Here's my opinion: Having a bath is the single greatest thing you can do on this planet other than sleep. That's a fact. People who don't like taking baths are wrong. That's also a fact.
The best bath is when it's filled up to the tippity top. Make sure the water is as hot as you can bear it, get yourself a glass of ice cold water and press "play" on your favourite show while your laptop balances precariously on the (closed) toilet seat. Many people like to pair their bath with a glass of wine which personally I find a little dehydrating on account of the hotness of the water, but whatever works for you is golden. Bath time is you time.
But what to put in your bath? Should you buy bubble bath? Or does shower gel work just as well? Is it worth chipping in for premium brands (that travel-sized Molton Brown from the Christmas gift multipack isn't going to last forever) or should you be extra extra and invest in oils and bath salts, candles and more?
Suzanne Duckett, a wellness journalist, has written a book all about bathing that's full of bath recipes. The "recipes" (making a bath sound like a human soup here) work off the idea that a bath can be restorative and claim to help with everything from low mood to aching muscles, trouble sleeping and rough skin. The recipes in Bathe are all made with natural ingredients like salts, essential oils and herbs so, if like me, you're a little sceptical about natural health, then find solace in the fact that at least your bath's going to smell lit.
Click through to find a bath for every ill...
The Skin Softener
To detoxify and soften skin
2 tbsp Epsom salts or sea salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
A generous bunch of bruised parsley, rosemary and mint in a tied muslin cloth or cheesecloth to keep the bath clean
Add all the ingredients to warm bathwater and enjoy.
FYI: Have a little bucket with a bath sponge or cloth to ensure easy cleaning afterwards – oil, seaweeds and clay need to be cleaned off straight away to avoid that unappealing tide mark. Use an eco or natural bath cleaner so that you are not soaking in the residue of a chemical cleaning product.
The all-rounder
To help relieve stress, aches and pains and induce sleep
60g Epsom salts
60g Dead Sea salt
120g seaweed powder
For an added sensory boost (and to help distract from the pungent sea smell!), add 7–10 drops of one of the following essential oils: juniper berry, lavender, sandalwood or patchouli
Combine the salts and seaweed powder in a container, then stir into a hot bath. Amp up your bath with no more than 10 drops in total of essential oils. Soak for 20 – 30 minutes.
The Reviver
For aching muscles
5 drops of marjoram oil
5 drops of arnica oil
5 drops of juniper oil
2 tbsp milk
Run the water hot. Mix the oils with milk to ensure even distribution. Soak for 20 minutes to allow the oils to penetrate.
The Upper
For low mood
500ml coconut oil
250g Epsom salts
5 drops of orange oil
Run your bath but don’t step in right away. Splash your body first with water to dampen your skin before rubbing this orangey body scrub head to toe in circular motions. Soak for at least 15 minutes so that the oils have time to take effect.
The Sleep Inducer
For soft and restful shut eye
5 drops of high-altitude lavender oil
3 drops of cedarwood oil
2 tbsp milk
Add the oils to the milk before pouring into a hot bath. Soak for 20 minutes and feel the slumber-inducing effects take place.
Bathe: The Art of Finding Rest, Relaxation and Rejuvenation in a Busy World by Suzanne Duckett is out now on Lagom, £16.99
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