Dip your toe into a blissful bath to help wash your cares away

Tranquillity time: taking a bath can help soothe the soul

Superdrug Optimum PhytoFreeze Ice Wine Face and Neck Cream and Eye Cream

Tranquillity time: taking a bath can help soothe the soul

Superdrug Optimum PhytoFreeze Ice Wine Face and Neck Cream and Eye Cream

Soaper Duper Shea Butter Body Butter

Tranquillity time: taking a bath can help soothe the soul

January 18 2017 08:40 AM

As good for your mood as they are for your body, baths can become addictive in winter, but that's no bad thing.

The four essential ingredients for a super soak?

You'll need a candle, soothing music or a podcast, wine (or tea if you're abstaining this month), and something delightfully fragranced to pour into the steaming tub.

Turn your bathroom into a spa-like sanctuary with these bathing beauties.

The most luxurious way to scent your soak, bath oils dissipate in hot water, releasing the fragrance and creating a moisturising film that clings to your skin.

They may be more expensive, but you only need a splash, and the potent aroma of essential oils can be invigorating (citrus and ginger) or slumber-inducing (lavender works wonders before bedtime).

● TempleSpa Drift Away Bathing and Massage Oil, £25 (www.templespa.com)

● Neom Energy Burst Bath & Shower Drops, £40 (www.neomorganics.com)

● This Works Deep Sleep Bath Oil, £80 (www.thisworks.com).

If soothing aching limbs and cold symptoms is your top priority in the tub, bath salts are what you need.

A capful of the clever crystals in a hot bath will relieve muscle tension, plus the salt draws out moisture to reduce bloating, while the vapours help clear airways.

● Mandara Spa Oriental Retreat Bath Salts with Cedarwood and Sweet Orange (right), £8, Sainsbury's (www.sainsburys.co.uk)

● Kneipp Eucalyptus Cold & Flu Mineral Bath Salt, £8.95 (FeelUnique.com)

● Bloomtown Botanicals The Woods Pink Himalayan Bath Salts, £10 (Etsy.com)

For the ultimate in relaxation, a frothy bubble bath will make you feel like you're floating on a cloud.

Lavish, oil-infused bath foams offer skin-softening properties too - but if you're feeling the pinch this month, cheap-as-chips bubble bath will do the trick.

● Lollia Dream White Tea & Honeysuckle Bubbling Bath, £59 (CuratedLiving.co.uk)

● Humble Bath Honey Rose & Frankincense, £12, Waitrose (www.waitrose.com)

● Little Soap Company Pure English Lavender Bubble Bath and Pure Rose Geranium Bubble Bath, £5.99 each (www.littlesoapcompany.co.uk)

Prolong that post-bath Zen by lathering up with a body lotion - particularly important if you're partial to a piping-hot soak that can leave your skin dry.

Gourmand scents, like vanilla and tonka bean are real mood-boosters, while ingredients like shea butter and argan oil will soften and restore moisture.

● Gaia Awakening Body Cream, £38 (www.gaia-spa.co.uk)

● Liz Earle Superskin Body Cream, £33 (www.lizearle.com)

● Soaper Duper Shea Butter Body Butter with Tahiti Monoi, Macadamia Oil & Pressed Vanilla Pods, £10, Tesco (available February; www.tesco.com)