Does Bubble Bath Smooth Your Skin And Cause Relaxation?

For the last couple of months, I have been looking for something to sooth me before going to bed at night. Ive came across Walmart's Brand of "Equate Pomegranate Foaming Bath" and wanted to give it a try. Catching my attention, the product advertises that the 'foam enhances your bath experience and helps promote relaxation'. All the while long using one brand, I came across another called "Dr.Teals Foaming Bath with Pure Epsom Salt, Soothe & Sleep with Lavender". Both brands are soothing but one promotes sleep and the other promotes relaxation. Lets put it to test!

 

Chemistry and Safety Concerns:

While studying the ingredients in each of the products, I came across a common substance used to make them. Sodium Chloride(NaCl) is an ionic compound that our body uses to absorb and transport nutrients, maintain the right balance of fluids, transmit nerve signals, contract and relax muscles.  When Sodium and Chloride come together they form crystalline cubes. If consumed, too much of this may be harmful to your health causing swelling, tiredness, and muscle twitching, so make sure the product isn't abused in any way.

Although, they both have Sodium Chloride, Dr Teals have anothEpsom Salt(Magnesium Sulfate) is used when your aching or lacking of energy. It is water-soluble meaning it is added to water, often which for bathing because of its natural minerals its used for bathing, cleaning, and serves as an agent for cosmetics. People will suggest that soak in this to help relieve and go to sleep.

er type of salt stemmed from Epsom.

Another common ingredient in bubble bath is Methylprednisolone(Medrol). Methylprednisolone provides relief for swelling, allergies, or skin conditions decreasing your immune systems response to various diseases to reduce the swelling and etc.. It is a cortisone for medicine or steroid. Methylprednisolone can cause skin problems such as acne and dry skin. 

Testable Question: Does the Epsom Salt make my bathing relaxing and put me to sleep faster than the Equate's?

Experiment:

For my experiment, I took a 25 minute bath with the Equate and took a 25 minute bath with the Dr. Teal to test how it makes me feel and which puts me to sleep the fastest. 

Procedure:
1. Prep my baths with 1/3 of a measuring cup full of the soaps. (Each time at 9:30)

2. Fill my tub with water.

3. Set my timer to 25 minutes.

4. Take a bath using one of the soaps seeing how each makes me feel.

5. Write the time I got out.(9:55)

6. Note what I was doing from 10:00p.m to 10:30 to see how long, with each brand did it take me to fall asleep.

Results:

On the nights of taking the baths with the Epsom Salt I genuinely felt better in the bath because of the smell of the Sodium Chloride that makes it relaxing, the absorbance of the Magnesium Sulfate loosened my body, and I fell asleep 15-20 minutes after taking the bath. On the nights of using the Equate, I was up to 11:00p.m watching TV. I was relaxed, but I couldn't sleep. 

Product	Equate	Epsom
Measurement	⅓ cup	⅓ cup
Time to Sleep	1 hour	30minutes

Conclusion: In conclusion, the Epsom Salt brand was a better brand to use. The ingredients in the product made it relaxing and put me to sleep.