Nothing truly compares to the feeling of taking a bath at the end of a long, hectic day. Light some candles, put on some smooth jazz and ignore the screaming kids on the other side of the door or the long to-do list that’s still outstanding on your work computer. Serenity, right?
What makes it better is throwing some extra goodies in there to make your bath more of an experience, like it should be: oils, epsom salts, what have you. The most popular, though, since their introduction a few years ago, are bath bombs -- namely from Lush. They’re gorgeous and are believed to be great for your skin, even if they do tend to stain your bathtub a little bit.
Are they really all they’re cracked up to be, though?
What even is a bath bomb?
A bath bomb, in essence, is really just an Alka-Seltzer tablet with makeup on. It’s a combination of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, which, when introduced and reactive with water, fizzes and dissolves into carbon dioxide. In the case of a bath bomb, though, there are also added salts, colorants, oils and whatever else (glitter, extra fragrances, etc.) looked cool enough to pack into a sphere. There’s no substantial difference between throwing a bath bomb in the tub and adding the usual salts and oils that come sold individually.
Are they really as great for my skin as they claim to be?
Yes and no. If you have super sensitive skin, you shouldn’t really be adding anything to your bathtub. “Bath bombs can add oils to a bath, and the oils are moisturizing,” Amy Wechsler, a dermatologist in New York City, told Allure. “On the other hand, some of the ingredients can be irritating, especially the fragrances and dyes.”
Jack Constantine, head of product development at Lush, agreed when speaking with Buzzfeed in 2015. In reality, you should know if bath additives do damage to your skin already, so just go by those guidelines. And if you’re really worried, simply avoid the more rambunctious bath bombs, like those containing bubble mix and glitter.
“The original bath bomb formula is surfactant-free, so it doesn't have anything that can affect your skin. It's effectively the softest formula, so it doesn't irritate. But then when you start to add bubble mix, there's the potential for irritation,” he said.
What if you have great skin?
First of all, count your damn blessings. But in that case, go nuts. Bath bombs add emollients and softeners to your bath’s water, so you’re soaking in tons of moisturizing and toning ingredients. The Intergalactic bath bomb at Lush, for example, contains essence of vetivert and cedarwood, which are natural antiseptics, and peppermint oil, which cools and invigorates.
The fragrances themselves are where it’s at. They’re usually designed to linger on your skin so the nice smell follows you around all day or night. A morning bath bomb with citrus will wake you up, while a nighttime bath with a bomb rife with lavender oil will have you primed for sleep.