Get Dr Hauschka Lemon Bath & Use It. A Lot.

The recent passing of Nora Ephron meant lots of her quotes and segments from her writing were popping up everywhere. In one of them she mentioned a favourite beauty product of hers, how much she loved it, and how life was too short to skimp on using what you love. It's quite a long and sad quote and I won't reprint it all here. But, I do love to know what people I admire use and love when it comes to all things beauty related. Ms Ephron rhapsodizing about a bath oil she adored so much made me want to run out and get some. Quickly.

Part of her quote:

And that reminds me to say something about bath oil. I use this bath oil I happen to love. It’s called Dr Hauschka’s lemon bath. It costs about £15 a bottle, which is enough for about two weeks of baths if you follow the instructions. 

The instructions say one capful per bath. But a capful gets you nowhere. A capful is not enough. I have known this for a long time.

But if the events of the last few years have taught me anything, it’s that I’m going to feel like an idiot if I die tomorrow and I skimped on bath oil today. 

So I use quite a lot of bath oil. More than you could ever imagine. After I take a bath, my bathtub is as dangerous as an oil slick. But thanks to the bath oil, I’m as smooth as silk. 

I am going out to buy more, right now. Goodbye. *

I like everything about this. To use things that you have - why hoard it? What are we waiting for? We buy things we love, we consider them precious, then tuck them away in the back of the cupboard so as not to "waste" them. Imagine! 

That said, I got some Dr Hauschka Lemon Bath the next day. And you know what? It's as wonderful as you could imagine a lemony bath product could be. It is refreshing, and basically the yummiest lemon beauty product I've used. It reminded me of how much I used to love Love's Fresh Lemon and Jean Nate After Bath Splash, especially in the summer. I would say it is not strictly an oil, as I tried to wear it as a body oil and it was sticky, like a soap. Awkward. It doesn't lather enough to be a shower gel, so you have no choice but to draw a lovely bath, pour in more than a capful, and then slip in and enjoy. It refreshes and soothes, and makes you feel good. According to aromatherapy, most citrus scents are uplifting and positive so perhaps that is part of the effect. It smells amazing, and makes your whole bathroom smell like you've sliced open one of those big juicy Meyer Lemons. Ahhhhh... Dr Hauschka's site alleges that it helps with cellulite, a claim that seems ambitious, but it certainly feels invigorating. It comes in a nice functional glass bottle with the simple Hauschka branding and label. Clean and unembellished. 

We have many things we can thank Nora Ephron for, but right now I will thank her for encouraging me to open up my cupboard, and use the things I love and that make me feel good. Solid advice.

Dr Haushka Lemon Bath is available on their website, and where Dr Hauschka is sold for around $33 for a 5.1 oz bottle.

* Extracted from I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK, by Nora Ephron

My Bath Is An Explosion of Roses

That is not me in the bath.

I love to languish in a hot steamy bath. I am lucky enough to have a really deep tub, and my bathrooms have huge skylights, so I can lie back and look at the sky while I soak. A scented bath really ups the ante for me, and given my rose obsession of late, LUSH bath bombs really fit the bill. One of the best things about a LUSH bath bomb, is that if you leave the bathroom door open, the scent travels out and perfumes the house. I love that, of course. 

LUSH Rose Queen

The rosiest of rose baths can be had just by tossing a Rose Queen bath bomb into your bath. We all know that LUSH bath bombs are full of water and skin softening goodness, so even plain old hot water feels better. But Rose Queen ups the ante with rose blossoms, petals and rose fragrance to die for. It's like somebody said "This bomb needs MOAR ROSE EVERYTHING!" and LUSH listened. What more can I say? Get this, and luxuriate in it's rosy goodness.

LUSH Tisty Tosty

Another rose bath bomb I adore is the sweetly named Tisty Tosty, which is full of sweet & sexy rose along with orris root. Orris root is often called "iris" in scent, and has a calming & sensual earthy aspect that I adore. Along with wee little rose buds that float around the tub, this one brings a softness to the water that is excellent for dry or rough skin. The scent is a calm and happy one, which makes sense as LUSH calls this one "an enchanting love potion". Tisty Tosty is English childish slang, historically used to refer to a ball of flowers and even pine cones. Sweet and charming.

Both of these leave a soft gentle scent on the skin after bathing and are soothing for dry irritated skin. Love it.

Bath Bombs are available at LUSH stores and online for between $5-$8.

Baby Your Skin & Hair With Live Clean Baby

I've written before about how much I love Live Clean products. They are natural, SLS, paraben and phthalate free, as well as living up to what they claim to do. Simply and gently. After my last review I heard some buzz from my fellow beauty bloggers about their love for the Live Clean Baby Shampoo & Wash. Some said it was ideal for their sensitive skin, some said it helped soothe their eczema, all the while leaving behind the soft and lovely scent of babies. You know that scent- soft, powdery and clean. Just the scent of clean skin. 

Well, you can't throw those claims around without me jumping on the bandwagon. And boy- am I glad I did. I have been using the Live Clean Baby as my shower gel. A few squeezes in on my shower puff and I feel softly cleansed from head to toe. I shampoo my hair with it from time to time and just love the way my hair smells afterward. It also is just so gentle and rinses out clean leaving my hair soft and silky, and not in the least bit dry or straw-like. It is also lovely to add a few squirts to the bath. It soothes the skin and leaves a touch of soft scent behind.

This is for the baby in the family, or for anyone who wants to baby their skin and hair. Live Clean Baby is available in Canada and the US at drugstores and Walmart. The baby line is the first Live Clean product line to make into the States and hopefully for my American readers the rest of the line will follow soon!