Self-care is always in season (especially during the unpredictability pandemic) and as far as we’re concerned, baths are the ultimate form of showing yourself some love.

Yes, treating yourself to a spa visit is more ideal but it’ll cost you a pretty penny and requires a commitment. Plus, more often than not, we just need a relaxing soak to unwind after a manic week.

Who says you can’t make your own spa-quality treatments in the comfort of your own home anyway? There are many formulae and additions that can take your bathtime from lacklustre to luxurious!

Whether you're already a bath bomb aficionado or are just dipping your toes in for the first time, keep on reading to find out how to create the bath of dreams and get the most of your time in the tub…


Time

Is there a certain time in the day that I should take a soak, I hear you ask. Well, it seems that the evening is the most popular time for a bath, closely followed by the early morning. And, if the main goal of you being in the tub is to improve sleep quality, the supposed best time for that is one or two hours before you go to bed.

In terms of bath length, there’s no need to carve out an hour of your busy schedule as bathing for 15-20 minutes is perfect and enough time to reap the sleep-promoting benefits. You can however soak for as long as it is comfortable and enjoyable for you but it’s worth noting that staying in for too long can dry out your skin and put pressure on the circulatory system. So, it may take some trial and error at first!

Temperature

When it comes to temperature, it's again down to both personal preference and what you want to get out of any particular bath, whether that’s to get squeaky clean or get a good night’s sleep.

For a morning soak, we suggest steering towards cool rather than steamy as the aim of bathing at this time is presumably to help wake yourself up with a quick reviving dip that increases blood flow.

Whereas, a late afternoon or evening bath is the time to put your hot tap to work and send curls of steam rising from the tub. And in this case, make sure to choose how hot is too hot by dipping your wrist in instead of your hands as they can likely handle a higher temperature than the rest of your body.

Bath Products

While some of you may prefer to have your baths au naturel, we think there should always be bubbles or scents of some sort to enhance the soak. There are so many delightful bath products to choose from these days, from bath oils that nourish the skin to bath salts for aching muscles and fool-proof bath foams for a classic touch to bath bombs that unleash an explosion of colour.

If bath oils are the one for you or a certain bath, check out our post ‘Aromatherapy: Scents to Send You to Sleep’ for help choosing an essential oil when you need either an energy boost, stress relief or a restful night’s sleep. Adding at least 10 drops of essential oils should scent up your bath nicely!

Candles

Lighting plays a huge part in creating a spa-like ambience at home so to truly decompress, it’s better to dim your bathroom lights or turn them off altogether and use candles instead. Here at OHS, we never need a reason to light one but baths are the perfect occasion if you do.

A scented candle in particular, like our Amber Noir Shearer Candles, will add further sensory pleasure to your bathtime and help your body shift into a sleep-ready state. This scent is the brand’s flagship fragrance, known for its rare essence of tuberose, violets and amber.

You can pick it up along with other stimulating scents from our ‘Candles & Home Fragrance’ category in either wax melt pots, tins or tealights depending on your preference.

Shearer Candles Small Candle Tin, Amber Noir from £5.50

Shearer Candles Amber Noir Small Tin

Refreshments

Grab an array of light, healthy snacks to chomp on whilst you soak and take this time for self-care to its full potential. Don’t forget your drink of choice as well and the all-important cold glass of water, regardless of bath length, as this will help the body to rehydrate and prevent dizziness.

Towels & Robe

What feels better after a nice long soak in the bath than the feel of a luxuriously soft towel around you? Don’t cut your relaxing experience short by using a sad scratchy piece of cotton and instead opt for our Brentfords towels that have been created using the finest cotton with an impressive 500 GSM rating. Should you be looking for heavyweight absorbent bath linen that combines great value and softness, look no further than this range.

To prolong the cosy feeling even further, lather yourself up with a hydrating moisturiser and wrap up in a cosy dressing gown. One of our favourites here at OHS is the Brentfords waffle fleece dressing gown which is made of 100% soft waffle polyester.

Brentfords Towel Bale 10 Piece, Ochre Yellow from £18 £14

Brentfords Waffle Fleece Dressing Gown, Charcoal - One Size from £9

Brentfords 10 Piece Towel Bale  Brentfords Waffle Fleece Dressing Gown


Head over to our Facebook and Instagram for styling tips and inspo to give your bathroom an update alongside your bathtime formulae!