LIFESTYLE
There’s something about a bath that restores order to your life. The quiet. The weightlessness. The way everything feels softer afterward, your skin, your hair, even your thoughts. It’s not about candles and clichés or endless bubbles but about claiming a small pocket of calm in your day. Oils fragranced like perfume. Steam rising off every surface. Maybe a drink on the side, something cold and refreshing to balance the heat.
On the Tray
A bath tray should feel like a still life, beautiful essentials and nothing more. A linen cloth for your hands. A candle with a scent that lingers just above the water (Diptyque Baies or anything with fig). A small bowl of sugar scrub, a glass of something to sip, champagne, elderflower tonic, or an iced mint tea if it’s late. Add a book you don’t mind splashing or your favourite show to binge.
The Oils & Scrubs
This is where the good part starts. A luxury oil does more than scent the water, it softens skin and forces you to slow down. Choose textures you can feel in your palms: Susanne Kaufmann Oil Bath for the Senses, Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil, or a few drops of pure jojoba mixed with your favourite perfume oil. For exfoliation, keep it natural and fine-grained. Brown sugar with a drizzle of honey and olive oil works as beautifully as anything in a jar with 47 ingredients.
The Experience
Timing is everything. Run the water just below hot, you want warmth that lingers, not heat that drains you. Add your oil once the water settles. Step in slowly. Don’t rush. It’s 30 minutes of solitude, nothing to multitask or action. Let your mind empty. Play something soft and instrumental if you want music, your favourite show or nothing at all.
The After Bathing
Rinse gently, but don’t scrub the oils away. Pat skin dry with a towel that still smells faintly of detergent and is warm from the dryer or towel warmer. Follow with a body balm or shea butter on damp skin, Augustinus Bader’s The Body Cream if you’re in the mood for luxury, or just plain shea butter if you’re not.
Slip into cotton pyjamas, maybe something from the White Company, and let the evening unfold as calmly as the bath did.
A Little Nightcap
Finish as you began, with care and thought. A small glass of wine, or a cup of chamomile tea with a square of dark chocolate. The day is done. You’ve closed the door on the traffic, the Slack messages, the lists. It’s just you, your night, and the faint scent of bath oil.