Taking a relaxing, soothing bath can be part of a self-care ritual that is easy to elevate with the use of different soaps, oils, or bath salts.
Two popular items to add to you bath to create an aromatic and visually stimulating experience are bubble baths and bath bombs. They will add fragrance, as well as bubbles or fizzles to the water to allow for a more relaxing bath time ritual.
Although both products may appear to be similar, there are several differences between the two which can determine what product you might want to include in your bath time soak.
Whether you are looking for an invigorating morning bath to start your day, or a relaxing soak at the end of the nigh, bubble baths and bath bombs will create different effects in the tub to achieve your desired results. While bubbles can be fun, the visual effects from a bath bomb once steeped in water can also be exciting.
While both products for the bath can elevate your self-care ritual, there are a few differences that will achieve varying effects when added to the bath water, including how they look and perform once added to the tub.
What is the difference between a bath bomb and a bubble bath? Bath bombs will create an aromatic and visual experience for your bath, while bubble bath will create piles of soft, whipped foam that adds a luxurious feel to your soak.
Below we discuss in depth what bath bombs and bubble baths are, their individual benefits, and how to choose which one is the right product for your bath!
What Is A Bath Bomb?
Bath bombs have become a popular bath time treat in the last few years, due to the colors and scents they can add to the water once they are activated.
The product is formulated with an acid and baking soda as the top ingredients, which contributes to how they react once introduced to water. Bath bombs are all created with skin safe ingredients that help to soften, hydrate, or soothe the skin.
The acids that are used when creating bath bombs are often citric acids, that have beneficial properties to the skin. When added to the water the ingredients are activated to mix together to create a fizz, with smaller bubbles of carbon dioxide that work to disperse the product throughout the water.
The combination of the carbon dioxide bubbles, color add-ins, and some other add-ins like glitter, swirl around in the water to create a visually stunning experience in your bath water.
Often bath bombs also include ingredients like essential oils and different fragrances to further enhance how the skin feels, as well as the aromatherapy quality of the product.
Benefits Of Using A Bath Bomb
There are many benefits to adding bath bombs into your bath time ritual. The most common benefit is the individual use of the product, which allows you to have a variety of bath bombs available and to chose the one that suits your needs for each particular bath.
They are available in a wide variety of different colors, scents, and ingredients that can make each bath time experience unique.
The variety in the marbled colors and scents helps to create an aromatic and visual experience with each bath you take. The bath bomb dispersed throughout the water once it begins to break down, resulting in a swirl of colors and scents that can fully encompass your bathtub to elevate your experience.
Bath bombs are available in scents that are energizing and stimulating, if you are looking to add the product to your morning routine, or calming and relaxing if you want to indulge in a soak just before bed.
The overall effect of bath bombs can enhance the ritual of taking a bath by also infusing the water with essential oils, body butters, or bath salts.
Bath bombs are also easy to use, as they only require being plopped into the water, and the mixture of activated ingredients does the rest.
What Is A Bubble Bath?
Bubble bath, on the other hand, has been a popular bath time product for decades that can often remind us of the many baths in our youth.
It is a skin safe, liquid detergent that creates piles of bubbles when mixed with water. The bubbles that are created from the products are lightweight and airy, but are also plentiful and can easily fill the tub with product required.
Bubble baths are created with a detergent to cleanse the skin, and the bubbles are made by small soap molecules and water. The product is also usually infused with fragrance to add a pleasant and refreshing scent to your bath.
Benefits Of Using A Bubble Bath
Bubble bath has stood the test of time of being a necessary bath time product. One of the biggest benefits of using a bubble bath is the piles of foamy bubbles they can create with minimal product applied to the water.
They work best when adding to running water to ensure the soapy detergent can foam up quickly and thoroughly.
As not much product is needed to create the bubbles, one bottle can last for quite a while and can be used over the course of multiple baths, rather than the individual use of the bath bomb.
There are countless formulas of bubble baths available that are formulated with different scents, allowing you to find your favorite few to suit whatever mood you need for each bath.
Bubble bath also helps to insulate the water, to preserve its warmth even longer. It is never fun, being in a relaxing, warm bath, when the water starts to turn cold. The bubbles help to retain the water’s warmth, which in turn can extend your soaking time.
Bubble baths are also often infused with different skin-loving ingredients, such as essential oils, that can help to alleviate dry patches on the skin, and soften the skin overall.
Benefits Of Taking A Bath With Either Product
Incorporating a bath into your self-care routine, whether it is with a bath bomb or a bubble bath, can have countless health and wellness benefits for your mind, body, and skin.
Not only do bubble baths help to promote relaxation, it can also help to ease you into a more restful sleep when added to your nighttime routine. In general, taking baths can have a positive impact on your mood by creating a calm and safe feeling environment.
Taking baths can also help to ease any tension or soothe any muscle aches found in the body. The warmth from the bath water can alleviate any tension by calming the muscles and encouraging tense areas to relax. The ease of the muscles also helps to increase blood circulation.
By encouraging increased blood flow, it stimulates the heart which helps with the overall health of the organ. The warmth from the water also allows for easier, deeper breathing, which can help to oxygenate the blood, further helping the blood flow.
Baths can also help to relieve the skin of any irritation caused by skin conditions, like psoriasis or eczema. Soaking in the bath tub, especially with products that will not inflame the skin conditions, can help to soften the skin to look and feel more comfortable.
Following up with a thick body lotion to lock in the moisture and your skin will feel supple and at ease by the morning.
Baths are also a popular method to ease symptoms of the common cold, such a congestion or body aches. The heat from the water will allow the body to deeply relax, while the steam will work to open up the nasal passages for easier breathing.
Adding a bubble bath to your routine can also help with detoxifying and cleansing the skin. The warm water will allow the pores to be opened up, which can allow for a deeper cleanse, along with the thorough exfoliation of any impurities, clogged pores, or dead skin cells.
It is important to find bath products and soaps that will not cause irritation to your skin, as it can block the skin from completely detoxing.
When To Use A Bath Bomb Or Bubble Bath
Although both products may seem different, and have varying results for your bath, both bath bombs and bubble baths can be used together if so desired. Each product achieves a different effect for the bath, and when combined together, can create the ultimate bath time experience.
If you are looking for a bath time soak that can allow you to fully relax, keeping the water warm, and soothing the mind and body, a bubble bath would be the ideal option. Especially if you have your favorite scent that can immediately calm or invigorate the mind, you can add your chosen bubble bath to your bath at any time.
Also, if you are looking to ease your body after a long day into a restful and deep sleep, a relaxing bubble bath would be the best choice.
If you are looking to create a visual and aromatic experience in your bath that can still comfort the skin, a bath bomb is the way to go. If you want to choose a specific product that can suit your particular mood for this one soak, then an individual use bath bomb is the best choice.
Conclusion
Frequently incorporating a bath into your self-care routine has benefits for not only the body, but for your mind and spirit as well. When you can add fun, exciting products like a bath bomb or scented bubble bath to elevate your experience, the results are all the better.
While both bath bombs and bubble baths are often compared for their benefits and differences, both help to achieve a relaxing, energizing, or exciting soak, not matter what product you choose.
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