Amongst my friends it is well known that I spend most of my free time in my giant, crockpot of a bathtub. I LOVE taking baths. Due to my profession I’m constantly having to rinse off, and re-emerge powder fresh for my next client or class. Bathing is really part of  my job stability when you think of it. I could make it a humdrum formality with a quick shower and a bar of Zest. But I’m the girl who brushes her teeth AND sprays on perfume before bed every night; any chance during my day to create a mini-Cleopatra experience i’m going to take it. My dear friend Aurora* asked me to blog about what makes a perfect bath experience.

The Egyptians were the first people to document themselves taking baths. That infamous Ptolomaic queen, known for her exquisite skin, was known to bathe in milk and honey: milk a natural exfoliator and honey a provider of many minerals, vitamins, and  anti-inflammatory ingredients. I, myself, am no queen (well in some circles,) but I do require certain must haves for my underwater ritual.

Candles!! Candles!! Candles!! I’m a scent whore. Those people who say they can’t stand too much fragrance or cologne; I don’t speak that language. The stronger the scent the better (except for Thierry Mugler’s Angel, can we please put a moratorium on this overexposed, has been, former child star perfume?)  My favorite candles in the world are Seda France. You can smell them for hours even post snuff. My favorite scents depend on the season: Clementine for Autumn, Nutmeg Vanille for Winter, French Tulip for Spring, and Verveine for Summer. My second favorite line is Belle Fleur. They’re a little harder to find locally, so I have a hard time keeping them in stock.

Second, I must have some sort of condiment; be it salts, bubbles or oil. We’ve determined a heady bouquet is a moral imperative to my happiness, therefore it is essential for my lavation additions to be fragrant. Who better else than Jo Malone to deliver the BEST in scent and luxury. I love Jo Malone’s bath oils. I don’t wear body lotions or creams (such a time commitment,) but I find if i use bath oil i’m moisturized enough (for me). Jo Malone’s bath oils are extra fun because they become slightly foamy under the water, like you’re bathing in Champagne bubbles!!!

As for bubble bath Deep Steep which is 100% vegan and paraben free is the best for bubbles and makes your skin smell like a farmer’s market afterward. It’s also very pocket book friendly.

Bath salts are a little tricky. Depending on what time of day or night you’re taking your bath should determine your choice of bath salt. I have dreamily soaked in many natural salts comprised of lavender sprigs, rosemary leaves, hibiscus blossoms, and cloves only to find myself two hours later on a spin bike feeling a sprig of lavender making friends with my Lululemon wonder unders. So just giving you the heads up, if you dabble in the wild bath salts, make sure you rinse and repeat!!!! Because of my bath salt incidents i now lean toward the less exotic ingredients, and go for the basic dead sea salts from Ahava. Their Pure Spa Line are 100% pure Dead Sea Mineral Salts infused with essential oils of Syringa and Green Apple. YUM!!!

Happy scrub a-dub-dub-dubbing!! Love, Irene

*name changed