Images of claw foot tubs, bubbles, candles and Cleopatra come to mind when I think of baths. Milk baths, herbal baths, champagne baths…..so many luxurious possibilities. If I could find the time to take one every day, I would. My obsession with baths dates back to my childhood when my eldest sister perfected the art (in my eyes anyway). She would ensure the bathroom was spotless, she had the best soaps and creams, there were candles and music. I wanted MY baths to be that fabulous. She also wore sequin dresses for no particular reason. Needless to say, the 10 year old in me is still striving to reach her glamorous heights.
Luckily, I have a claw foot tub that is simply perfect for a nice soak. All my tall ladies (and lads) out there know that the standard tub does nothing to contain us. Somehow the romance is lost when all your limbs hang out of the water. The claw foot tub is the closest I’ve come to being (almost) completely submerged. So, I took a month of Sundays to give myself some much needed love and luxury. My dilemma: what to use in the bath- those fun bath bombs with pretty colors and fake fragrance? NO! Don’t be tempted by the pretty packaging, your skin and body deserve something better. Healthy baths that don’t poison you while you lounge in the tub. So here’s what I tried:
- First Sunday: Apricot oil– I started simply, with something I thought would moisturize my skin. I put a few squirts into the water and did find my skin nice and silky immediately following.
- Second Sunday: Seaweed Bath Co Hydrating Seaweed Bath– I really wanted to see a difference with this bath. Unfortunately the smell wasn’t great and didn’t seem to have any effect on my skin. I still might try their detox bath.
- Third Sunday: Everyone body wash used as bubble bath- Bubble baths are always fun and I enjoy Everyone products, so this one was a win.
- Fourth Sunday: Epsom salts (2 cups), baking soda (1 cup), 10 drops of grapefruit essential oil– I entered this bath with an achy shoulder and left it feeling much better. I don’t believe all the hype around epsom salts but it does help my body relax.
No matter what you choose to put into your bath, it won’t be complete without music. I like listening to something jazzy and sultry but lately I’ve been enjoying the Calm app, listening to waves crashing. (What can I say, winter can’t end soon enough. I need a tropical vacation in my life stat.) Candles are also necessary. Whether daytime or evening, they set a mood and send signals to my brain that I’m about to get serious about my relaxation. In the winter, I light candles whenever I can. There’s no such thing as too much coziness.
The problem I have with this den of luxury is that I like to stay in the bath for a long time, but the water gets cold. And, if your hot water heater is as old as mine, you know that you can’t just turn on the tap to add more warmth. Cue my husband, who boils water for me on the stove just in case I need it (I always do). He’s a keeper. A nice hot bath is key for purging toxins and kick starting my lymph system. I really need help in this area, but I’ll talk about that and my dry brushing in another post.
I’m still on the hunt for the perfect bath, something that smells delicious, feeds my skin some serious nutrients and leaves me silky and moisturized. Just today I bought some bath bombs from Whole Foods. Cross your fingers.
XOXO
