Optimally Relaxing Bath
March 7, 2016 12:28 PM   Subscribe

My 14-year-old daughter has trouble sleeping. Recently she had good results after a long bath with a bath bomb from Lush, so she is after me to get her a bunch of them. But at (up to) $9 a pop, I'm wondering if there's something more cost-effective.

If you use bath bombs, are there any good brands that are more reasonably priced? Amazon lists almost a thousand, but I have no idea which brands are good. If you use bath salts or bath oils, which do you find the most relaxing and soporific? Bonus points for something I could pick up at Walmart or Target, or order from Amazon Prime, because I promised her I'd take her shopping for them Wednesday evening.

As a confirmed shower-taker, I know nothing of bath chemistry. However, I recently had an Epsom Salt bath that just about knocked me out. I don't think I'm going to be able to sell Epsom Salt to my daughter, but maybe Epsom Salt and something that smells good? I saw this article on how to make my own bath bombs, which seems beyond my patience, but would I get the same effect from just buying all the ingredients and dumping them into the tub?

In case you're tempted to offer general advice about sleeping: we are getting medical attention for this problem. and exploring many other avenues. I'd like to keep responses to this AskMe focused on relaxing baths and the products that facilitate them. Thanks for your help.
posted by ubiquity to Health & Fitness (27 answers total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
They make scented Epsom Salts! I got some at Target to soak my giant, swollen pregnant lady feet in and they were green tea scented. Also, to make LUSH bath bombs more cost effective, you don't need to use the whole thing. Half of one or a quarter is MORE than enough to color and scent bathwater. I always cut them in quarters.
posted by Aquifer at 12:31 PM on March 7, 2016 [6 favorites]


I really like Dr Teal's lavender scented epsom salts. You can get a huge bag for like $5 at Ulta and I am guessing Target will sell it at as well. Amazon also has it but the bags I am finding right now are 4x the price for some reason.
posted by joan_holloway at 12:33 PM on March 7, 2016 [10 favorites]


What was the fragrance of the bath bomb she liked? You can get essential oils quite cheaply and you don't need to add much to a bath (don't use them with bubble baths, just add them to plain bath water). Lavender is a perennial favourite oil to aid sleep but not everyone likes the smell (I don't!) but in general the base notes - think muskier "warmer" scents - are relaxing while top notes like citrus oils are good for waking you up. Sandalwood, cedar wood, ylang ylang and chamomile are good ones to try and she can make a blend of a few she likes.
posted by billiebee at 12:34 PM on March 7, 2016


Response by poster: What was the fragrance of the bath bomb she liked?

I believe this was the one she liked. It was lavender, mostly.
posted by ubiquity at 12:37 PM on March 7, 2016


It's magnesium in the epsom salts that has that super relaxing effect. Magnesium can be taken as an oral supplement but is best absorbed with minimal side effects through the skin; grab her some lavender epsom salts for baths and maybe a magnesium cream/lotion for days when there's no time for a long bath, or when she needs extra. you could also get some plain epsom salts and add in a concentrated nicely scented liquid soap like Dr Bronner's lavender if she enjoys the bubbles part as well as the salt.

Here's an option for magnesium lotion:

link
posted by zdravo at 12:37 PM on March 7, 2016 [9 favorites]


I'm here to second the suggestion of essential oils. They smell wonderful and don't cost the earth. I'd also check out the bath section of stores with natural products . . . most have bubble baths and such at decent prices.
posted by bearwife at 12:37 PM on March 7, 2016


Oh, and an off beat suggestion that isn't very pricey -- I'm a fan of Aveeno's oatmeal bath stuff, like this. I know it is to relieve itching but it smells good to me and I find it very relaxing as well as nice for the skin.
posted by bearwife at 12:40 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


I've found a two parts Epsom salts, one part baking soda, plus ten drops of lavender oil to be incredibly relaxing. I picked everything up in the health/beauty section of Whole Foods, but I'm sure you could find it cheaper elsewhere.
posted by librarianamy at 12:42 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


You're in luck because lavender is really widely available! Target does a range of essential oils for around $6.99 a bottle and you literally only need a few drops under the running water so it lasts for ages. She can use lavender alone, blend it with another, or use a pre-made blend like this one.
posted by billiebee at 12:43 PM on March 7, 2016


Bath bombs are basically baking soda, citric acid powder (which combine for fizziness), and epsom salts, plus your scented oil and dye. Dye is of course optional.

While you can make them as little cakes (bombs) as in the link above, you don't really have to if you can do without some of the special effects. If you added all of these ingredients individually to the bath, the only part that would fail is the fizzing (well, it might work briefly, without much spectacle). You can definitely make these cheaper than you can buy them, but the hard part will be nailing a scent that's working for you. Oils will also be the more expensive ingredient to buy, but not prohibitive considering the volume you'll get. Try pricing it out, though; even supposing you get this issue licked by the doctors, you'll still have nice, erm, bath bomb-making materials for a lifetime of freedom from banal bathing.

And maybe your daughter can do without the fizzing thing and/or the dye, in which case you can use epsom salts in a scoop and a few drops of aromatic oil.

Citric acid powder, by the way, can be bought expensively or cheaply. Avoid food-grade sources like GNC or the grocery store, and buy a pound of the stuff. Once you combine with baking soda, keep it dry dry dry, as humidity will allow the soda and acid to neutralize. Same reason you keep baking powder in an airtight can.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:43 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm not sure if you can get it where you live and for how much, but I love Kneipp's Poppy and Hemp bath concentrate. It's like a drug to bathe in and looks like you killed someone in the bath tub. (Don't worry, it doesn't stay after you drain the water.)

Also, what the others said. Lavender is said to be relaxing and my mother puts it into little sacks to hang in the bedroom.
posted by LoonyLovegood at 12:46 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


Strong second for Dr. Teal's Epsom salts! You can get this two pack of different scents on Amazon.
posted by something something at 12:46 PM on March 7, 2016 [2 favorites]


I just cut the Lush bombs in quarters. :) Some nights, I just want a soothing bath without a lot of chemistry.
posted by heathrowga at 12:47 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


14 bath bombs for $20 on Amazon.
posted by essexjan at 12:54 PM on March 7, 2016


Nthing Dr Teal's Lavender -- I got mine from Target and it was about $5 for a 3lb bag.
posted by zebra at 1:15 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


Just another piece of anecdata, but my go-to, i-am-achy-and-wound-up-and-i-want-to-sleep-now bath involves a generous cupful of plain epsom salts, with a drop or 3 of lavender oil and maybe some eucalyptus oil. I had one of those last night. So good. So sleepy.

I would honestly grab her some epsom salts and a couple or three bottles of various scented/essential oils. I don't know your daughter, but I could totally see a 14 year old getting really stoked by the idea of getting to mix her own signature bath scents for any given night, so she might really get into it.

Depending on how deep this rabbit hole goes, maybe you'd want to do a pinterest search or two for "diy bath salts," which will bring up numerous results for cutely gift packaged type things that your daughter might want for herself, or might get a kick out of making for others.

As for where to get stuff, I get my epsom salts at the grocery store or target in the "bath" aisle, usually on the bottom shelf. I got my oils from a local hippy-dippy pseudoscience store (any "knowledge" they profess to have is bullshit, but I don't have to believe in auras to want things that smell nice), but here is a promising set (for a decent price) that is Amazon Prime eligible.

When I was 14ish (a good long time ago) The Body Shop was also a decent place to look for scented oils (some essential, some just scents). But I probably haven't entered one of those in a decade so I don't know what they are like now.
posted by sparklemotion at 1:19 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


Try Johnson's Baby Bath, Lavender is the gill man!

Also, if her sleeplessness is due to whirling thoughts, it could be a B-vitamin deficiency (I have it, due to anemia.) More red meat! And other things full of B-s.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:26 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


I've used Masada lavender salts and have also seen bath salts sold in bulk (bring your own container) at whole foods.
posted by brujita at 1:54 PM on March 7, 2016


Essential oils work really well.

However, do be careful because they tend to lie in a layer on top of the bathwater rather than mix in, so you get a concentrated layer at the top. If you are using oils that aren't good on skin when concentrated you can cause irritation. It's best to mix them with full fat milk or a carrier oil so that they're more dilute.

Lavender is fine either way though.
posted by kadia_a at 2:07 PM on March 7, 2016


I have used that bath bomb recipe as a preschool-age science project many times-- it's actually a lot easier than it looks. I like to use silicon muffin tins to shape the bath bombs rather than try to get a round shape.
posted by instamatic at 2:11 PM on March 7, 2016


I have friends who swear by basically smearing lavender essential oil on the bottoms of their feet before bedtime. I can't attest to it, because I hate the smell of it, but these are long-time insomniacs so.. ymmv.
posted by ApathyGirl at 2:44 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


Hot baths with awesome things in them work for a couple of reasons - one is that the temperature drop from being in the bath to going to bed mimics what your body does when you get sleepy. (The others are the magnesium and things like essential oils.)

My standard non-fussy cheap method is to get Epsom Salts and sea salt, and mix them dry in a large container, half and half. Dump a handful or three in the bathtub at night, add two or three shakes from a bottle of lavender oil with a low-flow stopper (so we're talking maybe 5-10 drops total in the bathtub) and soak for 20 minutes, which is long enough to get the temperature effect.

Lavender and chamomile are both commonly used oils for sleep - if your daughter has ragweed allergies, you might want to give the chamomile a pass (or test carefully) - they're closely related plants. I do lavender and neroli (sweet orange) as a combo a lot.
posted by modernhypatia at 3:20 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


Bath bombs are seriously like the easiest joint parent-kid craft project EVER and I bet that she would find the bath EVEN MORE RELAXING if the bomb in question was her very own custom-tailored concoction. There are dozens of tutorials all over the internet. She can have relaxing, sleep-inducing baths and you can get some parent-child bonding done.

If she's attached to the round ones, you can either get round ice cube molds or you can use the cheapo plastic christmas ornaments that come apart into two halves.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 4:33 PM on March 7, 2016 [2 favorites]


And in the future, you can buy these Epsom Salts in bulk, and add a few essential oils to the bag or into the bath itself. I buy the 25lb for $23 with free shipping. They have scented options too, but I like the plain so I can control the level of fragrance!
posted by barnone at 6:38 PM on March 7, 2016 [2 favorites]


I'm wondering if it wouldn't be possible to talk your daughter into a basic bubble bath. Sorry if this is something she has tried but bubble bath is cheap and bubbles are fun. I actually have the best luck with cheap store brand bubble bath - which is interesting since I have pretty sensitive skin. I get a medium size bottle (which is actually pretty big) for about $3. Most stores have this in lavender.

There are also tons of recipes on pinterest for diy bath bombs and salts.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 10:58 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm with fluffy battle kitten - the simple act of having a bath is relaxing for me, and I have one most days before I go to bed. It's a habit that I think everyone should adopt! It's "me" time in a relaxing situation.

The paraphernalia doesn't add much to the benefit for me.

Cheap bubbles courtesy of Walmart $4 for 64 fl oz Somona Bubble Bath fulfils my pamper quotient. Epsom salts are great if I've actually done some exercise that day (so therefore they're very rarely used). Ikea tea lights are nice for a bit of atmosphere (if I remember to light them).

A bath before bed helps me sleep. The nights that I don't get to do that are nights that I don't sleep as well.

(And of course there is the "have a bath before bed and skip the shower in the morning!" thing which as someone who is not a morning person, is a really good thing.)

Good luck - hope your daughter finds something that works for her...
posted by finding.perdita at 12:13 AM on March 8, 2016


Seconding Etsy. My sister likes Lush bath bombs, and I used to get her a few as a go-to birthday/Christmas present. My wife seemed to think this was a sad gift, and found a place on Etsy that sold similar products for a fraction of the price. This year we got my sister a whole big basket full of them, for the same price we would've paid for three Lush ones. And my sister seems to like them even better than Lush. Works out perfectly.
posted by kevinbelt at 8:26 PM on March 8, 2016


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