Little luxuries: the bath products worth indulging in this winter
The restorative properties of a long, hot soak have been widely extolled, which makes a luxury bath product a worthwhile indulgence – especially now the temperatures have plummeted and nights drawn in.
From aromatherapy oils to mineral-rich salts, frothy bubble baths and spa-style scents, there’s now a wealth of beautiful bath-time formulas lining the shelves.
For aching muscles, anything containing Himalayan salt is the gold standard, while magnesium and CBD are both hugely popular for their inflammation-calming, sleep-inducing powers. Few things will transport you to an Alpine spa quite like Susanne Kaufmann's herb-steeped oils (which also make a particularly chic Christmas gift), and for something sustainably made and deeply restorative, indulge in Ilapothecary's fragrant magnesium salts. For a real room-filling fragrance? There's always Aromatherapy Associates.
Don't stop the indulgence once you emerge from the water, either: steam-softened skin is prime for an application of restorative body oil: choose something with lavender to maximise the soporific benefits, or try geranium for a calming spa-style scent.
Whether you’re hoping to encourage deeper sleep, soothe that back-to-the-gym soreness or simply elevate your evening ritual, see the Bazaar beauty team’s favourite luxury bath products here.
The best luxury bath products to indulge in now
Bath For The Senses
Originally created for Susanne Kaufmann's family-run Austrian spa, this herbal bath oil now boasts weighty cult status amongst those in the know. Creamy ylang ylang meets calming lavender and a sprig of warming rosemary to create a scent that'll fill your bathroom and linger on skin for the rest of the evening.
The Z's CBD Anchoring Bath Soak
Dreem Distillery is the brand leading the way when it comes to CBD tonics. It uses broad-spectrum cannabidiol, rather than the usual (and cheaper) isolate, as this keeps the terpene compounds intact and ensures you reap the full, soporific benefits of the hemp plant.
These spirulina-boosted bath salts contain both epsom and Himalayan salts, alongside arnica and lavender to create a truly powerful evening ally.
When it comes to loosening painful muscle tension – and decelerating a mind on overdrive – nothing we've tried has proven more effective.
£80.00 at dreemdistillery.co.uk
Beauty Pie The Firewall Blend Bath & Shower Oil
Beauty Pie consulted beauty brand founder and essential-oil expert Kathy Phillips to create its trio of aromatherapy bath oils, and the move paid off: these formulas are some of the most potent on the market. The Firewall Blend is the one you'll reach for when you're feeling stuffy, run-down or simply exhausted: the heavy dose of eucalyptus and peppermint will clear sinuses and soothe aching muscles like nothing else.
Violet Haze Body Scrub
London's chicest dermatologist has created the bodycare line we all really want. Joonybyrd is a flawless blend of sensorial indulgence and science-led formulation: a pairing you don't often find in the body realm. A gritty skin-renewing treatment, Violet Haze combines sugar crystals with fatty-acid rich oils, plus hyaluronic acid and prebiotics to keep your skin barrier satisfied. The signature grown-up gourmand scent is really the icing on the cake.
Magnesium & Amethyst Deep Relax Bath Soak
Ilaapothecary makes aromatherapy products that pack a punch, and this magnesium-laced bath oil is one of the best.
Designed to bring you back into balance during anxious periods, it's blended with magnesium for encouraging restful sleep, benzoin for calming adrenal responses and mineral salts to soothe aching muscles. Pour sparingly (it's potent) under hot running water and settle in for a peaceful evening.
Ivy Solid Soap
Not just the best-looking housewarming gift in existence, Loewe's traditionally made, rope-swinging soaps are also a joy to use. New to the family, Ivy is a sweetly scented botanical aroma with a fresh, green edge.
Budapest Bath Oil
Created in honour of Budapest's famously healing thermal waters, Omorovicza knows a thing or two about crafting a luxe bath soak. This oil melts tension and softens skin with serious efficacy, while the aroma of geranium and rosemary lingers subtly in the air.
Nordic Wilds Bubble Bath
Space NK has expanded its wildly popular own-brand bath and body collection to include a couple of fragrant bubble baths. This one is inspired by the bracing aromas of the forest floor: expect cooling pine needle and juniper over a cosy base of tonka bean.
Geranium Leaf Body Scrub
Aesop is loved for much more than its famously chic packaging: the brand's bodycare creations come with weighty olfactory appeal. Sensorial without veering into saccharine territory, this jelly body scrub leaves a soft trail of green geranium on smoothed and buffed skin.
Perfect Night's Sleep Bath Foam
Combining aromatic oils with a cascade of bubbles, Neom's relaxing bath foam is the ultimate grown-up bubble bath. The signature Scent To Sleep fragrance is a long-standing fan favourite for good reason: with aromatic basil and heady jasmine underpinning the central lavender note, it's a modern take on a before-bed tonic.
Geranium Bath Salts
While many of the best bath products are firmly focused on sending you to sleep, Bamford's salts are more of an invigorating treat. The blend of chunky sea salt and epsom salts soothes post-workout muscles, while the peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils clear a sluggish head.
Altitude Bath Soak
Annee de Mamiel is an authority in aromatherapy, and her potent bath salts are some of the most intensely mood-altering we've tried.
Altitude is her most well-known blend, combining eucalyptus, peppermint and pine to create a powerful, bracing aroma. With epsom, Himalayan and Dead Sea salts, this tonic will soothe aching muscles as well as an exhausted mind.
Ultimate Bath & Shower Oil Collection
No one makes essential oil blends quite like Aromatherapy Associates – from the mind-soothing Deep Relax to the invigorating Revive Morning, there's a tonic for every occasion within the collection.
This festive gift set is the ultimate gift for anyone new to the brand (or indeed, a long-standing fan). Worth significantly more than the price tag, it features nine of the brand's Bath & Shower Oil blends in luxury discovery sizes.
Beauty Sleep Foaming Bath
Clary sage and patchouli combine to ultra-relaxing effect in this luxury bubble bath. It foams up generously, yet leaves skin feeling cleansed and hydrated.
Deep Sleep Bath Soak
For those who find the scent of lavender a soothing salve, these bath salts are a must-try. Boosted with chamomile and vetiver, they're sure to help you settle down for a deep, restful sleep.
Vitality Shower Oil
A well-stocked shower can deliver all the calming benefits of a lengthy soak – especially when you're armed with a deeply hydrating shower oil. Made using botanicals grown in the gardens of Heckfield Place, Wildsmith Skin's 100% natural offering is heavy on the black pepper and ginger to wake up even the most overworked of muscles.
Bath Oil
Reportedly used by the Royal family, Olverum's heady bath oil is one to be saved for those big nights in. The herbal essential-oil blend is famously potent, with a blend of pine, verbena and lavender working to soothe both sore muscles and a weary mind.
Not just a fragrant hit, it's heavily moisturising too, leaving little need for body lotion.
Nerumae Bathing Gift Set
This chic bath-time set is perfect for gifting. It contains everything you'd need to indulge in a truly restorative soak: a (full size) soy wax candle, potent bath salts, and a thoughtful aromatherapy shower spray that perfumes rising steam with a bracing aroma.
Earl of East creates all of its products at home in London, and is famed for its unique, unisex scents. We love Nerumae: a grounding blend of pepper and woods.
D'Orangerie Bath Oil
From the duo behind beloved skincare brand Votary, Verden is a bodycare collection that places scent in the spotlight. These punchy bath oils are strong enough to fill your entire bathroom, and linger on skin for hours following a soak. Our pick is D'Orangerie: an uplifting citrus scent that never fails to pick up our mood.
Sleep Soundly Bath and Body Oil
The soporific effects of lavender and chamomile meet the mind-calming benefits of CBD in OTO's before-bed bath oil. Try using it to massage overwrought limbs too: studies suggest cannabidiol can work to alleviate muscle tension.
Water Meadow Bath Salts
The sibling brand of Thyme, Bertioli products transport you to the area of outstanding natural beauty where you'll find the unique Cotswolds hotel. Rooted in nature, habitats such as woodlands and water meadows inspire the formulas, including that of this bathing luxury – which harnesses the healing botanical essential oils of water mint, English apple blossom and thyme lacing the magnesium rich epsom and sea salts.
Mood Cleansing Ayurvedic Bath Soak
Odacité's skin-softening soaks masterfully combine salt with scent to create the ultimate bathtime treat. Perfect for anyone who prefers citrus to lavender, the Mood Cleansing blend contains orange and lemongrass alongside invigorating epsom salts. The portable pouch is perfect for travelling with – you'll get a handful of soaks out of the contents.
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