Vanessa Elle
Thu, August 13, 2026 at 6:45 PM UTC
With over 200 million record sales to her name and the bank account to prove it, Mariah Carey definitely knows how to do life. If the iconic diva and powerhouse vocalist can offer any advice at all, we’ll take it — especially if she has pointers for a self-care routine that will actually work. While world tours, Las Vegas residencies, business ventures, and raising twins are all fabulous, we have no doubt that they take it out of the superstar from time to time. Self-care is vital in a world as wonderfully chaotic as Carey’s, and one of her favorite ways to kick back is with a lovely bath.
Now, we all know how to relax with a basic bath already, but there’s nothing basic about Carey’s go-to bath process. Speaking to People in 2023, she revealed that taking the most soothing bath is one of her “coping mechanisms,” and she introduces a few aids — including bath oils and bath salts — to make the already calming activity even more serene. Ultimately, despite the reputation that precedes her, Carey is a fan of running her own bath rather than having someone else do it for her. As the saying goes, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
Mariah Carey’s perfect bath
We’d imagine that Mariah Carey has a large team of staff to help her with everyday tasks, but if there’s one thing she does herself, it’s preparing her own bath. “If someone is kind enough to say, ‘Okay, I know you’re probably going to want to get inside and go in the bath, so I’ll run it for you.’ Well … things can go wrong,” she explained to People. “They put in too many bubbles. That gets a little bit out of control because then you can’t just lay back without getting bubbles all over you.”
In addition to getting her bubble ratio perfect, Carey brings in bath salts, especially when she’s feeling achy. “My latest favorite are the orange ones. They’re really good,” she said, before adding that she also limits her quantities of bath salts (“not the whole jug”) before going in with her preferred bath oils. Finally, she makes sure that her phone is always within reach and even makes a habit of having phone conversations in the bath.
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In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Carey revealed that, like Cleopatra herself, she also bathes in cold milk on occasion. However, she stressed that this is “a beauty treatment” rather than a self-care activity, so you don’t need to turn your regular relaxing baths into milkshakes. Finally, while clean water is the base for most of her baths, she admitted that she’s not opposed to using mineral water: “Well, I guess if there’s no clean water and I had to use mineral water, maybe I would.”
How to enhance your bath for optimal relaxation
If you’re still looking to add a few more special touches to your bath routine, you could also incorporate some other self-care activities into the experience. Skincare that uses organic, beneficial ingredients that your skin will love is a great addition, so don’t be afraid to incorporate a face mask. Anything with lavender is believed to promote relaxation, but you could also choose a mask based on your individual skin needs
Although a scalding bath might feel soothing at first, your skin won’t thank you for any temperature that’s too hot. To really make your bath about self-care, keep it at a temperature that your body will love, about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If you can’t help but have a hotter bath — sometimes honoring your cravings is the ultimate form of self-care — you can counteract it by finishing the bath with a blast of cool water. “Heat penetrates and forces blood flow and circulation,” Kohler product marketing director Michael Marbach told Real Simple. “A cool, neutral rinse after a hot bath or shower brings the body to a state of homeostasis — a balanced state.”
Keeping your phone nearby may save you the stress of getting out of the bath if you need it, but there’s also a lot to be said for just switching off from technology for a while. Unfortunately, being digitally available does come at a cost. If you need a break from the digital world, let your nearest and dearest know that you’ll be unreachable for a set period, and use the quiet to truly unwind
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