Bath Bomb vs Bath Soak: What’s the Difference?

Bath Bomb vs Bath Soak: What’s the Difference?

Photography: Michael Lupo
Photography: Michael Lupo
Bath Bomb vs Bath Soak: What’s the Difference?

A warm bath on its own can be a great way to relax and unwind after a long, stressful day. But there are ways you can elevate the experience and actually enjoy therapeutic benefits - like a bath bomb or bath soak. 

But what’s the difference between these two, and which is right for you? On the surface, they seem similar, but they serve very different purposes. Our bath bomb vs bath soak comparison below will help you gain a clear understanding of the role each plays.

While a bath bomb adds a bit of fun to the tub, a bath soak is more of a healing tool. It contains ingredients specifically designed to fight stress or anxiety, promote healing, or help you sleep - the possibilities are endless depending on the formulation!

Here at Flewd Stresscare, we have a magnesium bath soak for you no matter what your goals are. Our products are 99% natural and packed with magnesium, nootropics, and vitamins. Try them all and join more than 100,000 happy customers who use Flewd Stresscare today!

What’s a Bath Bomb?

You’re probably already familiar with bath bombs. These have been around for decades as a fun, fizzy way to transform an ordinary soak into a luxurious experience. 

The colorful spheres are made from a blend of baking soda, citric acid, essential oils, and other delightful ingredients. When you drop one into your bath, it fizzes and dissolves, releasing fragrances, colors, and beneficial oils into the water. 

Now, we mentioned earlier that bath soaks are the way to go if you’re looking for therapeutic healing - but bath bombs can bring their own benefits to the bathtub too! Here are some of the common ingredients and their respective effects:

  • Baking Soda and Citric Acid: This combination creates the fizzing action, softens the water, and helps to cleanse your skin.
  • Essential Oils: These add wonderful aromas and therapeutic benefits. For example, lavender oil can help you relax, eucalyptus oil can clear your sinuses, and peppermint oil can invigorate your senses.
  • Fragrances and Colorants: Make your bath visually appealing and enjoyable, turning your bathroom into a spa-like sanctuary.
  • Moisturizers: Some bath bombs include ingredients like shea butter or coconut oil to leave your skin feeling soft and hydrated.

Bath bombs are perfect for those moments when you want to add a bit of fun and luxury to your bath. They are easy to use, making your bath time a sensory delight with bubbles, vibrant colors, and soothing scents. But let’s look at the other half of the bath bomb vs bath soak comparison below.

What’s a Bath Soak?

So, where does the bath soak differ? To the uninitiated, these sound like they’re the exact same thing - but that is not the case. The formulation is vastly different. The mixture includes salts, minerals, and essential oils that offer their own range of therapeutic benefits. 

Unlike bath bombs, bath soaks don’t release a fizzy mess of colors when dropped in the tub. Instead, their goodness slowly dissolves into the water, helping you relax and rejuvenate without getting covered in artificial fragrances and colors.

While the healing bath soak recipe can differ depending on the specific goal you have, these are some of the most common ingredients:

  • Magnesium: Relaxes muscles, reduces inflammation, and eases stress. It’s essential for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body and is known to soothe muscle cramps.
  • Nootropics: These compounds support mental clarity and cognitive function. For example, chromium picolinate can enhance mood and counteract the effects of stress by increasing the levels of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine.
  • Vitamins: Essential vitamins like B12, C, and D are often included to support overall health and well-being. These vitamins each have their place, from helping reduce inflammation to supporting muscle recovery to boosting the immune system.
  • Essential Oils: Natural oils such as mandarin and cedarwood provide calming and therapeutic effects. They enhance the aromatic experience while offering various health benefits, such as reducing anxiety, improving mood, and promoting better sleep.
  • Natural Extracts: Linalool, citral, and d-limonene are just a few examples. These can enhance skin health and promote relaxation. They’re known for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and soothing properties.

The key takeaway is that while bath bombs are fun, bath soaks are functional. If you want to experience firsthand how these can elevate your natural wellness regimen, look no further than Flewd Stresscare. We have a formulation for any need! 

Bath Bomb vs Bath Soak: Which is Better For You?

Still not sure which you should make a part of your relaxation routine? We’ll compare and contrast the bath bomb vs bath soak side-by-side below to leave you with a clear understanding of which better aligns with your goals.

Purpose and Use

While there is a bit of crossover between bath bombs and bath soaks in how and why they’re used, they do ultimately serve a different purpose.

Bath bombs transform your bath into a fun and luxurious experience. They’re great for creating a sensory escape with their fizzing action, vibrant colors, and delightful scents. You can essentially make your home bathtub feel like a spa retreat.

On the other hand, bath soaks focus less on the “fun” and more on the “function”. Sure, the bathwater still changes colors - but the reason people use these is for the formulation of ingredients included.

These soaks are crafted to address specific health concerns such as muscle tension, stress relief, irritability, and more, all while enhancing skin health as well. They’re ideal if you’re looking for a holistic approach to self-care and have a specific problem you want to alleviate naturally.

Ingredient Considerations

The differences in purpose and effects are the result of ingredient variations. As we touched on earlier, you’ll typically find baking soda, citric acid, essential oils, fragrances, and colorants in bath bombs. 

These components work together to soften the water, cleanse the skin, and provide a visually appealing and aromatic experience. While some may have shea butter or coconut oil to soften your skin, that’s where the therapeutic benefits end.

The biggest issue with bath bombs is that they contain 90% synthetic fillers, though. In contrast, bath soaks are 99% natural. Plus, the formulation is designed specifically to heal.

That means you’re getting ingredients like magnesium chloride, nootropics, vitamins, essential oils, and natural extracts. The specific ingredients will vary depending on the goal. 

For example, a bath soak designed to help you alleviate anxiety will include zinc and B vitamins along with magnesium. Meanwhile, a bath soak to address irritability and anger will contain nootropics like chromium. 

This is where bath soaks have an obvious edge over bath bombs. You can tailor your experience based on your unique needs, whether you’re trying to calm down after a long, stressful day or speed up recovery after a strenuous workout. Or, maybe you want to sleep better and put insomnia in the past. The possibilities are endless!

Cost and Value

Bath bombs are a more affordable solution given the cheaper ingredients used in them. But as with most things in life, remember that you get what you pay for. You’re essentially paying for a fun spa experience in the comfort of your own home.

In contrast, bath soaks cost a bit more - but the value you’re getting far exceeds that of bath bombs. Ask yourself, what price are you willing to pay to put anxiety on pause, to ease your aches, or to sleep more soundly and wake up rejuvenated?

The good news is you don’t have to break the bank to harness the power of bath soaks, either. You’ll be surprised to discover how affordable these actually are at Flewd Stresscare, especially when you buy multiple soaks for 20% off!

Feel the Difference For Yourself at Flewd Stresscare!

The differences between a bath bomb vs bath soak are clear. While a bath bomb can add a fun, fizzy experience to your bathing experience, a bath soak takes things up a notch with therapeutic healing. You’re soaking in ingredients ranging from magnesium to nootropics, vitamins, and more.

But why not feel the difference yourself by ordering our powerful bath soaks today and seeing what they can do for you? Here at Flewd Stresscare we’ve created a variety of solutions no matter your needs:

  • Muscle bath soak: Perfect for melting away aches and pains and helping you get back to feeling your best fast. While the magnesium itself works most of the magic, we’ve taken things a step further with Vitamins C & D to calm down inflammation. Meanwhile, Omega 3s also help release built-up toxins in your muscles so they can relax.
  • Anxiety bath soak: Don’t let anxiety dictate your thoughts and feelings. Put it on notice with this potent blend of magnesium, B complex vitamins, and elemental zinc, each of which plays a part in easing anxiety and restoring your mood.
  • Anger bath soak: Our rage squashing soak will take you from fired up to cooled down fast. The chromium nootropic is included to counteract mood-spiking adrenaline, while vitamin B12 slows down the cortisol being released from your adrenal glands.
  • Insomnia bath soak: Sick of tossing and turning all night and waking up groggy? Enjoy sounder sleep by adding this soak to your bedtime routine. It contains magnesium, Vitamins A & E, and L-carnitine to ease your body into a deep, restful state.
  • Sadness bath soak: No matter what has you down, you can turn that frown around with 15 minutes of “you time”. This soak features magnesium, Vitamins B3 & B6, and nootropic lithium to reset your mood.

If you’re not sure where to start, consider one of our bundles. You can try them all and save money along the way! For example, our stress relief bath soak bundle features our Sads Smashing, Anxiety Destroying, Ache Erasing, and Insomnia Ending soaks.

You can learn more about how long to soak in magnesium bath, the difference between a magnesium soak vs epsom salt, or even a homemade bath soak for sore muscles without epsom salt.

But the only thing left to do now is to pick your bath soaks and experience the difference for yourself. We’re confident you’ll be back for more! 

Bringing Our Bath Bomb vs Bath Soak Comparison to a Close

As we bring our comparison of the bath bomb vs bath soak to a close, we hope you have a clear understanding of the nuances between these two. 

While each has its place, there’s no denying the edge that a bath soak has over bath bombs. Ultimately though, your choice will depend on your needs. Want to just kick back and relax with some fun colors? A bath bomb is not a bad choice. 

However, if you’re looking to achieve therapeutic healing for a specific ailment - be it sadness, anger, insomnia, body aches, anxiety, or anything in between - bath bombs won’t make a difference. Bath soaks will, though.

For a holistic approach to wellness, try Flewd Stresscare’s magnesium bath soaks with natural ingredients. We’ve earned the trust of more than 100,000 happy customers and counting, and once you feel the effects firsthand, you’ll see what the hype is all about. 

Invest in your happiness and well-being with Flewd Stresscare today!