Whether you’re washing that man right out of your hair, or seeking solace from screens and celebrity trash, there’s nothing like slipping into a hot bath and feeling your woes dissolve as quickly as the lavender bath bomb fizzing at your feet. We feel quite strongly that baths shouldn’t be the preserve of stressful days, melancholy moods and achy bones because, quite simply, baths are brilliant. They offer instant indulgence with a simple turn of the taps and if done right there are some added health benefits too such as boosting your immune system, helping skin conditions like eczema and even alleviating serious medical disorders. Which brings us to our friendly reminder - go easy on the hot tap! Obviously no one wants to languish in tepid water but fainting as you clamber out of the tub will only undo all off the fabulous work that you have just put into relaxing. We weren’t always such bath lovers you know. In the past we found they made us drowsy and head achy and we would have to take to our bed for a couple of hours afterwards. We were also put off by the added complication of how to wash our hair without it getting all soapy. Turns out we were doing it all wrong. Back in the pre bath loving days we made the mistake of making the water too hot. The problem with this was that we gave ourselves a false fever and our poor body was on fire internally - all that intense heat was a bit much. Now we don’t make the water quite as hot as we used to plus we like to cool down with a cold flannel on our face when things get too steamy. This means our body temperature stays up high, which makes us feel lovely and relaxed, but physiological stress is reduced as we’re shedding a bit of heat (and it feels really nice and refreshing.) Such rookies that we were, we used to go for baths sans a cold drink. Now we wouldn’t dream of sinking into the bubbles without a glass full of ice and tonic water with some elderflower cordial. Sometimes there’s a teeny bit of gin in there– we didn’t say we were angels! We also drink lots of water when we exit the tub because you sweat lots in the bath (which gets rid of some of those pesky toxins) and it’s important to replace all that lost fluid – no wonder we used to get a sore head. Back in those dark days of showers only, we naively assumed that a splash of bubble bath from an old Christmas gift set circa 1999 was all that was required to turn 270 litres of water into 270 litres of liquid loveliness. Now we know that scented candles and bath oils, or at least a hefty slosh of Radox are a must and bring a real spa feeling to proceedings. Ah yes, the hair washing problem. Now our baths are so darned delightful we don’t mind having to wash our hair in the shower. What do you add to your bath time ritual to make it the perfect indulgence?
The key ingredients for a perfect bath:
1. All lights should be off, the bathroom should be lit only by the gentle glow of candlelight - our Natural Spa Collection are perfect (and perhaps the light of your iPad or similar device if you chose to go down the entertainment route – which is highly recommended, although you will need to be careful obviously)
2. The door should be locked. This is a cat and kid free zone. 3. When you emerge your fingers should be lightly pruned – if your skin does not resemble a dried fruit then you have haven’t tried hard enough.
Our favourite baths from history: 
1. Julia Roberts belting out ‘Kiss’ by Prince in Pretty Woman while ensconced in a massive tub courtesy of the Beverly Wilshire . Note the huge bubbles, archaic yellow cassette player and the daylight. Day time baths are the height of indulgence!
2. Not for the lactose intolerant, Cleopatra was a fan of the milk bath which is said to increase one’s beauty as the lactic acid contained in milk destroys the proteins that hold dead skin cells together. We say pass us the semi-skimmed! Happy Bathing 
Stephanie Barnet Marketing Executive Shearer Candles
