I'm about to draw myself a bath, and...

[PrettySquareGal]

I have a vintage pink 60s quilted robe I will wear before, but am using a new bubble bath. I'd like to have some recommendations for vintage bubble baths, soaks and rituals for relaxing in the tub...

 

[St. Louis]

This is a great question. I can tell you that I use vintage Youth Dew Bath Oil by Estee Lauder, which you can still find on ebay. It's not that much of an extravagance because you only need a drop or two. Youth Dew was first marketed to women as a bath oil in the mid-50s because Estee Lauder was trying to get them used to the idea of purchasing fragrance products for themselves. Be that as it may, I find it a really rich, beautiful, warm, spicy fragrance and makes my bathroom smell heavenly for days. You can also wear the bath oil as a perfume -- really softens the skin.

I live in a very tiny 1929 bungalow, so my bathroom is barely big enough to squeeze into when the door is open. Therefore I can't let loose as much as I wish I could. I'd love a fireplace and a sunken tub ... well, a girl can dream, can't she?

In any case, I recommend candlelight, bubble bath, scented bath oil, a soft bath rug (I knitted a bunch of absorbent bath mats from thick cotton yarn) and a cat or two. Not inside the tub, of course. I don't know if you're weirded out by being stared at unblinkingly, so that might be an issue. Oh, and a vintage magazine, a glass of cream sherry, and a few chocolate bon-bons wouldn't hurt. I do have to be careful not to dampen the vintage magazine (I don't care about modern ones.)

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Cliche, but so timeless....a nice vintage book or magazine. Or a repro because you don't want to have any accidents with the real thing..

 

[Heather]

Ooo I'm loving this thread!

P.S. Haha my cat always comes into the bathroom with me. Does that make him a perverted "peeping tom"? Heh-heh, get it?

 

[JennieWren]

This is a great question. I can tell you that I use vintage Youth Dew Bath Oil by Estee Lauder, which you can still find on ebay. It's not that much of an extravagance because you only need a drop or two. Youth Dew was first marketed to women as a bath oil in the mid-50s because Estee Lauder was trying to get them used to the idea of purchasing fragrance products for themselves. Be that as it may, I find it a really rich, beautiful, warm, spicy fragrance and makes my bathroom smell heavenly for days. You can also wear the bath oil as a perfume -- really softens the skin.

I live in a very tiny 1929 bungalow, so my bathroom is barely big enough to squeeze into when the door is open. Therefore I can't let loose as much as I wish I could. I'd love a fireplace and a sunken tub ... well, a girl can dream, can't she?

In any case, I recommend candlelight, bubble bath, scented bath oil, a soft bath rug (I knitted a bunch of absorbent bath mats from thick cotton yarn) and a cat or two. Not inside the tub, of course. I don't know if you're weirded out by being stared at unblinkingly, so that might be an issue. Oh, and a vintage magazine, a glass of cream sherry, and a few chocolate bon-bons wouldn't hurt. I do have to be careful not to dampen the vintage magazine (I don't care about modern ones.)

I read this and all I could think was "Oh how luxurious! A bath that I could be sure my toddler hadn't peed in!". Yes ladies, I'm pretty sure (despite her fervent protests) that my kidlet pees in our baths.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

I read this and all I could think was "Oh how luxurious! A bath that I could be sure my toddler hadn't peed in!". Yes ladies, I'm pretty sure (despite her fervent protests) that my kidlet pees in our baths.

Definitely not the visual I had in mind for this thread.

Would love more suggestions!

 

[Grnidwitch]

This is a great question. I can tell you that I use vintage Youth Dew Bath Oil by Estee Lauder, which you can still find on ebay. It's not that much of an extravagance because you only need a drop or two. Youth Dew was first marketed to women as a bath oil in the mid-50s because Estee Lauder was trying to get them used to the idea of purchasing fragrance products for themselves. Be that as it may, I find it a really rich, beautiful, warm, spicy fragrance and makes my bathroom smell heavenly for days. You can also wear the bath oil as a perfume -- really softens the skin.

I live in a very tiny 1929 bungalow, so my bathroom is barely big enough to squeeze into when the door is open. Therefore I can't let loose as much as I wish I could. I'd love a fireplace and a sunken tub ... well, a girl can dream, can't she?

In any case, I recommend candlelight, bubble bath, scented bath oil, a soft bath rug (I knitted a bunch of absorbent bath mats from thick cotton yarn) and a cat or two. Not inside the tub, of course. I don't know if you're weirded out by being stared at unblinkingly, so that might be an issue. Oh, and a vintage magazine, a glass of cream sherry, and a few chocolate bon-bons wouldn't hurt. I do have to be careful not to dampen the vintage magazine (I don't care about modern ones.)

I love Youth Dew. I just bought myself a small bottle. You and I are very similar in our tastes. I always have cream sherry or a nice port wine in the house. I have a crystal bowl of the most expensive dark chocolates I can afford on the bedside table and I have a kitty that likes to see what I'm doing in the bathroom. I think you described the perfect bath. Ahhhhh.

 

[Grnidwitch]

Don't forget to have the bed turned down, the lights low and a great old movie on the TV or just some good vintage music playing. A bath like you are describing is for pure relaxation and pampering.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

Yes, a bath for cleansing the spirit and soul.

 

[fortworthgal]

I don't know of any truly vintage bath products... what about Jean Nate splash for after the bath? I remember as a kid those little scented bath powder cubes. They came in a set of 6 or 8 and each one was a different floral scent. Anyone know what I'm talking about? They seemed very 1960s to me.

...and a cat or two. Not inside the tub, of course. I don't know if you're weirded out by being stared at unblinkingly, so that might be an issue.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Anyone who is weirded out by that should *not* be a cat owner!

 

[St. Louis]

I find a lot of vintage bath products on evil-bay. I found an unopened tin of Crepe de Chine powdered bubble bath for about $2.00. Crepe de Chine is a wonderful vintage fragrance that was at its height some time in the 1930s. I think it went out of production in the late 1960s. It's also fairly easy to find bath powder for low prices, maybe because perfume collectors aren't interested in them.

Jean Nate was first launched in 1935. I'm sure that this fragrance, like every other gorgeous vintage scent, has been reformulated, which is why I always look for the vintage versions. Ideally the best place to find them is in antique malls and flea markets, where the prices are sometimes very low.

 

[JennieWren]

Epsom salts? Do you have nice, pretty slippers for after your bath? My Gramma used to swear by putting a used green teabag in the bath to make your skin soft, but I don't know if this was just something that she did or something that was common for her generation. She always specified that it had to be green tea though. She used to make her own tea bags by tying up the tea leaves in a bit of cheesecloth and then would save them once they were used up for the bath.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

I do need pretty slippers!

 

[ThemThereEyes]

Epsom salts? Do you have nice, pretty slippers for after your bath? My Gramma used to swear by putting a used green teabag in the bath to make your skin soft, but I don't know if this was just something that she did or something that was common for her generation. She always specified that it had to be green tea though. She used to make her own tea bags by tying up the tea leaves in a bit of cheesecloth and then would save them once they were used up for the bath.

Absolutely second green tea. It's in several beauty and bath products and is excellent in antioxidants. I think it's the acids in it and that's why she specified green tea.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

I find a lot of vintage bath products on evil-bay. I found an unopened tin of Crepe de Chine powdered bubble bath for about $2.00. Crepe de Chine is a wonderful vintage fragrance that was at its height some time in the 1930s. I think it went out of production in the late 1960s. It's also fairly easy to find bath powder for low prices, maybe because perfume collectors aren't interested in them.

Jean Nate was first launched in 1935. I'm sure that this fragrance, like every other gorgeous vintage scent, has been reformulated, which is why I always look for the vintage versions. Ideally the best place to find them is in antique malls and flea markets, where the prices are sometimes very low.

I've found a few vintage beauty and bath items at the Vermont Country Store web site http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/...ragments/search_box_head.jsp.searchFormInHead And every thing they sell is made from the original sents. I 've bought a few items from them and was never disapointed.

 

[sheeplady]

Anyone who is weirded out by that should *not* be a cat owner!

When I read this, I thought you were replying to JennieWren. As in, if you're weirded out by your toddler peeing in the bath, don't get a cat.

Because I saw our older cat (now passed away) pee in the tub. More than once.

I *always* rinse out the tub before filling it.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

By the way, I use vintage soap, as in old. Presently I am using Deco era soap in the shower. I find that many soaps don't go bad and are kinder to my skin than the harsh chemical soaps of today.

I will look into the suggested bath salts, cubes and bubbles. I love the ideas. Thanks!

 

[fortworthgal]

When I read this, I thought you were replying to JennieWren. As in, if you're weirded out by your toddler peeing in the bath, don't get a cat.

Because I saw our older cat (now passed away) pee in the tub. More than once.

I *always* rinse out the tub before filling it.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

[Flicka]

I made a bathbomb kinda thingy from a recipe in my 1925 housekeeping book that I can post if you're interested. Otherwise, some salt or oil and a drop or two of lavender oil is pretty vintage-y. Ditto on rose oil.

 

[Isis]

I have posted a couple of bathing suggestions and recipes here:

http://fortieswardrobe.blogspot.se/2012/02/take-bath-for-beauty.html

Taken from a beauty book from 1946.

We are currently getting our bathroom re-done. The former owners had destroyed the lovely 50's bathroom into something ghastly, but though our taste in bathrooms are simple, it will get a more vintage flair now. AND a bath tub, which I have miised since we moved in two years ago. I can't wait!