The Subtle Art of Taking the Perfect "Quath" (Quarantine Bath)

Meet Byrdie Boy Harry Hill. Each month, he'll be sharing his latest musings on beauty and pop culture. This month, he's laying out the exact steps to creating a perfect "quath"—quarantine bath, obviously.

Usually, I’d argue that any bath is a good bath. But since we’re all quarantined, we have no excuses not to take a great bath. 

And a great bath starts with being prepared. If you have some extra time (you do), try planning your bath. Set a date and time, and let anyone who shares a bathroom with you know that you’ll be taking a bath. There’s nothing worse than having the door knocked down by a roommate while you’re trying to get your soak on. Talk about a vibe killer. 

Don’t stop there—think about what kind of bath you want it to be. Do you want it to be a relaxing, spa-like vibe? Do you want to spend your submerged time making splashy content for your Instagram stories? Do you want it to be a sparse, Sofia Coppola-esque bath that only involves you, a tealight candle, and some warm introspection? If you don’t pick a bath vibe ahead of time, you run the risk of trying to multitask in the bath. Trust me, I’ve tried combining all the bath vibes into one bath and it just ends up with me being vaguely frustrated, soaked in contradictions while trying to get a good selfie. 

Now that your roommates/partner(s)/parent(s)/dog knows you’re taking a bath and you know what kind of bath you want to take, it’s time to gather essentials. Prepare a little bath kit so everything you need is at the ready. You don't want to be that person, the one sinking into a delicious bath and then realizing your issue of Vanity Fair is still sitting in the living room. Try to limit electronic devices to your phone and/or a portable speaker. Your laptop doesn’t need or want to join you in the bath, I promise. 

Here are some more tips and tricks to consider before diving in:

For the tub

There’s a lot of things you can mix into your bath: Epsom salts, bubbles, essential oils, etc. You can even put baking soda and apple cider vinegar in your bath à la January Jones. Now’s the perfect time to try a bath flavor you’ve always wanted to try. While you can't make a mad dash to your local Lush store, there’s probably plenty of body-friendly ingredients hiding in your kitchen cabinets right now, begging to be made into a bath. Personally, I’ve been wanting to try Cleopatra’s infamous milk-and-flower bath. While you have some extra time during #quar, do some research and experiment; you could end up bathing like a queen. 

Click here for the Byrdie guide to the best bath salts and bath bombs.

For the ears

Unless you want to spend the entirety of your bath listening to the drip, drip, drip of the faucet, make sure you have some sort of music or soundscape to listen to. Depending on my bath vibe, I either choose generic beach waves from Spotify (and put it on repeat, so the waves keep rolling) or I go off and make myself a playlist. An iPhone or portable speaker will do the trick—just make sure it’s an easy setup so you’re not standing around naked trying to pair your iPhone to your speaker while the water gets cold. 

For the tastebuds

Hydration is key when it comes to taking a bath, so make sure you have a glass of water on hand. In addition to H20, make yourself a refreshing bath time cocktail. This could be anything from a can of seltzer with a squeeze of lime (poured over ice, of course) to a glass of Chardonnay. Whatever you decide on, put it in a pretty glass. It may seem silly but I guarantee it’ll take your bathing experience to the next level.

For the afterbath

Upon exiting the bath, you’ll want to have some moisturizer or oil ready to slather yourself in. Having it on hand will allow you to remain in your post-bath glow without having to send out a search party for some coconut oil. Strike while you’re still hot since your pores will be open and ready to receive some love.

When the tub is drained and your skin is softer-than-ever, make a mental note of what worked and what didn’t. Practice your quath. Refine your quath. This might be the only time in history that you’ll be able to put so much thought into taking a bath. So make a splash.