Using Your 5 Senses To Boost Your Bath Experience

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One of my favorite self-care pastimes is taking a long bath, especially during the colder months. It’s so relaxing soaking in a hot tub with your favorite book in a candlelit room. Who doesn’t like a little me-time right? I have always enjoyed baths but over the past few years, I have taken it to a new level. I have found that including items that utilize all your senses brought bath time to a whole new level. Baths are much more than a hygiene practice.

Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste and Touch. Senses are amazing. Each sense stimulates a various part of our brain. Some senses work together like smell and taste to make food more enjoyable. Others like sound as well and smell have also been linked to memories. Being present and mindful of the senses you are using will help you get the most out of an experience. Connecting all your senses gets you in touch with how you feel. Who would have thought this would have anything to do with taking a bath? 

Sight. Sight probably isn’t the first thing on your list when you think of a bath. Nonetheless it is an important part in the “whole experience”. Lit candles seem to bring about a certain calming atmosphere. So maybe it should be, lack of sight we are going for-haha. If you aren’t thrilled about the whole fire thing, battery operated candles are a good replacement. Just make sure you keep the base away from water. You can put them on a small glass saucer of off the tub surrounding. The downside to battery operated is that you don’t get to enjoy the smell like you would with traditional candles.

Sound. Sound is what ties the experience together. As I mentioned, sound can be connected to memories. It can also affect how you feel and even your mood. Picking music for your bath is a personal choice. I would recommend something calming. There are several “spa” type playlists on streaming services like Spotify or Pandora. You can also create your own playlists with other music you like. 

Smell. Have you ever walked into a room and were immediately hit with the smell of something amazing? That’s what you are going for. Pick out candles with calming aromas like Lavender, Jasmine or Peppermint. Many bath products have soothing or invigorating aromas. My personal favorite is mint…peppermint…spearmint. Every breath you take with awaken your senses while soaking in the tub. 

Taste. That isn’t what you usually think of when you think of a bath. Time to change that! I’m not talking about a meal-well that’s up to you. Ha-ha I have seen some strange things. We will just stick to the basics. Drinks. A nice cold refreshing drink when you are in a hot steamy tub can be rather enjoyable. My first choice used to be wine. However, I have found a new favorite tub drink-Botanical Tea. I steep it while I am running my bath.

There are numerous benefits to botanical tea. If you aren’t familiar here’s a quick run-down. A botanical is a plant or plant part. It has therapeutic properties. Botanical teas have been shown to boost the immune system, promote cardiovascular health and reduce inflammation as well as many other health benefits. They are hydrating and most are caffeine-free and as an added benefit, they taste good! Here is the sampler pack I found on Amazon. Sometimes I put two different flavors in together. 

Any drink that gets your sense of taste awakened is a great choice. As far as taste, you may also want to snack on small fruit while soaking in the tub. Frozen grapes are a perfect treat for a long hot bath. 

Touch. Touch in a tub is more of the way your body feels as you soak in the tub and the bath products you choose. First let’s talk about water. How hot do you want the water? Do you have jets in the tub? Are you using bath salts, bath oils or bubble bath? All of these affect your bath experience. One idea for storing bath products are the jars shown below. I found these at Target and small scoops on Amazon. Even if you have a basic tub, you can buy products that create jets in the tub. There are some in the form of mats and others that hang on the side of the tub. Amazon has a large selection if that is something you are interested in. 

There are many types of bath products. I have a list of favorites (shared below) and a variety I keep on hand. If you do have a jetted tub, be careful what products you use. Some bath bombs have dried flowers, teas and oatmeal that can cause some real damage to your jet line if they get caught in it. I usually bag loose stuff and drop the bag in the tub or hang it over the water pout. That way you still get the benefits from using them. If I do use loose products, I don’t use the jets. Another product I often use is bubble bars. It’s a bar you run water over to create the desired amount of bubbles. Again, be careful when using jets with bubble bars. A little bit goes a long way.

Now that we have gone through the senses, here are some other ideas to improve your bath.

A bath tray is a great addition to any tub. Not only is it decorative but also functional. Most have an area to hold a book, phone, drink and room for whatever else you want to use it for. Most are expandable so you don’t have to worry about measuring anything. I found a reasonably priced one on Amazon that was perfect for my tub. 

Another idea for the tub is to use the time for some extra spa treatments like soaking cucumbers on your eyes, using a face mask or even a deep hair conditioning treatment.

A few of my favorite bath products:

• Elk River Soaps Butter Bombs
• Elk River Soaps Mini Bath Bombs
• Lush Bubble Bar
• Lush Avobath Bath Bomb
• Lush Sex Bomb
• Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt (Eucalyptus & Spearmint)
• Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom salt (Lavender)

The possibilities are endless. Your bath experience should be relaxing yet energizing. Remember, be mindful of your surroundings and bring all the senses together. Happy soaking! 

~Passionate Pisces