After a long and busy week, all I want to do is relax. And what better way to unwind than with a bubble bath? Luckily, today is National Bubble Bath day which gives me the perfect excuse to soak in my tub after dinner.
A regular bath is a great way to loosen up, but I enjoy mine accompanied by sweet smells, moisturizing suds, and calming accessories. Kind of like bringing the spa to my home!
Related: Best Just Jill Shop Bath and Body Products
If the thought of giving yourself some much-needed self-care sounds tempting, you can take a look at my tips for putting together the perfect bubble bath in no time.
*Post includes affiliate links.
Setting The Scene For A Perfect Bubble Bath
Before you hop in the tub, make sure you have a calming environment to allow for full relaxation. Here are a few ways to bring the spa scene to your own bathroom.
Candles always put me in a good mood, and if I can, I like to light one when I take a bath. I might be a bit biased… but I adore this new candle we recently launched at the Just Jill Shop!
The scent is “Cozy Winter Cabin” and it features hints of pine, orange, light cinnamon, clove, and warm woods. Perfect for the colder months!
You can also add some ambiance to your bathroom with this diffuser from Rituals. This one lasts for three to four months and is designed to give you a sense of relaxation.
This affordable sound machine will drown out all those obnoxious noises that may interfere with your calming bath.
I’m talking about kids, pets, traffic… anything! It comes in two colors and features six sounds from white noise to rain.
Suds, Bubbles and More!
The suds are the game-changer between a normal bath and a bubble bath. These products and DIY tips will give you a bath worth bragging about.
Two words: bath bombs! I’m sure you’ve heard of them and they can completely improve your time in the tub.
They’re typically made with baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch, and oils. When you drop them in your tub, they “fizzle” and dissolve—turning the water into a soothing spa.
These ones from Love Beauty and Planet are rose-scented and made with organic coconut oil. They also make a great gift!
And if you’re a fan of bath bombs, I’m sure you’ll love the Musee Shower Steamers from the Just Jill Shop.
They’re handcrafted in Mississippi and made with ethically-sourced, natural ingredients. All you have to do is drop one on the floor of your shower to enjoy a relaxing scent while you get ready or wind down for the night!
If you’re feeling a little creative, you can also make your own. Here’s a simple bath bomb recipe I found on Happiness is Homemade. Here are the basic ingredients you’ll need:
- Baking soda
- Cream of tartar
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA)
- Epsom salt, sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
- Almond, avocado, grapeseed, jojoba or coconut oil
- Avocado, coco, coffee, mango or shea butter
- Essential oils
Begin by sifting the baking soda into a bowl using a mesh strainer. Sift the citric acid into another bowl and set it aside. Next, add the remaining dry ingredients to the baking soda bowl (without the citric acid). After, mix all the liquid ingredients into another bowl, and stirring constantly, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Now you can add the citric acid and stir completely.
If the mixture is moldable, you’re good to go! If it isn’t, spray some witch hazel into the bowl, mix, and try again. Form the bombs into spheres with a mold or with your hands, and let them dry completely for 24-48 hours.
Here’s another homemade recipe, but this one is for a bubble bath solution. Created by Life N Reflection, it’s simple to make and filled with some relaxing ingredients. See them below:
- 1/2 cup liquid castile soap
- 1/4 cup vegetable glycerin
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
- 12 drops lavender essential oil
- 8 drops chamomile essential oil
Simply pour the castile soap into a bottle and follow by adding vegetable glycerin and vitamin E oil. Next, add the lavender essential oil and the chamomile essential oil into the bottle, seal the top, and give it a swirl to mix everything together.
When using the mixture, pour around 4 tablespoons into the running bathwater. While the bubbles won’t last as long as a store-bought version, it doesn’t include any harsh chemicals!
Call me crazy, but you can use baby products at any point in your life. They’re designed to be calming, natural, and gentle on the skin—all things that are great whether you’re 5 or 50.
This bubble bath from Burt’s Bees is formulated without harmful chemicals, but it will still leave you with towering bubbles for the ultimate bath.
Skin Savers In The Tub
Dry skin? I found a few ways you can show your skin some love while drawing yourself a bubble bath.
Instantly refresh your skin with this DIY coffee scrub from Soap Deli News. It’s great for exfoliating dead skin, brightening dull skin, and fighting inflammation, among other things.
To make it at home, you’ll need:
- 4.5 oz. finely-ground coffee beans
- 2.25 oz. finely-ground pink Himalayan salt
- 2 oz. brown sugar
- 3 oz. sweet almond oil
- 0.25 ox. blood orange essential oil
- 2 mL vitamin E oil
- 0.5 oz. water soluble caffeine extract (optional)
After measuring your ingredients with a digital kitchen scale, combine the ground coffee, Himalayan salt, and brown sugar into a bowl. Mix them together until fully combined. Then, add the almond oil, blood orange essential oil, and caffeine extract in a separate container. Add the vitamin E oil to the bowl and mix thoroughly.
Now, spoon the dry ingredients into the wet ones and mix with a fork until combined. Finished! Just put the scrubs into small jars for future use.
If you don’t have much time to spare, you can also purchase body scrubs at the store. My friend owns this Tahitian Vanilla Bean one from Tree Hut and she says it wakes her up whenever she uses it! It’s made with ingredients like natural shea butter and nourishing oils.
While taking a bath is all about self-care, you also want to make sure you’re getting squeaky clean while you’re at it! I found this Aveeno Restorative Skin Therapy Body Wash which is crafted to gently cleanse and nourish the skin. Some soaps are actually pretty drying, but this one appears to be moisturizing.
Treat Your Skin After Bath Time
Self-care shouldn’t stop when you jump out of the water. Instead, pamper yourself with a few of these indulgences.
The dry winter air can wreak havoc on your skin. That’s why moisturizing is so important!
I discovered this homemade body butter recipe on A Traditional Life and it looks super hydrating. Plus, it only requires three ingredients. Take a look at what you’ll need below:
- 1/2 cup shea butter
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 2 Tablespoons sweet almond oil
Grab a double boiler from your cabinet and fill it 3/4 full with water. Place it on the stove and turn it to medium-high. Measure out your ingredients when the water is warming up and place the shea butter and coconut oil in the top portion of your double boiler and set it on the water-filled base. After, make sure you turn down the heat to medium-low to avoid boiling.
When those ingredients are fully melted, pour the liquid into a mixing bowl and let it sit for a while to cool (a few hours). After they return to a solid state, fluff the ingredients with a handheld mixture—whipping the two together until they appear fluffy. Now, measure out 2 tablespoons of liquid oil and add it to the mix, whipping for another 15 seconds or so.
There you have it! Soothing body butter that you can keep in a small tub for your post-bath time routine.
But if you don’t have time to make your own, there are plenty of options that will leave your skin feeling super hydrated!
One of my absolute favorites is the Peak 10 Skin Whipped Body Butter. It’s fast-absorbing and designed to quench thirsty skin. My favorite part? It doesn’t feel heavy or greasy!
I’ve been a fan of the Josie Marin brand for years and I was thrilled to see that they make body butter.
The Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter is made for all skin types and even includes antioxidants. People say it’s super lightweight and that it doesn’t make you feel oily.
If you experience dryness, dullness, or uneven skin texture, this Kiehl’s Dry Body Oil may be able to help. When you hop out of your bath, spray it all over the surface of your skin and massage it in until it’s fully absorbed. You’ll be left with soft and smooth skin instantly!
Now draw yourself a bubble bath and get into full self-care mode. I’m certain it will make you feel calm and relaxed!
From my home to yours,
Jill Also. And. But. Also. However. Plus. And. But. However. Also. But. Also. However. But. Also.
