Life is full of demands from family chores, work obligations to taking care of oneself. A bubble bath is one of the best ways to blow off some steam after a long day. But, how much bubble bath should we use?
To prepare most bubble baths you’ll need to use anywhere from 1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup of bubble bath soap. The amount will vary depending on the brand you choose, the temperature and quality of the water, the bathtub size, and whether the product is intended for adults or children.
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Determining Factors
Let’s look at some of the factors that determine the amount of bubble bath you need to use!
The Bubble Bath Brand
The amount of bubble bath soap necessary to achieve the perfect bubble bath varies drastically from brand to brand. While some manufacturers recommend using just one tablespoon, others instruct us to use up to four capfuls. Some of them, including top luxury brands, incite us to ‘pour a generous amount‘.
Make sure you choose a product that foams well and is suitable for your skin and long-term use. Its ingredients should provide myriad skincare benefits. Go for a reputable brand or one that has excellent online reviews.
There are different brands of bubble baths in the market, but not all of them are the same. A good bubble bath should form suds and bubbles easily to enhance your bathing experience. It should also have a short list of ingredients with natural, hydrating oils such as jojoba and vital vitamins such as vitamin E to help moisturize dry skin.
If you are thinking about adding some fragrant essential oils to your bath, make sure to read my article ‘Can you Add Essential Oils to Your Bubble Bath?’
Bubble baths should not contain parabens, sulfates, or silicones either. These ingredients could be harmful, especially for people with sensitive skin, pregnant women, and babies or toddlers.
If you have sensitive skin, you may want to check out my article ‘Which Bubble Bath is Good for Eczema? This is What Experts Say’.
The Temperature and Quality of the Water
You might have seen these perfect bubble bath scenes in movies where the bathroom is transformed into a serene, steamy oasis. I always wanted something like what Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman had. Bubbles piled up to her ears as she was listening to Prince playing in her headphones! I wanted to experience the same effect- to be in a billowing sea of these tiny soap balloons!
In pursuit of my Hollywood dream, I tried different products from the stores. I realized there was something I had to learn about bubble quality and bubble longevity.
True, all products aren’t created equal, and therefore each brand will form slightly different bubbles. However, it’s pointless to hang on to an illusion of a tab filled with bubbles to the brim that never seem to die off. This is probably the cruelest part of a bubble bath. Ideally, nothing would make you leave the tub before you’ve had enough. However, change in water, i.e., cooling off and bubbles deflating as you continue bathing reminds you of time’s passage, meaning it’s time to call it a day!
Setting the right temperature at the start has a significant role to play. Warm water is more likely to foam, and you may have to use less bubble bath than when using cold water. Of course, a bubble bath should not be too hot. Get the temperature right; experts suggest setting your water heater to no more than 112º F.
In addition to low temperature, hard water makes it difficult for bubbles and suds to form and leaves a soapy film floating on water, making your bath less exciting. Hard water is water that has too much calcium and magnesium dissolved in it. Fewer bubbles not only ruin the fun aspect of a bubble bath but also makes it hard to get clean. Thus, it’s worth making sure that the water is soft, so you don’t have to use a ton of bubble bath products to make the water foam-filled and sudsy.
You can easily find tools or kits you can use to measure the quality of water on Amazon (like this one). If you find out your bathtub receives hard water, you may want to consider getting a water softener such as this one. While these tools cost a few bucks, they can help enhance your bathing experience and save you money on bubble bath products.
Bubble Baths for Kids
Doctors caution against giving toddlers bubble baths until they’re at least three years. That’s because these babies are at a higher chance of getting urinary tract infections (UTIs) when soapy residue isn’t rinsed properly from private parts. Also, when young babies stay in bubble baths for long, it can cause irritation and dry skin, contributing to discomfort.
However, some parents choose to take precautions and allow their children to have bubble baths before the age of three. It’s important to know that less bubble bath soap is better to avoid irritating your baby’s soft, sensitive skin. Many bubble bath brands designed specifically for kids instruct us to use just 1 or 2 tablespoons for the whole tub.
It’s always a good idea to consult your physician before trying a bubble bath with your children.
Size of Bathtub
Suppose you have a large bathtub; you’ll have to fill it with more water so you can fully immerse yourself for a relaxing experience. This also means that if you want a tub of hot water topped with a thick foam of bubbles, you’ll have to invest more in that by adding some extra bubble bath soap.
While most bubble bath products only have one set of instructions, the capacity of bathtubs varies significantly. A standard bathtub holds about 80 gallons of water, while a smaller design can hold just 40 gallons and a large bathtub can hold as many as 110 gallons. That means if you have a large tub you’ll need to add almost 40% more bubble bath soap to achieve the same level of bubbliness you get in a standard bathtub.
Bottom Line
Spending your “me time” in a bubble bath can be a good way to relax and blow off some steam after a long day.
To get the best result, you need to get all the small details right, and that involves being able to tell how much bubble bath to use. The right amount is determined by various factors, including the product you’re using, the temperature and quality of the water, whether the bubble bath is for adults or kids, and your tub’s size.
