Over the past year, 12-year-old Isabella Bakie has seen her Ottawa-based bath bomb business bubbling up success. As the creator of Izzy’s Fizzies, Bakie has learned how to balance being a student while also being a young entrepreneur.

After selling out at her very first market this past July, Bakie said she has made more than 300 bath bombs for customers across the city so far. Being an entrepreneur isn’t all glamour and glitz. Making her bombs, she said, requires patience, teamwork, creativity and a willingness to get messy.


Isabella Bakie and her mother, Lena Colasante, prepare to make an order of bath bombs for a customer who was throwing a mermaid-themed birthday party. Equipped with baking soda, coconut oil and other ingredients, the mother and daughter rolled up their sleeves and got down to business. [Photo © Samantha Pope]
Bakie said the inspiration for her bath bomb company started last year, when many of her friends and classmates were making homemade slime. Noting the slime’s popularity among her friends, she said she wanted to make a product that she could sell. That’s when her mother suggested she make bath bombs. [Photo © Samantha Pope]

“My favourite thing is when we add in the colour,” Bakie said with a smile, squeezing out blue and pink food colouring droplets into the bath bomb mix. [Photo © Samantha Pope]


As the bath bombs were being made for a mermaid-themed birthday, she said she wanted the colour scheme to match. [Photo © Samantha Pope]


Working with her mother to make the bath bombs is another one of her favourite things, Bakie said, adding that they often make about two to three batches of bath bombs each week for various orders. [Photo © Samantha Pope]

In the past, Bakie said she often felt disappointed when shopping at bath bomb stores and noticing the amount of chemicals companies use. With Izzy’s Fizzies, Bakie says she makes sure she uses essential oils and other natural ingredients to create a safe and healthy product. [Photo © Samantha Pope]
To make the circular shape of the bath bombs, Bakie said she uses the plastic containers originally meant to hold Christmas ball ornaments. A doughnut, cloud and heart mould are also shapes that are part of Bakie’s collection, she added. [Photo © Samantha Pope]

In the future, she said she hopes to get even more shapes so she can continue to be creative with her creations. [Photo © Samantha Pope]

Once the plastic balls are filled, Colasante helps to squeeze them shut so the bath bombs can stick together and take shape. [Photo © Samantha Pope]

After each ball is filled, they are then wrapped tightly in rubber bands. [Photo © Samantha Pope]

Along with ample moisturization, other key factors that influence the ability of the ball to keep its spherical shape includes temperature and humidity. If it is too hot or humid, Bakie said, the bath bombs can start to melt. [Photo © Samantha Pope]

In Bakie’s basement, there is a designated ‘Izzy’s Fizzies’ table where the bath bombs are able to sit and dry, waiting to be distributed to its customers. When the time comes to deliver them, Bakie said she places the bath bombs into a paper tray originally used to hold candles. 

Along with learning about how businesses work, such as budgeting and profits, Bakie said she has also continued to develop other valuable skills such as good time management, balancing responsibilities and organization. 
[Photo © Samantha Pope]

After the success of her first market, Bakie said she has increased the price of her bath bombs to match the demand of the product. The doughnut-shaped bath bombs are being sold for $5, while the ball-shaped bath bombs are being sold for $10, or 2 for $18. 

Heading into the future, Bakie said she is very excited for what’s to come and said she hopes to be possibly open up her own store down the road. [Photo © Samantha Pope]

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