Aqua Sizzlers: The History of Bath Bombs

When you want to make good hygiene habits more enjoyable and luxurious, there have been ample options throughout the decades. The ’80s would see many such revolutions in the beauty industry, including better ingredients in standby soaps and hair products, as well as the release of many new items—and none are so well known as the humble bath bomb.

At just a glance, almost anyone will recognize these familiar little balls of color for exactly what they are. But how did the peculiar fizzing bath ingredient become so well known? To find out, we must investigate aqua sizzlers and the history of bath bombs.

What Are Aqua Sizzlers?

While this concept seems odd to us now, there was a time not too long ago when bath bombs simply didn’t exist. The term would come about later after much experimentation and exploration of product design. It began as a concept in the mind of Mo Constantine, the wife of Mark Constantine.

Mr. Constantine already had ten years’ worth of experience working in the retail side of cosmetics and had experimented successfully with original shampoo products. As a couple, they were determined to funnel their combined interest, creativity, and experience into their independent brand.

The Early Years

Mo first began experimenting with the idea of a fizzing bath product after becoming interested in the dispersal methods of Alka-Seltzer. After exploring how to make bath bombs work, the first version was coined ‘aqua sizzler,’ and the earliest versions were simple tablets, much like the medicine.

The couple would go on with their experiments and explored many fun and unusual molds to find the ideal shape and size. During the early test, Mo would discover how well skin-soothing ingredients and essential oils paired with her aqua sizzlers. The history of bath bombs would continue to unfold gradually through the early ’90s until the couple launched their new venture.

Bath Bombs Today

The bath bombs we know and love officially became a well-recognized product in 1995 with the founding of a new company called Lush. Driven by the passion and hard work of Mark and Mo, the business would boom into an extremely lucrative company in just eleven years. Now, they are the proud owners of one of the largest cosmetics companies in the world with stores in more than forty countries.

Bath bombs continue to be one of the main goods offered at this booming business; together, the two work to push toward ever-more ecologically friendly and innovative levels. In addition to bath bombs of various scents and ingredients, Lush also holds patents on elegantly layered bath bombs and even jelly-forming varieties. With more stores constantly opening around the globe, the future of our favorite bath-time treat is bright indeed.