The Joy of Soaks : A New Generation of Tub Treats Is Immersing Bathers in Luxury
It is no coincidence that as the fitness craze hit its peak, many people rediscovered the pleasures of bathing. Bubbled, salted, oiled or straight from the tap, a leisurely bath can seem much more appealing than a no-nonsense shower to exercisers emerging sweaty and sore from the workout room. Indeed, the bath is one of the few vices that can be enjoyed with a clear conscience by the healthy set. And for many, it has become--like exercise itself--a positive addiction. Still, bathing is not only for the exercising minority. It can also be a retreat in which the tensions of the working world are washed away.
Turning the tub into a body-pampering getaway can be expensive. But price is no object for many who believe in the bath. Jane Kennedy, proprietor of Palmetto, a soap-and-bath boutique on Santa Monica’s trendy Montana Avenue, says that customers who are intimately acquainted with the rejuvenating power of bathing will spend more than $100 a month on additives. They are not necessarily interested in cleansing, she says. In fact, Kennedy reports, some bathers say that they shower off the day’s grime before entering the tub. They are in it for the soak.
Essential oils of herbs and flowers for the bath can cost as much as $200 per ounce. Essence of rose, for example, uses the petals of 60,000 roses to make each ounce. Modern-day practitioners of the ancient art of “aromatherapy” claim that essence of rose can be used to treat depression, nausea, headaches, insomnia and poor sex drive. There is no scientific verification for such assertions, but, not surprisingly, aromatherapy is becoming a popular term in the fragrance industry. Researchers are trying to correlate the powers of scent with mood changes, stress reduction, sleep inducement and, of course, sexual attraction. Among the first commercial ventures is Avon’s Tranquil Moments, a collection of aromatherapy products for the bath. And Avon researchers say they’ve found a “meaningful, significant difference in levels of relaxation when compared to using ‘placebo fragrance’ or no fragrance at all.”
Jack Mausner, Chanel research and development vice president, says his firm has not yet plunged into aromatherapy, but he comments: “We’d be crazy if we didn’t look into it. It could be the next major breakthrough. But like any research, this will take time.”
Many products have been formulated to make the already-relaxing bath experience even more so. “Additives with essential oils work on the premise that the body and psyche will benefit” from the warm water and fragrance, Kennedy explains. To unwind after a stressful day, she recommends a bath of lavender salts. “It’s so relaxing, you sleep like a baby,” she says.
She says bath salts composed of finely ground minerals are “extremely therapeutic--like a soak in the ocean.” Although some salts are very expensive, Kennedy notes, a $4 jar of Batherapy salts can last for months. To solve a problem plaguing upscale bathers, Abracadabra salts, at $6.25 a box, is said to not clog whirlpool baths.
William Stone, a professor at the Exercise and Sport Research Institute at Arizona State University, says that he has not seen scientific studies on the effects of bathing, scented or plain, but that “there is no question that a warm bath will relax overworked muscles.” Confirmed bathers go further. Many say it is natural to seek asylum from the outside world in the comfort of a soothing soak. And once you’ve taken the plunge, they say, you’ll never again be content with a quick sudsing in the shower.
