From Luxurious Oils to Detoxing Soaks, How to Take the Perfect Winter Bath

Winter is in full swing—and the current climate makes scheduling a soak in the tub less about leisure and more about survival (albeit of the supremely tranquil variety). When it comes to capitalizing on the luxury of a cold-weather bath, few have mastered the art form like New York beauty gurus Winnie Beattie and Jessica Richards.

For Beattie, owner of the Lower East Side's Warm boutique, silence is an all-too-precious necessity for a truly restorative experience. "For me a bath is a total luxury that always happens at night when my kids are finally asleep and my house is quiet." For such moments, Beattie splashes her claw foot tub with her own Warm Body Oil, a sweet almond–oil concoction with an escapist fragrance—suntan lotion with a dash of musk—inspired by childhood beach days and more recent road trips. "It's really moisturizing and I'm always happy to have anything remind me of the beach, particularly when it's freezing outside," she says. If you’re looking to soothe sore, post-workout limbs or flu-season aches, Beattie recommends Dr. Singha's Mustard Bath. "I was skeptical, but it really does draw out the toxins and helps relieve muscle tension."

For Shen Beauty founder Richards, baths are the ultimate sleep remedy. "It's kind of like Epsom salts on steroids," says Richards of her favorite Roques Oneil Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts. "My kids once poured an entire jar into the tub and were asleep within twenty minutes." For the Brooklyn-based Richards, dim lighting, very hot water, and a good book are necessary ingredients for a successful soak. "I've been doing these Pursoma treatment baths—I'm a huge fan of their Digital Detox soak, since my day is filled with technology—and they’re fifteen minutes long, so I need something to read,” she says. “I can’t just stare at the wall.”

After getting out of the tub, both Beattie and Richards suggest moisturizing the skin with faintly scented hydrating oils—Beattie prescribes the handmade, small-batch Parramoure Body Oils crafted with fresh-from-the-garden ingredients by makeup artist Teresa Pemberton, while Richards depends on RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream to bring a coastal vibe to her otherwise frost-engulfed universe. After all, what better way to shake winter's chill than by meditating on a favorite far-flung escape memory?