How to indulge in a boujie beautifying bath
Bathing enthusiasts - discover the luxurious buys that’ll ensure your relaxing soak leaves your skin and hair nourished.
By Jenny Brownlees
Whilst we may have fought against bath-time as a child, it’s now one of our favourite indulging treats. Can you class bathing a hobby? Because it’s essential to our self-care and wellness routine. The heat from a long soak acts as a tension release, relaxing muscles and increasing blood flow to the skin.
Research has also shown that much like spending time in a sauna, baths can help reduce the risk heart attacks and help lower blood pressure. If that weren’t reason enough spend some time in the tub, it’s understood that the skin releases endorphins when we’re in warm water, in a similar way to when it feels the sun on our skin – no wonder we emerge feeling extra-relaxed.
We’re advocating making time-out to turn bathing into full-on calming ritual, treating your hair, skin, face and body in the process. For an extra-luxe bathing experience, we go all-out, lighting a candle, listening to this soothing Meditation Music mix and insist upon a low-light situ.
This, paired with our edit of the best products will help you create a premium bathing experience. You’ll be transported to a spa-esque retreat within your own home, coming out feeling nourished and new.
This Works, created by ex-Vogue Health and Beauty Director Kathy Phillips is our go-to for soothing buys that, well, work. Each of This Works products aim to calm the senses, and this luxurious hand-blended candle is no different. Thanks to its long burning time, it continues to be our favourite bath time companion, complete with scents of pure essential oils in lavender and camomile. Ideal for a long-soak before bed.
Use this crème to create a serene bathing experience whilst treating the skin to a surge of moisture, thanks to a dose of shea butter and vanilla extracts. Post-bathing, skin will be left silky smooth from the infusion of sweet almond proteins and pro-vitamin B-5. The wooden honey dipper makes this buy feel extra-decedent each time we use it. To create rich bubbles, swirl the product onto the dipper and place under running water. The scent of this alone feels good-enough-to-eat, leaving you enveloped in a warm, calming cocoon of sweet fragrance.
Whilst you may have previously skipped adding salts to your bathtub, you’d be mistaken. These mineral-infused wonders from Westlab will help to encourage relaxation, thanks to magnesium-rich epsom and Himalayan salts. Epsom salt has been used for centuries as a healing agent and pain reliever – helping reduce swelling, aid sore muscles and encourage a deep sleep. It’s unfortunately not to be used when pregnant or breastfeeding, but other than that is encouraged to help ease away stress. These affordable salts from Westlab are our favourite, infused with sweetly scented frankincense and bergamot essential oils. Simply add two to three handfuls to warm water and emerge feeling peaceful and centred.
ESPA is our favourite brand for creating spa-inspired luxury in our own homes. Adding a touch of this oil to a bath allows the aromatherapy-inspired scents to uplift and invigorate. As you enjoy your sacred alone-time, feel safe in the knowledge that this detoxifying oil will be working to deeply cleanse your skin, leaving it supple and nourished long after bath-time is over.
We told you we wanted to commit to our bathing time 100%, and nothing has made such a difference as ensuring we’re comfortable in the tub. The addition of this washable terry cloth pillow has upgraded our bath time no-end. As we listen to our meditation soundtrack by the flicker of candle light, we can lay back feeling fully rested as hot steam rises off the water. Bliss.
If bath bombs are your bag, our favourite is this multi-mineral infused fizzer from Beauty Laundrette. Cool packaging aside, this bath bomb is not only detoxifying, it’ll fill your tub with photo-worthy swirling colour. It’s also vegan, cruelty-free and suitable for every skin type.
For a truly happy soak, pour this luscious mix of mango, passionfruit, carrot extract (which have each been repurposed from the food industry) to create a moisturising lather infused with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. After bathing, you’ll be seriously wowed by how hydrated and healthy your skin will look and feel, not to mention the pick-me-up of smelling like a fruity cocktail.
Body brushing really is worth the effort. Whilst no product will completely remove cellulite, regularly brushing the skin will leave it looking smoother, plumped and velvety-soft. The benefits don’t stop there either; body brushing also aids blood circulation and helps the metabolism. As a specialist in non-surgical, age-defying skin solutions, you can trust all of Dr Barbara Sturm’s expert products for proven results. This brush comes in two densities, Soft and Medium – you can use either on dry skin, or in the bath or shower, for an exfoliating scrub that improves skins’ tone and tightness. Always ensure you’re brushing upwards towards your heart, alternating from small circular motions to long sweeps. This brush can be used everywhere from your feet, legs and arms to your bum and stomach. On the stomach, work from the bottom right side of the hip up to the ribs, horizontally across to the left and then down to the left hip and horizontally across to the right rib. You should never brush broken or irritated skin, but other than that everyone will benefit. This tool will be a welcome addition to your pre or in-bath ritual.
If you don’t usually have the time to sit still with various masks and treatments on, what better time to utilise than during a bath? Use this Grow Gorgeous mask to hydrate hair from within, with a rich blend of essential minerals including zinc, iron, copper and magnesium. All work to leave both your hair and scalp healthier, softer and stronger, while cuticle-smoothing technology helps seal cuticles to increase the hair’s shine. Suitable to use on bleached, chemically and heat damaged hair, use this mask once a week after shampooing. We apply it to damp hair whilst in the bath, massaging in and leaving it to work its magic for 20 minutes before rinsing. You’ll leave your bath not only mellowed-out but with nourished hair, too.
We thoroughly enjoy indulging our skin in a dull-defying polish and couldn’t mention the best of the best body-care buys without this (literal) gem from Herbivore. The scrub contains crushed amethyst stones, which work to improve skin texture, preserve youthful-looking skin and promote luminosity. Jasmine sambac oil, jojoba seed, virgin coconut oil and magnesium-rich Epsom salts further nourish for improved hydration, offering relief from irritation. Hello, skin that shines like this scrub’s gemstone namesake.
We make bath-time an excuse to multi-mask, wholeheartedly embracing the time to beautify. For our faces, we love this iridescent peel-off mask from Stranger Things’ actress Mille Bobbie Brown’s beauty line. We were très impressed with the skin-smoothing results left by this purifying charcoal and witch-hazel mask. The addition of calming lavender oil makes it a perfect partner for our calming bathing ritual.
We have our skincare down to a fine art, but can often forget to indulge when it comes to body-care. If you want to treat skin to a detoxifying cleanse, particularly if you’re acne prone, we’ve found no better than Mio’s Clay Away. The pimple-fighting wash gently removes impurities whilst witch hazel works to soothe and rebalance the skin. As well as using this as a body wash, we apply this multi-use buy to dry skin, leaving it on for a couple of minutes as a refining mask. Thanks to the mineral-rich clays and matcha tea extract containing powerful antioxidants, impurities on the skin are neutralised. It’s a yes from us.
Warm water will open your pores, making it the perfect time to shave as there’s less chance of cuts or irritation. New brand on the block Sunny is bringing a touch of affordable luxury to the frankly boring task of shaving, with rich scents of cucumber aloe or summer lily. Spread this shaving gel onto wet skin and say bye-bye to unwanted fuzz. Since the can contains pressured air, ensure it isn’t ever placed in hot water. At just £3, this handy gel is a new favourite addition to our product roster.
Your feet work hard, supporting you when you’re standing, walking and exercising, not to mention dealing with being squashed into often ill-fitting shoes. Treat them to a weekly refresher at-home, by removing unwanted hard skin. The best time to file is when the feet are clean – post-bathing, dry your tootsies so the skin will be softened but not wet. This wooden file from Hydrea London makes buffing away dead skin cells easy – leaving you with beautifully smooth soles.
Clarins’ best-selling firming body oil is the body care product to invest in. With the help of 100% pure and powerful plant extracts, it helps firm, tone, improve elasticity and smooths the appearance of stretch marks. In fact, this oil has been a favourite for pregnant women since way back in 1965. When we come out of the bath, we spend a few minutes massaging in this satin-smooth oil – enjoying the aromatic scents of rosemary, geranium and mint.
We were seriously impressed with this discovery from brand Guava and Gold, which is made right here in England. Offering rich ingredients with soothing effects, this lotion is also super-absorbent, meaning your skin will drink it in after bathing, but you can dress straight-away after applying. With intensely hydrating avocado oil and shea butter, this moisturiser also has SPF15 to offer light sun protection throughout the day. The delicious scents of sun-kissed mandarin and pear is intoxicating, better yet its paraben free and made with 100% recyclable packaging. Self-care never felt so good.
Since your skin will be perfectly exfoliated and hydrated after your spa-like bath, there is no better time to apply a fake tan. Gone are the days of time-consuming applications of patchy, ill-scented tans. Our new favourite is brand Isle Of Paradise, formulated by world-leading tan expert Jules Von Hep. This innovative Self-Tanning Water will have you saying goodbye to fake tan faux pas for good, thanks to its effective and easy to use formula. Simply spritz the entire body and face with your chosen shade until skin is saturated, and within 4 – 6 hours your skin will radiate a dewy, sun-kissed glow. Another bonus? Each bottle is infused with colour-correcting actives that ensure you end up a seriously great glow.
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