Baths may very well be the best thing about being alive (though watching videos of baby elephants is a very close second). And lately there's been a resurgence of interest in the beloved bath thanks to the proliferation of bath bombs.
The problem is that, as fun and luxurious as bath bombs may seem, there are some downsides to them. And it's not just bath bombs: there are all sorts of products out there used to spice up the bath, and most of them carry unpleasant side effects. So here's the rundown of bath products and how each one has its own problem:
Epsom salt baths
Fifteen to twenty minutes soaking in an Epsom salt bath can do wonders for alleviating soreness from a strenuous workout. But be careful sitting in the salts for any longer: magnesium sulfate can cause diarrhea and Epsom salts can also cause dehydration. Plus, Epsom salts can exacerbate issues with eczema or cause an allergic reaction.
Bath bombs
It seems like every company has launched their own line of bath bombs, so it's difficult to classify all of their ingredients as harmful. There are some bath bombs (like the ones sold at Lush) that make a great effort to use clean ingredients. But there are others that are packed with questionable ingredients, fragrances, and dyes that could irritate skin.
The bigger issue—aside from an allergic reaction—is that bath bombs change the pH of the vagina, which can lead to yeast infections.
You don't need to stop using bath bombs altogether, but if you're the proud owner of a vagina, consider switching to bath bombs that are free of dyes and scents and are made to protect a woman's vaginal pH. We especially love Queen V for their glorious bath bombs.
Bubble bath
Most of us were raised having bubble baths. They're as intrinsic to childhood as birthday parties. Bubble baths—especially the kind with characters on the bottle—often contain irritating ingredients. Stay away from bubble baths containing:
- sodium laureth sulphate
- cocami-dopropyl betaine
- tetrasodium EDTA
- methylchloroisothiazolinone
- cocamide EDTA
- bronopol
- DMDM hydantoin
- diazo-lidinyl urea
- imidazolidinyl urea
- quaternium-15
These are especially irritating ingredients and often exist alongside cancer-causing nitrosamines.
If that weren't enough, bubble bath does the same thing that bath bombs do: irritate the pH of the vagina. So if you enjoy not having a yeast infection, switch to a pH balanced bubble bath.
