Is there anything better after a long day than slipping into a steaming hot bubble bath?
For many, it's the ultimate at-home escape - light those candles, put on some peaceful music and away you go. Of course, there needs to be bubble bath as well and this week we've been putting high street products to the test to see how they performed.
From how they looked on the bathroom shelf, to how they smelt, and how long the bubbles lasted, there was quite a lot to take into consideration when testing these bubble baths. The cheapest bubble bath we tried was 85p and the most expensive was over £8 - and you can read our verdict on each bottle below.
READ MORE: We compared shower gels and a £1 bottle scored top marks
At a time when we're all looking to save money, do you really need to splash - pardon the pun - the cash when it comes to bubble bath? Here's our thoughts:
Imperial Leather Lavender & Wild Iris from Superdrug
I absolutely love bubble baths, I actually used to have them almost every night in the winter - before energy bills went sky high, of course!
There's just something so relaxing about lying in hot bubbly water with a few candles on the go, it's absolute bliss. I've always been a fan of anything lavender scented, so when I saw this Imperial Leather Lavender & Wild Iris bubble bath at my local Superdrug I had to get it.
The bottle looked luxurious and the deep purple colour of the bubble bath looked so appealing, I really had high hopes for a nice strong lavender scent. In terms of consistency, the bubble bath itself was lovely and thick and lathered up so well to create loads of bubbles.
Let's be honest, there's nothing worse than purchasing a bubble bath and it creating hardly any bubbles - it's such a disappointment. So, I was really happy that this Imperial Leather created a decent amount of bubbles for me to soak in!
There was one downside though, which bumped my score down to 4/5 instead of 5/5. The bubble bath didn't really smell much like lavender at all, it was only very faint. If anything, it was more of a floral soapy scent, but it was still pleasant nonetheless.
My only criticism would be that I wished this smelt more like lavender, but as a whole it looked really nice in the bottle and was very relaxing. It made my skin feel nice and soft afterwards and I was definitely ready for bed.
Price: £1.79
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Superdrug or other supermarkets
Lush Sleepy Bubble Bar
After living in a flat that only had a shower cubicle for seven years, I was incredibly excited to move into my new house and take advantage of the bath. I've struggled with insomnia for as long as I can remember and getting to sleep each night is always a bit of a battle.
A hot bubble bath certainly helps me to relax and unwind, and can even help me catch up on some much needed sleep. I've used a lot of bath products in the year since moving into my new house, and bubble bars from Lush have been my favourite.
Lush's Sleepy Bubble Bar is shaped like a cloud and comes in a psychedelic blend of pink, purple and blue colours. It's made with lavender oil, tonka absolute, ylang ylang oil and more.
To use, simply break off a few pieces and crumble them under warm running water and watch as thick, luscious bubbles fill up the tub. The blend of fragrances is incredible and it fills the bathroom with a soothing and relaxing aroma.
I love this bubble bar, the only issue I have is finding somewhere to store it. Lush is committed to reducing its packaging, a concept I admire, and this product is "naked". I keep it in one of Lush's little brown paper bags and store it under the sink but because my bathroom is so small, it does occasionally get damp and I worry about product loss because it doesn't really have anything protecting it.
Naked packaging is a beautiful idea, but it's not always suitable for those with limited space - and bathrooms with ridiculous condensation issues. Still, it's a beautiful, luxurious product that really helps me relax and unwind. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try.
Price: £6.50
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Lush stores and online
Morrisons Essentials Bath Cream
I love relaxing with a bubble bath but rarely set aside time to have one. Whenever I have a bath, I tend to treat myself to some Lush bath bombs, but these can be quite pricey.
I decided to have a well-needed pamper night and picked up the Morrisons Essentials White Orchid Bath Cream, which cost just 85p for a one litre bottle. I was really impressed by how affordable this was, especially considering the size of the bottle.
I was instantly struck by the scent of this bubble bath - it was nice and fresh, yet not too overpowering. What's more, the product produced plenty of bubbles when I added it to the water, and you didn't need to use too much to get a good result.
I was really pleased with the product and would definitely purchase it again. It smells lovely, creates a good amount of bubbles and is good value for money.
Price: 85p
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Morrisons stores or online.
Champneys Slumber Bubble Bath from Boots
Baths are a bit of a rarity for me as I have little time to myself in the evenings and usually spend what's left of it catching up on TV. So when I do decide to jump in the tub, it's got to be perfect - candles, water that's really really hot and of course a lovely scent.
I'm not really a bath bomb fan, I much prefer bath salts or bubbles and I was drawn to this Champneys Slumber Bubble Bath because of the scent. Now I know a lot of people think lavender is a bit of a 'nana' smell, but I find it so relaxing. In this bubble bath, lavender is also blended with eucalyptus, patchouli and sage essential oils. To me that all sounded dreamy and after trying it, I can confirm it truly was.
I poured in a good squeeze of the blonde coloured bubble bath under hot running water and it instantly began to froth and foam. The smell of the essential oils filled the air pretty quickly and gave my bathroom a steamy, spa-like feel.
Once in the tub, the bubbles remained nice and thick for around 10-15 minutes before beginning to fade, yet the calming smell lingered in the air. After my bath, I noticed it had left my skin smelling of lavender and essential oils and as it wasn't long before I went to bed, this was a real bonus.
It certainly left me feeling relaxed and ready for a good night's sleep, which is just what I had. Priced at around £8, it's not the cheapest bubble bath on the shelves, but if you want a really relaxing scent as well as big bubbles, I'd certainly recommend this.
Price: Currently £8.33 at Boots
Rating: 5/5
Where to buy: Boots
Radox Mineral Therapy Sleep Aromatherapy Bath Soak
I love a good soak in the bath. Love. Especially when it's freezing cold outside - a bath is the only way to warm you to your bones. Mostly, though, I love having a bubble bath to help relax when I’m struggling to sleep.
At this point, it feels like I’ve tried pretty much every bubble bath and bath bomb under the sun - but when I spotted Radox’s Mineral Therapy Sleep Aromatherapy Bath Soak I knew I had to give it a go.
The 1L bottle features a “soothing blend of herbs, minerals, chamomile and white valerian” that is distinctive and relaxing from the get-go. It also features Radox’s DreamScentz fragrance, which promises to improve sleep quality and I couldn’t resist that.
I added a good sized portion of the bath soak to the tub, which almost instantly bubbled up and filled the room with a delicious aroma. I found the scent immediately relaxing and the bubbles lasted a good 20 minutes before starting to slowly disappear.
The soak left a lovely scent on my skin and I was definitely ready for a good night’s sleep. The Radox bath soak did exactly what it said on the tin and I’ll definitely be picking up another bottle.
Price: £1.99
Rating: 5/5
Where to buy: Your local Asda store or online here.
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