Uniting natural salts and oils, Who Loves You Bashail claims to deliver all of the goodness of a facial to your body, in one long soak. Can the old cleanse, tone and moisturise routine really be achieved in a single bag of salts? We jumped in the tub to investigate (tough gig)
Akin to a cup of tea at just the right time, there are few things that a long, hot bath can’t fix, but I tend to associate baths with mental relaxation over bodily benefits. They leave you clean, obviously (unless you’re one of those people who freaks out about bathing in your own grime), but it’s the opportunity to lock a door, pick up a good book and occasionally sneak a glass of wine into the soap dish that appeals most.
It turns out that the above process (give or take the sauv) can also be of benefit to your skin if you chuck in some minerals and hydrating agents, and in the case of a particular bag of bath salts I’ve been eeking out, you’ll be swimming in no less than 84 salt based minerals. Rather than turning you into a human pickle, this is particularly helpful if you’re a psoriasis sufferer like me, and could even help you to sleep soundly. Here’s the salty intel...
What does it do?
A combination of epsom, Dead Sea and Himalayan salts, the ‘Bashail’ throws the kitchen sink at creating a saline solution, gently softening and exfoliating skin, while minerals such as magnesium, which is best delivered transdermally, help to soothe muscle tension. Speaking of magnesium, 70 per cent of us are estimated to be deficient, and given that magnesium has been linked to everything from improved bone health to better sleep, boosting your uptake could have long-term gains. Obviously a few uses does not bring all of such benefits to light, but post-Bashial I zonked out far quicker than I normally would given my insomniac tendencies, so there’s that.
Dermatologically, it did smooth over my psoriasis addled feet, and the makers of the ‘Bashial’ claim that the essential oil blend that you add alongside the salts (the ‘shaking’ part) is hydrating enough that you won’t need moisturiser afterwards. This could technically apply to any oil you add to a bath, but the blend of coconut oil, jojoba oil and oat lipid does feel nourishing, and the more fragrant additions of jasmine and ylang ylang make what would otherwise be a slightly bland salt bath that bit more exotic. Recommended soaking time is 20-30 minutes, so if you can withstand the pruney stage you should reap all that the purging salts and hydrating oils have to give, although at £25 for a bag, I didn’t use the whole whack at once as recommended.
While certainly restorative and as skin-improving, I did notice some blurb on the back of the packet trumpeting the Bashial’s capacity to “slim the body”. Just no. Some degree of detoxification does make sense given the saline element, but “freeing your fat cells from toxins” is taking it a bit far. Baths are a place to blob, not make false claims about weight loss.
Who is it for?
If you suffer with dry skin, eczema or psoriasis and don’t have a sensitivity to the essential oil blend, a good soak in these can nix flakiness and discomfort, while the mineral salt blend is the ideal post-training cocktail for sore muscles. I’ll add in troubled sleepers and the generally exhausted, and anyone needing to escape to a warm, quiet space for half an hour, which is most of us at this time of year.
The verdict?
It made a difference to the state of both my skin and frazzled festive mind, but at £25 for a single bath I’d at least halve the contests to spread out the bodily perks. Could do without the marketing spiel about slimming and youthfulness- it’s powerful and impressive enough as it is without jumping onto the weight loss wagon.
Bashail Bath Elixir, £25, buy online