How To Upgrade your Baths: 9 Small Tweaks (That Make A BIG Difference)
I don’t mean to brag, buuuuuut…I am absolutely excellent at taking baths. Now, while “above-average bath taker” may not be an endorsable skill on my LinkedIn profile, there are no rules on my OWN DANG BLOG, so here I will proclaim that I, Kate Eskuri, am one hell of a bath taker!!!!! *thunderous applause from anonymous blog reader here*
BUT, FOR REAL. As long as I can remember, I’ve loooooooooved being in the bath. I vividly remember the day in 4th-grade math when we were learning units of time measurement and the question was “which unit of time would measure how long a bath is?” and I circled HOURS with 100% confidence (............Turns out, the answer was “minutes.” Who knew????!!!).
To this VERY day, I would still argue that my answer was correct—I often stay in the bath (or hot tub…or any body of water…) for houuuurrrrs just floating and being in absolute bliss. Not only is taking a bath mentally relaxing, but baths also have been shown to soothe soreness, reduce inflammation, support muscle & joint health, minimize skin conditions, improve depression symptoms, boost serotonin levels, support quality of sleep, and calm the nervous system.
While a multi-hour long bath *event* may not be in the cards for you (and definitely isn’t for me every day!), there are a few key ingredients that can up-level your bath experience from an ordinary thing to something that is truly nourishing to your body, mind, and soul and really supportive of your self-care & health.
All of the below bath time add-ons are COMPLETELY optional, but this list of items has really helped me make my bath into a ritual that grounds me, brings me peace, and supports my health. So without further ado, here are the key ingredients to up-level your bath!
#1 epsom salts + magnesium salt flakes
As I mentioned, soaking in a plain ol’ warm bath a few times each week can help with muscle soreness and tension, but if you want to take it up a notch I recommend adding a scoop of either epsom salts or magnesium flakes. Research suggests that these can help relax muscles, relieve pain, and decrease inflammation. I will try not to ramble here, but WOW, I looooove my epsom & magnesium salts. Such a simple addition, but I love how it supports my body & upgrades my bath.
HOW TO: Before every bath I take 1-2 cups of epsom salt or magnesium flakes (I buy them in bulk for best value—lasts foreverrrrr!) and let them dissolve in the hot water while the bath fills. These salts are powerful tools to support the body, and you don’t even notice they’re in the water from a texture or scent standpoint. 1-2 scoops of epsom salt/magnesium + warm water = ahhhhhhhhhh.
#2 set the tone with essential oils
Scent can be a game changer. But (unfortunately), most room sprays, candles, and perfumes these days are chock-full of toxins, unnecessary chemicals, and endocrine-disrupters. Therefore, I love using essential oils to scent my bath, and my favorite aspect of using them is that I can intentionally choose scents that match my mood as the scent triggering the olfactory nerve is proven to effect mood, alertness, and affect. It’s such a simple way to match my bath to my mood and how I want to feel.
So whether it’s lavender to wind down before bed (not to mention, lavender is proven to support skin health, speed up wound healing, reduce anxiety, and support sleep) or blood orange for some uplifting vibes during a midday bath, the therapeutic properties of my favorite essential oils help me set my intentions and bring a beautiful, nontoxic scent to my bath. (I get asked which essential oil brand I use on the daily—and here it is! No pyramid scheme stuff happening here—just high-quality, sustainability-focused, pure oils to incorporate mini moments of joy into your day.)
HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS INTO YOUR BATH:
Since essential oils and bath water are like…well, oil and water, it is important to emulsify the essential oil in a “carrier” liquid/substance before putting in the bath. This will allow the oil to fully diffuse in the water— not just sit in tiny droplets at the surface of the water. To do this, simply drop 4-6 droplets of the essential oil of your choice into about 1 tsp of a “carrier” like castile soap, an oil (like jojoba, coconut, etc.), and/or another liquid that will “accept” the oil (some people even use milk, cream, or honey!), or distill them in Epsom salts. Just mix the essential oil of your choosing in the carrier, then, just put that mixture in the bath water and enjoy!
BASIC RECIPE: Take 1 -2 cups of Epsom salts along with 1 tbsp of your carrier of choice (coconut oil, jojoba oil, castille soap, etc.) and 3 to 6 drops of essential oils to the bath water while it fills. Make sure to give it time to dissolve, swirl the water around, etc., and enjoy!
Oils I love using in the bath: Lavender, Sandalwood, Marjoram, Eucalyptus, Wild orange, Grapefruit, Geranium, Blue Tansy, Geranium, Cedarwood, Cypress, and Patchouli.
There are a few oils I don’t recommend for the bath as they could be irritating to skin or inhalation: Black pepper, Peppermint, Spearmint, Wintergreen, Cinnamon, Clove, Oregano, Lemongrass, & Thyme.
#3 for all my sensitive skin gals:
Personally, if I had sensitive skin I would opt not to use the essential oils & salts above and instead opt for colloidal oatmeal. This is a calming skin remedy that has been used for centuries to soothe inflamed, sensitive, scratchy skin. In this case, I wouldn’t take an overly long or extremely hot bath (these things can be drying to already sensitive skin!). Instead, I would recommend just a semi-short, warm bath with the oatmeal mixture mixed into the water (this one looks like a good option even though it’s technically for lil babes—this is what i would pick for myself!). To be fully transparent, I have never tried this as I personally don’t struggle with sensitive skin—but I just wanted to pass along the pro tip as I have met many providers and patients that swear by this for those with sensitive skin. :)
#4 wooden bath tray
I’m not sure why, but I feel like having a nice wooden tray just brings the whole experience to the next level. I found my wooden tray at a random gift shop in Minneapolis a few years ago, but there are a lot of beautiful & similar options on Etsy. I love the warmth & uniqueness it brings to the bath space! I honestly always get complimented on it when people visit our house??? So random, but I’ll take it! :) Not only is it beautiful, cozy, and inviting...it’s FUNCTIONAL. I can light a candle, set my book down, or maaayyyyybe use it as a wine glass holder… ;) Whatever I use it for, it’s just something I really appreciate during my bath experience.
#5 nontox candles
Let’s be real. Is there anything better for setting a relaxing environment than candles? (The answer is no.) But the bad news is that most candles are filled with toxic ingredients + waxes, and all sorts of things you *don’t* want to be inhaling. When I want that candle ambiance, I opt for natural beeswax candles—they only have one ingredient, and they’re MUCH cleaner and safer to inhale. They don’t really smell like anything, but they really set the moooooood for a relaxing bath. (If you don’t want to use real candles or have an open flame, these faux candles are great! They flicker, look genuinely real, and add such a great ambiance to a bath as well.)
#6 your beverage of choice
Whether it’s a calming tea, an extra hydrating + chilly electrolyte drink on ice, or a lovely glass of wine, make sure to have something to sip on—it makes the whole experience feel so much more relaxing & special. A lil treat!
#7 a little self-care TLC
Make your bath extra luxurious by adding on some additional self-care rituals. Do an exfoliating treatment on your skin, a deeeeep facial cleanse (I am obsessed with this stuff), toss on a face mask, deep condition your hair, or just spend an extraaaaaaa long time on your normal skincare routine. Whatever it is, make sure it makes you feel like a self-care goddess—you deserve it!
#8 extras & relaxing add-ons
There are a few extra special ingredients you can add to your bath to truly take it to the next level. I’ve found that setting the mood with a playlist is huuuuuuge for me (check out a few of my favorite relaxing playlists here!). Another thing I absolutely LOVE is having my waterproof Kindle in the bath with me. It’s allllllllll the enjoyment of reading in the bath without having to worry about the pages getting wet or the technology malfunctioning. The final add-on I love to incorporate is 5–10 minute meditations. Being in the water, floating and fully comfortable, is such a beautiful environment for meditation. (Pssssst...looking for some meditation tips and tricks? Check out this post!)
Whatever extras you add on to your bath time, make it *your* time. You don’t have to just sit there floating and wonder what to do with yourself, ha! Put on some music you love, read a book you love, balance your laptop on the toilet and watch a movie...just make it your own!
#9 the final touch
After finishing your bath, I 100000% recommend taking a few pumps of a body oil and covering your whole bod in some nourishing, natural moisture. Baths are amazing, but for some people they can be a bit drying to the skin. To combat this and make my skin extra soft, I will take 1-2 minutes after I get out of the bath to replenish my skin & treat it with some TLC. My personal favs are this blue tansy body oil, this body oil, or just plain ol’ organic jojoba oil! This step is the perfect “cherry on top” to your bath experience. It keeps the “self care” vibes going and feels like a nice treat to yourself & your skin!
mentioned in this post
to wrap it up…
There’s something truly SO beautiful about the ritual of taking 20 minutes (...or 3 hours…) to soak and spend time on yourself, a little closed off from the world. It’s simple, usually affordable, and a safe place for you to wind down and give yourself some extra care, and I hope that the items I listed in this post help you uplevel your bath experience and love bathing as much as I do!
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