We all have our things that reset us or allow us to care for ourselves. For me, taking a bath has always been a simple and powerful joy in my life. My baths vary these days. But when I get the chance, I enjoy them to the fullest.

5 Steps to Creating Your Perfect Bath

1. Make the time. I am not saying you need to plan a bath into your schedule, but do give it some thought. To fully enjoy a bath you need to give yourself time. My personal opinion is at minimum 20 minutes to soak. That is not including the time to fill the tub or the draining and rinsing at the end.
2. Always have your supplies stocked and accessible. For me, this means the area under my sink is dedicated to bubble land. I always have my favorite items on hand. I also use little glass carafes on my bath ledge to store Epsom salts.
3. Find your “bath base.” Decide what floats your bubble bath boat. It took me a bit to find the bubble bath base that spoke to me. It was sort of like a math problem. I found that my perfect bath always included two staples: bubble bath & Epsom salts. My personal favorite bubble bath is Dr. Teal’s. I am not as picky about Epsom salts. Sometimes I buy the generic store brand bags; sometimes I use Dr. Teal’s. But I typically try to get the biggest bag for the least amount of money. Epsom salts really make the bath, so don’t hold back on the amount you put in there. I use anywhere from 1/2-2 cups.
4. Build upon your base. I rotate out the other things I add to my bath. Sometimes I do bath bombs: LUSH, Dr. Teal’s, and some Amazon finds. Bath bombs can vary in price, so just figure out what you want to spend and try some out. We’ve even gone through phases where we make them at home. It is actually a fun process, but like many things in life ease trumps a time commitment. Another supporting member of the bath team I use is essential oils. The two biggest oily friends that rotate through my baths are lavender (relaxation station) and panaway (see ya muscle soreness). Additional items that can be added to baths: flower petals, carrier oils such as coconut/baby/olive, oatmeal, honey, dried plants (lavender and eucalyptus are both favorites), crystals, tea bags or loose tea, milk, citrus fruits, and baking soda. I realize some of these things may seem a little weird. Just do yourself a favor and research the benefits of these items in the bath. Your skin, mood, and general self thanks you.
5. Props are for more than just the stage! Not every bathtub comes with a handy ledge to place your accessories. There are some really awesome caddies/shelves that stretch across your tub to balance your book/device, hold your wine, support your snacks. Amazon has a good variety, as does any home store. Speaking of wine and snacks, these are a must for the bath. Especially the wine part. Personally I love wine or tea and popcorn combo for my bath. Other props include: snacks, music, candles, bath pillow, book light, eye mask, shower cap, exfoliating face mask, incense, loofah/sponge, book, magazine, etc. The list really is endless.

Next-Level Bonus Bath Tips

• Have a warm, snuggly robe ready to wrap around yourself.
• Moisturize with your favorite body lotion, oil, or scrub.
• Use an exfoliating scrub.
• Hydrate. This would be a step I really recommend you don’t skip, especially if you prefer a hotter bath.
• Sit. Try if you can to just sit for a second and let the goodness sink in.

Happy soaking!