It all started with a rash for me. Yuk…right? I had a huge fondness for baths, and could spend hours in the tub. There was no product that I didn’t happily purchase and try. The bigger the bubble, the better the bath. Cool colors? I was in.
But then I developed an unstoppable itch on my inner elbows, which became hives. The bubbles I thought were cleansing me were actually causing my body to protest by emitting histamines to counteract their effects. My dermatologist schooled me on bathing in gentler items, like oatmeal baths. After my first drugstore-purchased oatmeal bath, I developed the same (but worse) reaction, and found that both my bubble bath and the oatmeal bath shared one of the same ingredients. Hmmn.
I began studying ingredients the same way I studied the new season of Homeland episodes and Jimmy Choo’s, and found, to my delight, there were ways of making bath products gently, yet effectively. I looked for products made with gentle ingredients, but they were hard to find. Expensive didn’t necessarily equal effective, and natural didn’t necessarily mean gentle.
Finding ingredients and making products that were gentle enough for me to bathe in was just the tip of the iceberg. I researched and experimented with different scents, studied aromatherapy, and investigated bathing rituals in other countries in order to find baths that were effective, and frankly, would satisfy the bath junkie in me. I became obsessed (in a good way, I think) with every aspect of the bathing experience.
It’s like the food that you eat. You probably don’t try to eat food colored with unnatural dyes, has preservatives that are known toxins, or requires protective gear to handle. Most people would rather ingest a meal prepared by Jamie Oliver than the line cook at KFC. When choosing between a kale salad and a Twinkie, you know that the kale is better for your health. Following those same guidelines, why on earth would you soak your body in just anything?