Recently in Bath Category

I’ve been in this crazy, happy holiday daze lately. I’m embracing the holidays and am so excited to be going to see my family for Christmas that I broke down and tried a product I never thought I’d ever try again just because it smelled like candy canes! I’m kind of obsessed with Philosophy’s Candy Cane 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath. I’ll tell you this right now, do not use this as a shampoo! I didn’t even try with this bottle because when I used Cinnamon Buns, my hair was ripped apart and dried out after only one use. This is great to use as a body wash though. The crisp peppermint smell fills your shower up and pleasantly lingers on your skin. It put me in a holiday mood for the rest of the day. $20 at Sephora.com Philosophy Candy Cane 24 oz

I am a bath girl. Before giving birth I took luxuriously long baths daily, my tub was surrounded by candles, magazines and my favorite books. Flash to 2007, my toddler has taken over my bathtub or as he calls it "the swimming tub" which is now covered in plastic bath toys. When I discovered Fraiche, I thought the all natural hand made soaps and bath swizzles would make great stocking stuffers for my girlfriends. I didn't even contemplate trying them for myself at first because I have not had time for a bath in months! When I received my box however, the scent of honeysuckle and gardenia (my favorite!) tempted me and when I read all the ingredients were organic and molded by hand, I knew I had to take an hour off from my life to indulge. I put my son to bed a bit earlier than usual (he actually needed it as he did not nap, so don't feel sorry for him!) and told my husband I was not going out as planned. I needed a break from our busy social calendar and what better way than a nice bath?!?!?

I grabbed a stack of magazines so I could catch up on reading but the minute I sat in the Honeysuckle infused bath I was lost. You know that super corny Calgon commercial from the '80s when that stressed out woman would beg to be taken away? Well, that's how I felt. I felt miles from blogging, potty training, black tie social functions and all the things I do on daily basis to keep my world spinning. I closed my eyes and did not open them until the bathwater got cold. When I got out, my skin was soft and silken from the organic oils (Goat’s Milk, Certified Organic Olive Oil, Certified Organic Coconut Oil, Unrefined Virgin Shea Butter). I have decided to keep all the bath swizzles and soaps for myself, sorry girls- this stash is mine, I'll order more for you when Christmas rolls around but don't blame me if I keep that as well :) Did I mention my bathroom was deliciously scented for the rest of the night? What could be more romantic than a room scented like the shores of Hawaii?

Fraiche is sold at Stanley Korshak and a host of Spas. Or do like I plan to and buy directly from the Fraiche website. Bath swizzles- $17.50 for pack of three. $12.50 for hand molded soaps.

I am currently obsessed with the Skin Deep Website, a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products from researchers at the Environmental Working Group. I have been on it all weekend looking up every brand in my bathroom, it was shocking how many items in my bathroom are rated "high toxicity" and that may cause cancer, render me infertile amongst many other scary hazards! Go through the site and search for your favorite products to see what you come up with. I could not find my favorite luxury brands such as La Prarie, Natura Bisse, Sisley or La Mer on the site, hopefully it is because their products are tested extensively to avoid causing hazard? (or maybe they were too expensive for the scientists to buy and test?).

There seems to be a pattern of beauty companies across the board with body lotions being listed as highly toxic even if their other products are of low or no risk (For example, Skinceuticals C&E ferulic is safe but the Skin Firming Body Cream is a high hazard- I am throwing mine in the trash tonight!). In fact, I am so freaked out that I have decided to use my son's baby products from California Baby (rated 0- low hazard) on my body until further notice. I am not one to scare easily and often ignore the urban legends of lipstick accumulating in the stomach etc but this really got my attention! Of course I will do more sleuthing with doctors in order to validate the site's claims, let me know what you beauties come up with.

Here's a thought, perhaps the reason Aveda products tested so high for toxicity is because they do not do any testing on lab rats....

I saw these at the Bacara Spa and had to get some to try. They look like such fun and I love to take baths so it was a pretty easy sell. These ice cream bath scoops are filled with oils, minerals and fragrances and come in a ton of "flavors". When dropped in water, it fizzes like Alka Seltzer and you see all the oils float to the top. The scent is quite strong, I used the cucumber melon and the entire tub turned blue and pretty much that half of the house smelled like it for a few hours. Good and bad, depending on what you like. I thought it would make a mess of my tub with all those oils but it didn't, although the next time I took a bath the scent kind of lingered. But not totally a bad thing. I did feel the lasting effects of the oils and I smelled really really good for the whole day but at $8 a pop, I'm not sure I will be using these on a regular basis. I shared this bath with my 2 year old daughter who loved it so these are unique gifts for those with kids or for your indulging friend with a sweet tooth! $8.00 for a 6-oz scoop or $28.00 for a set of four at Me!Bath.