I don’t know about you, but I love taking hot baths to soak away my stress after a hectic day. With the weather turning colder in New York and the festivities around the corner, I am bringing you my most personal selection of gorgeous bath products to unwind before a big family gathering or a salary negotiation.
Are you thinking that you can only carve 10 minutes to relax before dinner? I’ve got you covered! Do you like to use all-natural products on your skin? You won’t be disappointed; in this list there are totally natural options for those of you willing to use a simpler and cleaner beauty routine.
I hope you’re reading this article from the comfort of your home, because I guarantee you’ll want to draw a hot bath immediately!
Tea for your Bath
If you love soaking up as much as I do, you’ll surely become obsessed with bath teas. These little wonders are a blend of wonderfully fragrant herbs and flower leaves to take care of your body and mind at the same time.
One of my favorites is the Fuji Green Tea Bath Tea from The Body Shop ($12), which has one of the crispest and freshest scents out there and makes me think of a forest. With real antioxidant tea leaves, it’s perfect to recharge your energy even if you can only dedicate yourself 10 minutes before making dinner. Try using it with some background soothing music (or even a meditation podcast) and you’ll feel relaxed and rejuvenated.
Insider tip: To make the most of this product without making a mess in your bathtub, try using a tea infuser or a muslin cloth bag to keep the tea leaves from spreading.
Cleopatra’s Secret Made in the USA
Did you know that bathing in milk is extremely good for your skin, aside from being terribly glamorous? Milk contains essential amino-acids, fatty acids, and vitamins that rejuvenate your skin and help delay signs of aging like crepe skin or sagging. Turns out Cleopatra wasn’t a diva, but a visionary!
I especially love the Nectar Milk Soothing Bath Soak by FarmHouse Fresh ($28). Made in the USA with a very natural formula (98% of its ingredients are directly obtained from Mother Nature), this gentle, rich, and creamy soak calms instantly irritated skin and brings much-needed goodness to dry skin like mine in constant need of pampering. The secret resides in its unique formula, which combines whole cow milk to nourish the skin with chicory root to reduce inflammation and swelling. The sweet almond oil hydrates intensely without feeling sticky. If you want to relax and get extremely soft skin in the process, this is the product for you!
Insider tip: Beware if you buy this as a gift because you’re going to want to keep it for yourself. The gorgeous, reusable packaging and the duckling urging you to duck out for the night can put you at risk of a cuteness overload!
Bring the Diner to your Tub
I love Diners. Many of my most satisfying epicurious experiences in the USA have taken place inside these much-loved food shacks with recipes handed down for generations. So, if you have a foodie soul, you don’t want to miss the whimsical Bath Fizzy Milkshakes handmade in Oregon by Fizz and Bubble ($15).
Filled to the brim with one dozen heavenly-scented, moisturizing, and colorful mini bath fizzes, every milkshake includes a matching mesh sponge and a 50s-style striped straw. With scents like coconut cream, birthday cake, lavender fields or bubble gum, these beauties include F&B’s signature ultra-moisturizing blend of aloe vera, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, olive oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil, and jojoba oil. Their formulas also use safe coloring that won’t stain tubs or skin.
Insider tip: For an ultra-relaxing bath, use two of these fizzies in a hot water bath. Also, don’t miss their new limited Candy Cane and Gingerbread holiday scents available at ULTA, they are really true to life!
Breathe With a 100% Natural Detox Bath
There are weeks when I really feel the need to help my body detox. Stress, fast food, and sedentarism are too common ailments for the busy New Yorker. To give my immune system a boost and a much-needed rest to my muscles, I love to use the Seaweed Detox Bath by 100% Pure ($23.)
This completely natural formula is made with organic ginger root, seaweed, dandelion, eucalyptus, tea tree and rosemary. These components are commonly used in natural medicine to increase circulation and to stimulate the lymphatic system, which is able to work more efficiently to get rid of toxins.
Insider tip: This bath is extremely fragrant and works wonders if you are starting to have a cold and have a stuffy nose. Just run a hot bath with a cup of this blend and stir well. You’ll breathe better!
Use Mud for your Post-Workout Recovery
Although I’ve never been able to visit the Dead Sea (yet!), I’ve always admired how wonderfully well its salt and mud work to treat many conditions of the skin and the articulations. After exercising heavily, I love to combine a hot mud treatment with a hot bath to relax my tired muscles. My favorite post-workout recovery product is the Natural Dead Sea Body Mud and Natural Dead Sea Bath Salt Duo by AHAVA ($26.)
If you’ve never used a mud treatment, you’re missing out on one of Nature’s best-kept secrets for radiant skin. Just spread it on your body (avoid wounds and your genitalia), leave it on for a good 10 minutes period, and rinse it off with hot water. The Dead Sea Mud by AHAVA works best if you heat it (I put the package under running hot water), and aside from having an immediate relaxing effect, it leaves a wonderfully soft and radiant skin underneath.
To top off the ritual, I love to take a decadent bath with their 100% natural Dead Sea bath salts. Rich in essential minerals including magnesium, calcium, and potassium, they ease muscle tension and stimulate skin hydration.
Insider tip: This ritual takes a bit longer than the rest. To make the most of the nutrients present in this Dead Sea combo, plan about 20 minutes and instead of rinsing off the mud with a shower, follow up directly with the hot bath with salts.
Unwind in Five Minutes Flat
Don’t even have 10 minutes to yourself? Do you have a shower instead of a bathtub? Don’t worry! As I said, here at New York For Beginners we have you covered. My favorite product to relax when I don’t have a lot of time on my plate is a hot shower with a luxurious soap.
My latest obsession? The Rose of Damascus handcrafted soap with real roses by Senteurs D’ Orient ($38), an exotic brand made in Lebanon following the traditions of the Middle Eastern bath rituals. Created to mimic the hammam experience, each soap is sculpted with an elegant filigree inspired by the intricate designs of the Middle East.
The soaps handcrafted by Senteurs D’ Orient work in two ways. First, they calm down your senses with a unique aromatherapy scent specially created by master perfumers in Grasse (France.) Second, their generous lather and luxurious ingredients allow you to enjoy a sensual, relaxing experience while pampering your skin.
Insider tip: Use the cord to hang your soap dry. It will last way longer and the scent will linger in the air.
