingredients in the CBD bath bombs are baking soda, citric acid, and cornstarch, whose shelf lives are 6 months, 3 years, and indefinite, respectively. None of these ingredients become rancid or grow mold, but a lack of effectiveness characterizes their expiration. CBD bath bombs typically lose effectiveness after 6 months, during which they cannot fizz. Still, opened bath bombs may expire before the end of 6 months since exposure to air makes them fizz, although at slower rates. Here is all you need to know about when CBD bath bombs expire and how to make them last.

Understanding CBD Bath Bombs

CBD bath bombs are like regular bath bombs, only that they have an additional ingredient, CBD. Of course, the hype around CBD is crazy, and you might have already heard about it. According to Massi et al. (2006) and Bauer et al. (2020), CBD is the non-psychoactive chemical compound in hemp and cannabis plants. Non-psychoactive means that CBD does not cause the ‘high’ effect, which, according to Schlienz et al. (2018), makes THC intoxicating.

Bath bombs are bath products primarily made up of cornstarch, baking soda, and citric acid and are mostly round in shape. Of course, many other shapes can be used in making CBD bath bombs, but the spherical ones are common. Soaking in warm water in a bathtub with a CBD bath bomb is fascinating because of the color transformation of the pigments, the great scents, and the fizzing action. As such, people find soaking in CBD bath bombs quite refreshing and good for unwinding.

What Makes Up CBD Bath Bombs?

CBD bath bombs are not CBD products until they feature CBD in their ingredient list, making it an essential element in the bath bombs. The next two significant ingredients without which the bath bombs are incomplete are baking soda and citric acid, which react to produce the fizzing action that makes soaking in CBD bath bombs elating. The other critical ingredient in the CBD bath bombs is cornstarch, which acts as a buffer, slowing down the reaction between citric acid and baking soda. Cornstarch is used to make the CBD bath bombs slow-release to maximize the soaking time.

When Do CBD Bath Bombs Expire/ The Shelf Life of CBD Bath Bombs

Do CBD bath bombs expire? After how long do they go bad? The shelf life concept applies to all products, CBD bath bombs included. Shelf life refers to when a product can be stored and remains usable. Generally, bath bombs have a shelf life of one year, but they may start losing effectiveness 6 months from the manufacture date. The shelf life comes from the cumulative shelf lives of individual ingredients. For a start, baking soda has a 6-month shelf life, after which it loses effectiveness but does not smell or form mold. Citric acid has a longer shelf life of 3 years, after which it does not develop mold or become rancid but loses effectiveness. The buffer element, cornstarch, has a long shelf life, which is almost indefinite.

Storage Conditions Matter and Affect Shelf Life of CBD Bath Bombs

Baking soda, a primary ingredient in CBD bath bombs, expires or loses effectiveness after 6 months. Therefore, the shortest time it takes packaged CBD bath bomb to expire is 6 months. Still, how you store the bath bomb matters, determining whether it will make it to the 6 months or if it will expire during the first month. For instance, opening the bath bomb leaves it open to reactions with air, during which it fizzes at a much slower rate. Although the fizzing is slow and almost unnoticed, it affects the effectiveness of the bath bomb, which then may not fizz in warm water, depending on how long it remains exposed to air.

How Do You Know that the CBD Bath Bomb Has Expired?

Do CBD bath bombs go rancid to show that they have expired? Will they grow mold? The answer is No. Rather, you will know that the bath bomb has expired when it does not fizz when dipped in warm water in the bathtub. Remember, the fizzing action comes from citric acid and baking soda reactions. When baking soda loses potency because of exposure to air, it loses effectiveness and potency, and when it is no longer potent, it does not react with citric acid, hence no fizzing.

Use CBD Bath Bombs within the First Month of Purchase

Use it within the first month of purchase. The earlier you use it, the more you can benefit from its components. According to Djilani & Dicko (2012), essential oils are therapeutic and medicinal, and coupled with the fizzing action, the bath experience is insurmountable. The CBD bath bombs lose effectiveness with time no matter what you do, so the earlier you use them, the better.

How to Make CBD Bath Bombs Last

Since storage conditions matter and determine whether the CBD bath bombs will spoil fast, you want to do your best to take advantage of all the ingredients before their shelf lives end. The only way to make CBD bath bombs last long is by storing them well. Keep the bath bombs in a cool, dry place with no moisture or humid air to activate fizzing. Besides, you need to keep the bath bomb in a ziplock bag or an airtight container.

Conclusion

CBD bath bombs have a 1-year shelf life, but since baking soda loses effectiveness in 6 months, the bath bombs can expire within 6 months, depending on how you store them. Fizzing happens inherently when the bath bomb is exposed to air and water, fastening the expiration date. Therefore, the only way to lengthen the shelf life of CBD bath bombs is to keep them in a cool, dry place and put them in an airtight container or a ziplock bag. Better off, use them within the first month of purchase.

References

Bauer, B. A. (2020). What Are The Benefits Of CBD–And Is It Safe To Use?. In Mayo Clinic.

Djilani, A., & Dicko, A. (2012). The therapeutic benefits of essential oils. Nutrition, well-being and health, 7, 155-179.

Massi, P., Vaccani, A., Bianchessi, S., Costa, B., Macchi, P., & Parolaro, D. (2006). The non-psychoactive cannabidiol triggers caspase activation and oxidative stress in human glioma cells. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences CMLS, 63(17), 2057-2066.

Schlienz, N. J., Lee, D. C., Stitzer, M. L., & Vandrey, R. (2018). The effect of high-dose dronabinol (oral THC) maintenance on cannabis self-administration. Drug and alcohol dependence, 187, 254-260.