Bath oils and soaks turn the first cold night of the year into something to look forward to. Here are the oils, salts and body oils I would line up by the tub, from pine and amber to magnesium and rose.
Bath Oils and Soaks for the First Cold Night
Estée Lauder launched Youth-Dew in 1953 as a bath oil that could also be worn as a perfume. It was a clever idea at the time, because it let women buy a fragrance for themselves instead of waiting to be given one, and it made the bath feel like part of getting dressed. That is still the best argument for a good bath oil. On the first properly cold night of fall, a warm bath with something that smells lovely is one of the simplest ways to end a long day.
The first row is bath oils, which soften skin while you soak. Susanne Kaufmann Mountain Pine Bath Oil comes from a brand rooted in the Austrian Alps and smells like a walk through a forest. OSEA Vagus Nerve Bath Oil is made for winding down. Estée Lauder Youth-Dew Bath Oil is the rich, spicy original. Jo Malone London Pomegranate Noir Bath Oil is dark and fruity. Oak Essentials Cloud Foaming Bath Oil turns into soft bubbles. Merigold Bath Oil is a simple, calming blend. Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Bath and Body Oil is warm and sweet, and African Botanics Equilibrium Bath and Body Oil is a balancing, botanical blend.
A quick test: add the oil once the tub is full, not while it runs. The scent lasts longer and fewer drops go further.
Bath oils
Mountain Pine Bath Oil
Susanne Kaufmann
$80
Vagus Nerve Bath Oil
OSEA
$48
Youth-Dew Bath Oil
Estée Lauder
$50
Pomegranate Noir Bath Oil 8.5 oz.
Jo Malone London
$75
Cloud Foaming Bath Oil
Oak Essentials
$56
Bath Oil
Merigold
$36
Ambre Vanille Aromatic Bath & Body Oil 3.3 oz.
Laura Mercier
$80
Equilibrium Bath & Body Oil
African Botanics
$100
Bath soaks and salts
Bath soaks and salts are the other half of a good bath. Most are built around magnesium or sea salt, and they make the water feel softer and more relaxing.
Commune Seymour Bath Salts blend Himalayan pink salt, Celtic sea salt and black Hawaiian lava salt, and they look beautiful in a jar by the tub. alo Mindful Magnesium Bath Soak is made for sore, tired muscles. Herbivore Coconut Bath Soak turns the water milky and soft. French Girl Rose Sea Soak in Rose Ylang is floral and calming. HigherDOSE Serotonin Soak is a magnesium salt made for muscle relaxation and a better mood. maude Soak No. 3 is a simple, clean blend. Barr-Co. Reserve Restorative Bath Soak smells warm and woody, and goop The Martini Bath Soak is a playful, grown-up option.
Pairing tip: use a soak and an oil together. The salts go in first while the tub fills, and the oil goes in last, right before you get in.
What I would skip: a scented soak and a strongly scented oil in the same bath. The two fragrances fight each other. Pick one scent to lead, and keep the other unscented or very soft so the bath smells clean.
Bath soaks and salts
Seymour Bath Salts
Commune
$107
Mindful Magnesium Bath Soak
alo
$48
Coconut Bath Soak
Herbivore Botanicals
$24
Rose Sea Soak Calming Bath Salts in Rose Ylang
French Girl
$22
Serotonin Soak - Magnesium Bath Salt for Muscle Relaxation & Mood Boost
HigherDOSE
$25
Soak Bath Salt No. 3
maude
$18
Reserve Restorative Bath Soak
Barr-Co.
$25.5
The Martini Bath Soak
goop beauty
$40
Body oils for after
A body oil is the step that makes the bath last. Pressed into warm, damp skin right after you step out, it seals in the water and leaves skin soft until morning.
Augustinus Bader The Body Oil is silky and made with the brand's TFC8 complex and botanical oils. AMAN Grounding Body Oil is made for slowing down, with an earthy, calming scent. PHLUR Vanilla Skin Body Oil is warm and cozy. Lake and Skye 11 11 Body Oil has a soft, clean scent. Grown Alchemist Restorative Body Oil is rich and nourishing. Mirror Water Smooth Body Oil is light and glides on easily. Soma Ayurvedic Jasmine Body Oil smells softly floral, and By Rosie Jane DULCE Everyday Body Oil is sweet, simple and easy to wear every day.
How to use them: pat yourself half dry with a towel, then smooth the oil over your arms, legs and shoulders while skin is still damp. It absorbs faster and feels less greasy.
What I would skip: a heavy body oil right before you get into bed in silk pajamas. It can mark fabric. Give it ten minutes to sink in first.
Running the bath
Run the bath warm, not hot, since very hot water dries skin out. Add salts while it fills, then a few drops of oil once the tub is full. Light a candle, put your phone in another room, and soak for as long as it feels good. When you get out, pat dry and press a body oil into damp skin. Bath oils and soaks make the first cold night feel less like the end of summer and more like the start of something cozy. Keep one oil and one soak by the tub all season so the ritual is always ready.
