‘Bathleisure’ first made its debut in 2018, after The Cut coined the term to describe celebrities including Rihanna and Rita Ora who stepped out with full makeup, dripping in jewels…and their hair wrapped in a terrycloth towel. A portmanteau of ‘bath’ and ‘leisure’, it sparked a trend for glammed-up bathroom selfies on Instagram.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
2024 sees bathleisure enter its self-care era. Thanks to makeup artist and Vieve founder Jamie Genevieve, who has just launched her new Bathleisure body line, the term is experiencing a revival – this time around, though, it's become a byword for an elevated bath ritual.
Bathleisure is still all about comfort (and, yes, there's a plush robe in the Vieve collection to lounge in). But, according to Jamie, "bathleisure now is whatever you need it to be to make yourself feel good. It's for the new parent who has 15 minutes for themselves and a bath resets them. It's for 15 minutes of calm in your morning; the time to yourself before anyone in your household is awake. It can be your hour-long unwind after a hard day at work with the door locked and a glass of red wine. Perhaps, it's even going home and having a bath in your childhood home, which just makes you feel good. It's wellness but the sort that can be incorporated into every aspect of your life.”
There are also health benefits to drawing a bath. As well as easing sore muscles, a study by the University of Oregon found that regular warm baths can lower blood pressure. “The hot water can also increase blood circulation and bring fresh oxygen and nutrients to the body; it can help to open pores, meaning any products used post-bath have a better chance of absorption," says Kim Cochrane, head of education at Wildsmith Skin, who recommends using the Stillness Body Oil.
“Try to have a bath 1-2 hours before going to bed," she continues. "Soaking in a hot bath will naturally increase the body’s temperature, forcing it to drop when you get out and encourage the release of the natural sleep hormone melatonin which works alongside our body's natural circadian rhythm and helps to induce a deeper and better quality sleep.”
Ahead, the experts reveal the best bath time hacks you'll want to add to your routine now (foam mohicans are optional).
Jamie Genevieve, founder of Vieve
“I am a serious night-time bather. I really notice if I don’t have a bath as I don’t sleep as well. It's like a wind-down ritual and gives me space and time to cleanse not just my body, but my mind, too. It's like washing the day off and somewhere to just take a moment and decompress. I try and leave whatever I don’t want to carry in my mind with me in the bath and let it go down the plug hole! I love to set the scene with ambient lighting. A scented candle is one of the best ways to do that as it awakens the senses, too. Music, podcasts, films or a good book are a must for a bit of escapism. My Vieve Bath & Body Soak and Bath Salts, with soothing Himalayan and Epsom salts, are super important and I always take the time to make the perfect cocktail for my bath. I love to use this time to do a hair mask using Sam KcKnight's Deeper Love Intense Treatment Mask and apply the Fresh Floral Recovery Calming Mask, especially on Christmas Eve – it’s the best. Depending on what mood I am in, I will either take a big glass of Malbec or iced water with me and stay in the tub until the water gets cold!”
Camilla Kay, GLAMOUR's European Beauty Director
“If I have time for an indulgent bath, I will pull out a body brush and brush along legs and arms towards the heart to exfoliate and stimulate circulation. I'll lock the door so I can remain undisturbed, dim the bathroom light and light a candle to make it as atmospheric as possible. I'm always a fan of an aromatherapy bath oil to match my mood, be it to reenergise or instil deep relaxation. I love Beauty Pie's The Reboot Blend, which was created by aromatherapy authority Kathy Phillips and features oils of sandalwood, cedarwood and palmarosa to help me unwind. If I am heading out, I'll add a 111Skin mask to tighten and refine my skin for makeup. If I'm staying in, I'll use the Kate Somerville Exfolikate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment or moisturising mask. Post bath, I'll treat my skin to an intensive moisturiser such as the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Body Cream, as often I'm in too much of a rush after a shower to give body lotion the time and attention it deserves!”
Annee de Mamiel, aromatherapist and brand founder
“In a nutshell, a bath for me is about recovery. When I am feeling stressed, a bath really helps me to switch off and disconnect from what is at the root of my stress. While I draw the bath, I dry brush. Studies have shown that getting the most out of your bath includes sinking into the water up to your neck as this can reduce cortisol. I love the de Mamiel Altitude Soak, which has mineral packed salts, magnesium, oils and crystal powder to help completely switch me off. I also love the Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Bath Oil. I'll listen to my de Mamiel x OPO soundscape, that has been recorded to help reduce cortisol as well, and apply a face mask. I'll either layer my Restorative Cleansing Balm over the GOOP GOOPGLOW Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator to plump and brighten.
Elle Turner, GLAMOUR's beauty editor
'If I'm having a bath (which is rare) I'll use the opportunity to enjoy the beauty admin that normally feels like a chore. My boujiest new favourite find is Charlotte Mensah's Manketti Oil Salt Scrub for the scalp (which I also use on my arms and legs too). It smells beyond delicious so literally soaking in the stuff rather than a bath oil is the only way I want to use it. And, I'll follow with a hair mask, L'Oreal's Elvive Hydra Hyaluronic is affordable but unbeatable at rehydrating strands. My least favourite part about bathing is getting out, and getting cold, so I always leave my pjs and cosy socks on the radiator, and before I head to bed I'll pop on a self-heating, "relax" scented, Spacemask eye mask to help me drift off."
Nicola Elliott, founder and CEO of Neom Organics
“With so much going on at this time of year, I can find it difficult to switch off. For me, a bath is a little moment of calm, escaping from the busy day-to-day and resting my body and mind. Just 10 minutes can be very beneficial. It’s important to prioritise our wellbeing, amongst everything else and grab those little moments when we can. The key to the perfect cosy bath is to ‘set (and scent) the mood’. My bathroom is my sanctuary. From setting the lighting and ambience, to choosing my candle fragrance and bath products. Sleep is a huge contributor to our wellbeing, and a bath can be the perfect ritual to set you up for a great kip. At this time of year, I like to light a NEOM Cosy Nights Candle, dim the lights and pour a few caps of NEOM Perfect Night’s Sleep Magnesium Bath Milk into the running water. You cannot go wrong. I have a waterproof speaker in my bathroom, and I like to play our Bathtime playlist on Spotify. My post bath go-to, before bed, is the NEOM Perfect Night’s Sleep Magnesium Body Butter. I love a product that works hard while I sleep. Slather it on and trust me, your skin will thank you in the morning.”
Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's acting associate beauty director
“For me, showers are perfunctory and where I do the basic upkeep. But a bath is when I take time out of my day and really indulge in top-to-toe beauty prep. I always body brush before a bath using the Artah Natural Body Brush, starting at the feet and always moving in the direction of my heart, to boost my circulation and stimulate the lymphatic system. I like to feel cocooned so a candle is essential – but one that is unscented, as I like my bath oil to infuse the bathroom with scent (Susanne Kaufmann's Bath Oil For The Senses, with its grounding blend of lavender, patchouli and ylang ylang is my go-to). I apply the Caudalie Instant Detox Mask to purge my pores of plugs of leftover makeup, dry skin and oil before getting to work with a body scrub, which leaves me feeling squeaky clean. Then I lie back and relax with a book – anything except scrolling through my phone. After about 20 minutes, it's time to slather on a body lotion. My current favourite is Tatcha Hinoki Body Milk, which taps into the Japanese practice of 'shinrin-yoku', or ‘forest bathing’. The whole philosophy really resonates with me and this lotion mimics the effects of inhaling the scent of hinoki wood and other green plants in a forest, which research shows calms anxiety and boosts the immune system. Then I get cosy in my fluffy Soho House dressing gown in front of a Christmas movie!”
Gemma Colao, founder & creative director of Oto CBD
“As a business owner with two energetic boys under the age of six, my days and evenings are often a little chaotic - for want of a better word. It’s not very often that I get a moment to myself and for me a bath gives me that time - a moment to submerge and indulge in complete relaxation. In fact my 2024 new year resolution is to have one at least once per week - as a way to force myself into having more ‘me’ time. Fragrance is so powerful, and I may be biased, but for this reason my favourite bath product is our Sleep Soundly Bath & Body Oil. It features our Signature Sleep Scent (a blend of chamomile, ylang ylang and vetiver), which totally calms me down. It’s also infused with 1,300mg of pure CBD, which promotes relaxation and acts as an anti-inflammatory - helping to ease any aches and pains. To give me as much bath time as possible, I do my skin routine whilst I am in! Firstly I double cleanse with our Exfoliating Jam Cleanser. I then use our Face Serum and a gua sha, which I find really theraputic. I find it hard to switch off but music engages me enough to take me out of the day-to-day. There’s science behind that – music has therapeutic effects on your brain and stimulates feelings of happiness.”
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Acting Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.
