If you're looking to enhance your bath routine to new, spa-like heights, there's one product you might be overlooking, and it's a favourite of Gillian Anderson's.
When it comes to drawing the perfect, relaxing tub, the best bubble baths are often the first on the list, alongside a body scrub or shower oil to cleanse your skin with, but there's another luxurious buy that can elevate your soak. A bath oil, one you add to the steaming water before you submerge yourself, is one of those indulgent products that you might think unnecessary, but once you find a formula you love, it can swiftly become a non-negotiable in your self-care routine. Much like your best-smelling body lotions or even your best face masks. After all, they hydrate your skin as well as scent it, with many of the best perfumes for women actually being available in this format.
Indeed, it's a step Gillian Anderson, for one, always includes when running her own baths, and we have some insights on the particular brands that claim spots along her tub.
The one product Gillian Anderson always has a 'glug' of in her bath
While just a hot bath is already a luxury and one that can soothe your weary bones and mind, if it's something you partake in regularly, there are a few ways to elevate its steaming waters even further. For Gillian Anderson, that's with a good few drops (or a 'glug', as she puts it) of bath oil and particularly one from either Jo Malone or Le Labo. Both of which, if you don't know, are very iconic and luxurious fragrance brands that offer perfumes as well as bodycare products - ideal for layering together.
In an interview with Sheer Luxe in February, Anderson said, "Baths are my favourite way to unwind," before adding that, "there’s always a good glug of oil in my tub from Jo Malone London or Le Labo. "
RRP: £54
Anderson didn't name the exact scent she loves from the brand's collection of bath oils, but with Lime, Basil & Mandarin ranked among the best Jo Malone fragrances, this is definitely a good one to start with. It features a blend of nourishing jojoba and sweet almond oils, as well as those iconic notes of zesty lime, fresh basil and juicy mandarin. As for how to use this luxe bath oil, the brand says to pour some drops into the running water.
RRP: £65
If you're a fan of an 'Everything' bath or look forward to unwinding on a Friday evening in the tub, Le Labo's oils are a true treat for your body and nose. Naturally, they smell incredible and are available in many of the brand's most iconic scents, including Santal 33, but they're also enriched with skin-loving ingredients like macadamia, sweet almond and jojoba oils. Again, Anderson didn't specify the exact Le Labo oil she uses, but Santal 33, as a scent, is considered to be one of the best on the market.
RRP: £46.50
For another option and one our beauty team loves, consider Olverum's fresh-smelling Bath Oil. Featuring a luxurious and concentrated blend of 10 essential oils, including Siberian fir needle, lavender and juniper, this non-greasy oil is a key fixture in Digital Beauty Editor, Fiona McKim's bath routine. Indeed, she cited it as a favourite for wintery, 'Festive' bath but also anytime she wants a pamper moment. With just a few drops, you'll soon find that your cares melt away, while the tension in your body eases as that lusciously fresh and earthy scent surrounds you.
Now, while Anderson didn't name the specific scents that she loves from each brand, both house a range of very popular blends, so you can't really go wrong with whatever you choose. Especially if you opt for scents that boast notes you tend to gravitate towards, scented lotion or long-lasting perfume-wise.
As for the formulas, Jo Malone's bath oils feature a nourishing blend of sweet almond and jojoba oil, and transform into soft, milky bubbles. Pour it into the running water and enjoy the chic scents as they fill the steamy air.
Le Labo's massage and bath oils are also enriched with jojoba and sweet almond oils, with the addition of macadamia oil, and can be rubbed into the skin or dropped into the bath for a blissfully scented and nourishing soak.
As mentioned, both fragrance brands are on the more premium side, but often, the matching scented lotions, body washes, and hair mists are a great way to enjoy their famous scents for less - such is the case with these bath oils.
