"Taking a Bath" On My Pregnancy Expectations - A Bath Addict Product Review

Yesterday, I left my midwives appointment with discouraging news. At 39 weeks (just one week away from my "due date") I am still showing no 'signs' of baby. Normally, at 39 weeks, this wouldn't be the absolute worst news for an expectant Mama, but, I had to be forcefully induced at 42 and a half weeks with my first pregnancy, and it was only after 30 hours of full on induction methods that I progressed into labour. For this reason, I had my hopes up that this time around, things may be progressing a little further on their own. But, no such luck - yet!  I had the option to either let the news bring me down, or, "take a bath on it" and let what will be, be. As a self proclaimed Bath Addict you KNOW I took myself up on option #2. I decided that last nights bath would be dedicated to calming down, and what assists with relaxation more than lavender? Unfortunately, my lavender essential oil was running low so I placed an order, and resolved to go  with some lavender-scented bath products I had on hand.  My items of choice were, Ombra Aromatherapy Foam Bath, JOE FRESH Lavender scented Epsom Salts, and Bath Retreat Lavender Sugar Scrub.  I will start with my favourite product of the night. The Ombra aromatherapy foam bath.  What I loved about the product is that a little bit went a long way. For a full tub of bubbles, I only had to use a "dollop".  Another great aspect to the foam bath is that it's available in the cute, convenient 4 pack which includes popular scents like berry, vanilla, and eucalyptus as well.  The second product of the night was something that I hadn't actually tried before, though I had high expectations as I am familiar with other products under this Bath Retreat brand.  In order to give a fair review of the product, I only used it on my left side, so that I could compare properly post-bath. I regret this, as there was such a difference that I spent the hours after my bath wishing my right side felt as smooth and smelt as divine as my left. Needless to say, the product worked great.  The sugar scrub, which acts like an exfoliant, can be used in the shower or the bath- which means it has the potential to double its usefulness if you have a household with both bath addicts and shower advocates. An added bonus, I love that the Bath Retreat Sugar Scrub is made in Canada.  The last product of the night is the JOE FRESH Epsom Salts. I used to be a larger fan of these salts, until I started making my own (mixing Epsom Salt, Sea Salt and Lavender Essential Oil). The strengths of the product- the scent is strong, something that my hormonal scent-obsessed self can appreciate. I also appreciate that the product is available in a 2kg bag, as opposed to the commonly sold 1kg or less quantities.  The only downfalls of this product is that the salts themselves are incredibly small in size, which causes you to have to use more salts than the products that provide you with the larger, slower dissolving rocks.  I also don't love that the packaging doesn't list specific ingredients, so I'm not willing to share with my "monkey-see, monkey-do" 2 year old, who loves to toss a tiny handful of Epsom Salts into her own bath every night. Overall, all three products combined for a heavenly scented and calming bath which left my skin (at least the left side of it) feeling great!  I may not have a definite, foreseeable end in sight as far as this pregnancy is concerned, but I am content with taking a few more baths on it, accepting that we are, in fact, blessed with days- not cursed, and enjoying these last days I have left as a Mom of one --- however many more days (or weeks) that may be! 

My Name is Caress, and I am a Bath Addict.

It's true. I grew up in an old farm house, where a showerhead did not exist (except for a brief few months where my sisters friend from in town lived with us, so my parents installed one so that she would feel more "at home", but shortly after she left they took it down because the angle it had to be put in at resulted in a backsplash occurring and it was warping the bathroom flooring - but, this is so besides the point.) So, bathing was our only option! Here, is where the addiction began.  Fast forward to now and I'm a married, mom of a 2.5 year old and am 9 months pregnant with our 2nd. My nightly bath is now a much needed and well deserved 30 minute re-charge and I sometimes find myself counting down the hours until our toddler is fast asleep (because nothing is more tragic than hearing a little knock on the bathroom door when you're only seconds into a hot, soothing, lavender scented escape), and all the necessary house tasks are completed (because the last thing you want to do when you finally peel yourself out of the perfect bath is, the dishes).  Anyways, I figured if I am this passionate of a bath addict, I can't be the only one. And then I thought, if there are others, maybe they'd benefit from reading real, honest reviews of redily available and locally sourced (when possible) bath products. Salts, oils, bombs, bubbles, butters - you name it!  So, this brings me to my first review. The "Drunken Pirate" bath "grenade" from Topher's Beard and Soap Company which I purchased from Duck and Dodo in London, Ontario, over the weekend.  I was tentative on the gender neutral approach of the bath grenades by Topher's, and to be honest, I wasn't sure that a company which sold "'stache wax" and "beard wash" had any business dabbling in the bath game. Was I ever wrong!  I got in on the "4 for $10" deal that was available at Duck & Dodo. The bombs (or "grenades" as they were labelled) aren't that large in comparison to your standard bath bomb but, unlike beards, size does NOT matter in this case. It is very, very clear that these grenades are packed with a punch of high-quality ingredients and not just "filler bombs" which fizz out quickly, don't give off much scent, and have little to no affect on the softness of your post-bath skin. The Drunken Pirate left my bath with that silky, soapy layer you want from a bath bomb. In turn, my skin was left feeling, yes, clean, but also incredibly soft which I wasn't expecting from a bath bomb which caters to mainly men. Thank you to Topher's Beard and Soap Company for proving me wrong, way wrong,  and being an ideal first bath addict review! I look forward to enjoying many more of your scented grenades in baths to come!