[{"_1":2,"_237":-5,"_238":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_161":162},"root",{"_5":6,"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":12,"_60":61,"_141":142,"_144":-5,"_145":146,"_147":148,"_13":149,"_150":151},"cart",["P",6],"isLoggedIn",["P",8],"footer",["P",10],"header",{"_13":14,"_27":28},"shop",{"_15":16,"_17":18,"_19":-5,"_20":21,"_24":25},"id","gid://shopify/Shop/93967024393","name","39-BC","description","primaryDomain",{"_22":23},"url","https://39bc.myshopify.com","brand",{"_26":-5},"logo","menu",{"_15":29,"_30":31},"gid://shopify/Menu/294888833289","items",[32,44,52],{"_15":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_22":42,"_30":43},"gid://shopify/MenuItem/751799730441","resourceId","gid://shopify/Collection/673581596937","tags",[],"title","SHOP","type","COLLECTION","https://39bc.myshopify.com/collections/vol-1-alexandria",[],{"_15":45,"_34":46,"_36":47,"_38":48,"_40":49,"_22":50,"_30":51},"gid://shopify/MenuItem/751799763209","gid://shopify/Page/696271405321",[],"OUR STORY","PAGE","https://39bc.myshopify.com/pages/our-story",[],{"_15":53,"_34":54,"_36":55,"_38":56,"_40":57,"_22":58,"_30":59},"gid://shopify/MenuItem/751799795977","gid://shopify/Blog/116762411273",[],"JOURNAL","BLOG","https://39bc.myshopify.com/blogs/letters",[],"newsletterData",{"_62":63},"data",{"_64":65,"_76":77,"_137":138,"_139":140},"banner",{"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":75},"backgroundColor","#000","enabled",true,"link","https://39-bc.com/shop","text","SUBSCRIBE & SAVE 10%","textColor","#fff","newsletterPopup",{"_78":79,"_80":81,"_82":83,"_68":69,"_84":85,"_86":87,"_107":108,"_116":117,"_124":125,"_72":126,"_127":128},"buttonText","Subscribe now","closeButtonText","No, thank you","emailPlaceholder","Your Email","headline","Sign up and receive 10% off your first order.","image",{"_88":89,"_105":-5,"_106":-5},"asset",{"_90":91,"_92":93,"_22":104},"_id","image-62258c16fd1812e8f20e6fffc0b01596b76495a4-1000x1333-webp","metadata",{"_94":95},"dimensions",{"_96":97,"_98":99,"_100":101,"_102":103},"_type","sanity.imageDimensions","aspectRatio",0.7501875468867217,"height",1333,"width",1000,"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/w6t8blum/production/62258c16fd1812e8f20e6fffc0b01596b76495a4-1000x1333.webp","crop","hotspot","miniPopup",{"_66":109,"_68":69,"_110":69,"_111":69,"_112":113,"_72":114,"_74":115},"#2E090A","hideOnScroll","miniPopupOnly","position","bottom-left","10% Discount","#ffffff","styling",{"_66":109,"_118":69,"_119":120,"_112":121,"_122":123,"_74":115},"backgroundOverlay","borderRadius","none","center","size","large","successMessage","Thank you! You will get 10%.","Scent stories, history lessons and new releases.","triggerOptions",{"_129":130,"_131":132,"_133":134,"_135":136},"delaySeconds",8,"frequency","session","scrollPercentage",10,"triggerType","scroll","newsletterText","ACCESS STORIES, LOVE NOTES AND MEMORIES VIA OUR NEWSLETTER","subscribeButtonText","Join the journey","cartSettings",{"_143":69},"showCartNote","customerMatchData","publicStoreDomain","ne17du-ma.myshopify.com","currentCountry","US",["P",149],"consent",{"_152":153,"_154":155,"_156":157,"_158":148,"_159":160},"checkoutDomain","39bc.myshopify.com","storefrontAccessToken","b4481c8f4cece83eb89d3e33a4693729","withPrivacyBanner",false,"country","language","EN","routes/blogs.$blogHandle._index",{"_163":164},"blog",{"_38":165,"_166":167,"_168":169},"Letters","seo",{"_38":-5,"_19":-5},"articles",{"_170":171,"_229":230},"nodes",[172,192,205,216],{"_173":174,"_176":177,"_178":179,"_15":180,"_86":181,"_187":188,"_38":189,"_163":190},"author",{"_17":175},"Bhavesh Dewangan","contentHtml","

Water carries the weight of empires and the traces of footsteps long gone. These lakes are older than cities, older than the roads that Roman legions once marched, older even than the myths that cling to their shores. From the salt flats of desert oases to volcanic basins and northern glacial lakes, each holds a rhythm shaped by thousands of years of wind, sun and stone. For the traveller, each lake offers a different experience: some invite reflection in quiet corners away from the crowds, others reward exploration along walking paths or by boat, while a few reveal history in the ruins and settlements that line their shores. These ten lakes – from Egypt to Italy, from the Balkans to the Lake District – are places where the past lingers, where a sense of awe can be found in both the grandeur and the silence.

$\"\"$

Lake Mariout, Egypt

Just south of Alexandria, reeds line the shore of Lake Mariout’s calm waters. Birdwatchers will enjoy spotting herons and egrets along the marshy edges. The lake was once a critical fishing and trade resource for the city of Alexandria in antiquity. For a panoramic view, head to the Qaitbay Citadel nearby, where the Mediterranean meets the delta, allowing a sense of scale between the lake and the surrounding coastline.

$\"\"$

Lake Siwa, Egypt

Lake Siwa’s salt-rich waters are perfect for floating in, with a subtle buoyancy that feels almost otherworldly. Small mudbrick villages, ancient fortresses, and palm groves dot the landscape, while the famed Temple of the Oracle of Amun connects visitors directly to Cleopatra’s story. Sunset over the salt flats offers one of Egypt’s most dramatic natural spectacles. Combine a visit with a stay at Adrère Amellal.

$\"\"$

Lake Ohrid

\n\n

Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia/Albania

One of the world’s oldest lakes, Ohrid offers clear freshwater ideal for swimming, particularly in the warmer summer months. Lakeside promenades connect UNESCO-listed towns, Byzantine churches, and Roman-era ruins. A destination where relaxation and cultural discovery coexist seamlessly.

\n\n

$\"\"$

Dead Sea, Jordan

The Dead Sea is mentioned in biblical texts and its waters have long been part of regional trade and myth. The saline quality allows effortless floating, which makes swimming here a unique experience. There are also spas, and mud baths enriched with minerals dotted along the beaches. Sunrise from the eastern shores provides spectacular views of the Judean Desert reflecting in the water.

$\"\"$

Lake Bolsena, Italy

Volcanic Lake Bolsena in Umbria offers calm water that’s perfect for swimming, paddleboarding, or lakeside picnics. The lake sits on top of an ancient volcanic crater and has been surrounded by Etruscan and Roman settlements for centuries which means walking routes have beautiful views from every angle. Visitors can also take a boat to reach the lake’s small islands, Bisentina and Martana.

$\"\"$

Lake Trasimento, Italy

Lake Trasimeno, Italy

Shallow, warm and with sandy beaches along its edges there are few lovelier swimming spots than Lake Trasimeno. Head for villages Passignano and Castiglione del Lago for some of the best beaches. Boat ferries link the lake's three islands – home to medieval churches and fortresses. Trasimeno's history as a Roman battlefield and agricultural hub make it easy to imagine a figure like Mark Antony pausing at the water's edge.

$\"\"$

Lake Qarun, Faiyum, Egypt

Nestled in Egypt's Faiyum Oasis, Lake Qarun is a shallow, freshwater lake that has been swimmable for millennia. The surrounding oasis was a center of Ptolemaic agriculture, making the lake a direct link to Cleopatra's era. Nearby, archaeological sites include ancient temples and burial mounds.

$\"\"$

Lake Bassenthwaite, UK

Formed during the last Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago, the glacial setting provides dramatic northern landscapes in contrast to the Mediterranean lakes. Nearby Roman-era settlements and forts hint at the area's role as the northern frontier of the ancient world, where soldiers and communities once navigated these waters and fells. A quiet, reflective experience in Britain's oldest waters.

$\"\"$

Lake Bracciano, Italy

Close to Rome, aqueducts once carried its water to the capital. These days, with beaches and small harbours that provide easy access, Lake Bracciano is one of the loveliest swimming spots in Italy. The lake sits in a volcanic caldera, which means the surrounding hills rise dramatically and give the water a deep, clear quality.

$\"\"$

Lake Ledro, Italy

Tucked beneath the Alps, Lake Ledro is a small, glacial lake with clear, cool waters perfect for summer swims. Its shores are framed by pine forests and mountain peaks, plus prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements that date back to the Bronze Age. The water mirrors the surrounding peaks – a tranquil, immersive swim steeped in history.

\n
","handle","10-ancient-lakes-for-swimming","gid://shopify/Article/618147578121",{"_15":182,"_183":-5,"_22":184,"_102":185,"_100":186},"gid://shopify/ArticleImage/236291981577","altText","https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0939/6702/4393/articles/dead-sea-jordan.webp?v=1779166961",1080,624,"publishedAt","2026-05-18T21:15:31Z","10 ANCIENT LAKES FOR SWIMMING",{"_178":191},"letters",{"_173":193,"_176":194,"_178":195,"_15":196,"_86":197,"_187":202,"_38":203,"_163":204},{"_17":175},"\n\n

Bath Time With... is a new series from 39BC. We visit the bathrooms of our muses and friends — and find that a private space has a way of unlocking a uniquely intimate conversation about routines, rituals, and the objects they can't live without.

This week: Editor and Brand-Builder, Alice Casely-Hayford

I am not a water baby.

One of my very first memories of water has been influenced by quite an iconic picture of me aged three in a swimming pool. I am screaming, livid, desperately unhappy to be in the pool.

So I think it was kind of engrained in me that I’m not a water baby, because in those first swimming lessons, I was just having none of it. I won’t pretend I feel at one with the sea, or that I’m an avid swimmer. I was fleetingly on the water polo team at school, but I think that’s just because I was a tall, Black, reasonably athletic-looking woman, so they put me on the team — and then quickly I was booted off.

I’m not a water baby, but I love a bath. I do have early memories of being in the bath with my brother. And now it’s a central part of my day, every single day.

Growing up, bathing wasn’t just functional in our house — it was aesthetic.

We didn’t have a shower, only a bath, and it was beautiful. Freestanding, with stained glass windows filtering the light. My parents had created this sanctuary. They loved the idea of bathing, so it is something I really saw. I loved watching my mum putting on her makeup. Our bathroom was a really exquisite place in our family home. So yes, I think of my family as bathers, and the bathroom as an important beating heart of the household.

$\"\"$

The smell was always the same.

Potpourri. Santa Maria Novella. My mum has been the most die-hard fan for as long as I can remember. We’d always have potpourri dotted around the bathroom and lots of candles.

It was full of strong, beautiful smells that were really evocative. When I smell them now, going into my mum’s home, it takes me back to my childhood immediately. Her bathroom now is still gorgeous. She loves Acqua di Parma and Santa Maria Novella, so it was a beautiful, almost pharmacy, powdery kind of smell, maybe with a religious-connotation.

In my twenties, I had absolutely no time for any of this

\n\n\n

Bathing was purely practical. In, out, done. Sometimes it was about washing away a hangover, sometimes just about getting clean before the next work day. There was no ritual, no romance, no lingering. I didn’t need it — or maybe I didn’t know I did.

Now, it’s the opposite. I definitely luxuriate.

It was funny, because I was in the bath earlier before this interview thinking, what am I going to talk about? And I realised I have my eureka moments in the bath. It’s the one time I have proper peace.

The only other time I’m really by myself is in Pilates, but I’m so focused on the exercise that I’m not thinking about bigger-picture things. Whereas in the bath — even though I’m not the type of person who’s going to be in there for half an hour with a glass of wine and candles — it’s still the one time when I’m truly thinking blue sky. The deeper, meaningful stuff.

We, too, have created a bit of a sanctuary in our bathroom, although it’s funny because our kids’ toys are scattered all over the bath. I love that it’s my quiet time.

I bathe every day.

For me, it’s quite a short ritual. I’ll run the bath, I might light a candle. I will certainly use — well, I’m obsessed with the Fig Milk oil. It is exquisite.

I bathe every day. Sunday is usually the only day I’ll have a shower, and that’s when I do a full hair wash — I only wash my hair once a week. Although, today I did it because I recently left my office job and had the time.

If I’ve exercised, I might rinse off quickly before the bath so I’m going in relatively clean. Otherwise, it’s very simple. I just use my hands, sometimes a flannel. Occasionally I’ll use an exfoliating brush or mitt, but it’s all quite efficient.

Everything in my life needs to be efficient.

That’s why I love something like Fig Milk

It’s so sensual and the smell is beautiful. You don’t really need to use very much. It just feels like a treat, but it’s relatively straightforward — which everything in my life needs to be. It works so well, and quickly, and beautifully. It’s not like having to use 10,000 products. I love it.

\n\n\n\n

I also love how the 39BC bottle looks in the bathroom. We have these blue, Moroccan-style tiles around our bath, and it just sits there so beautifully — even next to my kids’ very un-beautiful products.

I gave birth in the water

But not exactly as planned. With Arthur, who is our four, almost five-year-old, I wanted to give birth in water, but at the last minute, literally as he was coming out, I was in agony and decided I didn’t want to. So I jumped out of the birth pool, much to their annoyance, and scrambled onto the bed. I gave birth to him quite soon after.

Then with Alfie, who’s almost two, I gave birth in the pool. It was the most incredible experience. It was just the perfect labour and welcome into the world.

\n
My baby came out in his sac\n

Which is hopefully good luck. He was just bobbing in the water, and then we scooped him out. As he came out, he sort of erupted from the sac. Sorry, that’s quite graphic, but it was the most magical, amazing experience.

I’d gone to the hospital 12 hours earlier and they sent me away because I was only one centimetre dilated, even though I was convinced I was about to have him.

So I went home and spent the whole day in the bath. My husband Sean was holding my hand and singing me songs. It was really magical, albeit painful.

Then finally I waddled back into the hospital 12 hours later and they couldn’t run the pool fast enough because they were like, this baby is coming now! As the pool reached the depth where I could get in, he was halfway out. It all happened very quickly.

For both my boys, I spent the whole day in the bath before they were born. With Arthur my mum was with me mostly. So yes, that bath has seen it all.

And now every day without fail, I do not miss bath time with the children.

Even if I have an event in the evening or I’m going for dinner with friends, I will only ever go after bath time. Just before the bath, my kids are at their craziest because they’re hyped up after childcare and school.

So we militantly head up for bath time at 6.15 every day. We slowly play upstairs in the bedroom for a little bit while we’re running the bath. Then they both get in and spend quite a long while in there.

Our boys have their own separate toys at either end of the bath, so they’re not actually interacting that much with each other, although it’s starting to happen. They splash around. Sometimes we play music. It’s just the happiest part of the day.

There’s something about water that resets them. Resets all of us, actually. We talk about their day, about what’s happening tomorrow. It becomes a small, contained world — like the one I remember from my childhood.

Afterwards, they come out wrapped in towels. Alfie still has one with ears and a little tail, so he’s like the cutest koala bear ever. Arthur can go into his room and entertain himself for a little bit while we get Alfie ready, cream him and read him a story. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, Arthur might read one with him.

Alfie’s bedtime routine takes a lot longer, so we put him down first. They’re both wrapped up in their little towels. Arthur is really into slippers now, so he gets into his slippers.

There’s nothing better than pulling a clean baby out of the bath, wrapping them in a towel, and snuggling them. And then it’s over. Bedtime. My evening begins

I’m from lots of different places, but Ghana is the place I feel the strongest connection to.

My mum is from the Caribbean — from St Kitts and Sint Eustatius — and my dad is from Ghana and Sierra Leone.

The thing that is front of mind for me, particularly from both my grandmothers, is looking after your skin.

My white husband can jump in and out of the shower and just step straight into his clothes, and that is it. I’ve had to teach him a lot about how to look after our babies’ skin — I was like, you better cream these boys up.

It’s about using beautiful soaps, exfoliating well — particularly from my West African grandmother — and then all of the magical creams. Especially for hair, but certainly for the body and skin. I remember so vividly her creaming herself and teaching that to me and my cousins.

To be honest, being an 80s/90s baby, I remember hair shop cocoa butter and those things on the shelf, but I wouldn’t dream of using that now. I have all sorts of ridiculously expensive, luxurious creams that I use now.

For my hair, I’ll use Charlotte Mensah Manketti oil and lots of different natural oils that feel important to me and my heritage.

I’m really excited to be stepping into a new chapter.

\n\n\n

One of my proudest achievements over the past five years was launching and evolving a podcast, so I’m really passionate about podcasting. Watch this space!

Throughout my career, I’ve been a storyteller, editor and marketer within fashion, and I’m excited about moving into a slightly different area and exploring opportunities there.

But for the moment, I’m here.

Summer is starting. The days are brighter. I wake up and, for once, there’s no fixed place I have to be. It’s unfamiliar, slightly uncomfortable — and completely exhilarating.

And every evening, at 6:15pm, I run the bath.

Photos: Suzannah Pettigrew

\n\n\n

","bath-time-with-alice-casely-hayford","gid://shopify/Article/618148528393",{"_15":198,"_183":-5,"_22":199,"_102":200,"_100":201},"gid://shopify/ArticleImage/236786352393","https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0939/6702/4393/articles/alice-casely-hayford_598d91e9-e9d3-4e6f-bf7c-8be7f8822b0b.webp?v=1779824590",2432,3636,"2026-05-19T05:17:42Z","Bath Time with Alice Casely-Hayford",{"_178":191},{"_173":206,"_176":207,"_178":208,"_15":209,"_86":210,"_187":213,"_38":214,"_163":215},{"_17":175},"

$\"\"$

This week: Matilda Goad, founder of homeware company, MG&Co.

$\"\"$

My mornings are hectic. I have a five-year-old, a three-year-old, and I’m about to give birth to my third child. Life is busy in that full-body way with work, school runs, growing a human and this pregnancy has felt much harder than my first. Six years ago, I had more space around me. Now, I feel like I’m doing everything at once.

So I’ve become quite disciplined about small rituals that make me feel good.

Showers are my wake-up. Baths are my wind-down.

If I don't have a shower, I find I can't wake up fully. It's so part of my morning routine. Recently, I’ve added dry skin brushing before I get in. Pregnancy makes everything feel slower, my circulation, energy, everything, and brushing feels like I’m firing my body up for the day. It’s efficient, which matters when you’re trying to get three people dressed before 8 a.m.

I always finish with a burst of cold water. It’s not pleasant, but it’s clarifying. It feels like a tangible start. Like the day has officially begun.

\n\n

\n \n\n \n\n

\n\n

And then at the end of the day, I love a bath.

\n\n

If I'm at home and I don't have plans, I'll spend quite a long time getting ready to have a bath. I love having a bath before bed and at the moment, I’m putting in an almost absurd amount of magnesium salts. They’ve genuinely helped with sleep and with those strange pregnancy twinges that arrive at night. I’ve also been using 39BC FIG MILK bath oil that feels deeply feminine and warm. There’s something about scent when you’re pregnant. It feels amplified. Maybe it’s just because I can smell everything strongly.

But the thing I’m truly obsessive about is lighting.

\n\n $\"Matilda$ \n\n

\n\n

I cannot bear overhead lights in the evening. If I walk into the house and a spotlight is on, I will go around turning everything off like a slightly unhinged person. Bathrooms are often the worst offenders — bright, sterile, overly technical. Especially in hotels. So much lighting, and yet none of it flattering or calming.

Lighting changes everything about how a bath feels.

Ideally, you’d have multiple circuits in a room — overhead for practical moments, wall lights for atmosphere, but even if you don’t, a dimmer switch can transform the space. And candles absolutely count as lighting. A single large pillar candle beside the bath gives off enough light to read by. You don’t need a constellation of tea lights. One source of low, warm light is enough to shift your mood entirely.

I went to Stockholm one January, when it was getting dark at two in the afternoon, and I loved how they embraced it. Candles lit in the middle of the day. No apology for the darkness. That sense of leaning into the season rather than fighting it has stayed with me.

Bathrooms, in general, are misunderstood rooms.

We treat them as functional and sterile with their tiles and chrome and brightness… when actually they could feel like any other space in the house. In my own home, I wanted the bathroom to feel expansive and warm. I grew up in a small cottage with low ceilings and lots of little rooms. Charming, but enclosed. As an adult, I crave space.

\n\n $\"Bathroom$ \n\n

\n\n

My bedroom and bathroom share the same floorboards. It’s open-plan. It feels like one continuous room rather than a separate utility space. I hang art in there. I’ve never understood why bathrooms can’t have art. As long as you have proper ventilation, treat it like another room in the house, not something separate.

I don’t believe in houses that are too precious, either. When I first designed my home, I didn’t have children yet. I was probably naïve about the chaos that comes with them. Now there are felt-tip pen marks on walls and scuffs where there weren’t before. You have to lean into it. A pristine home that no one can touch isn’t welcoming. It doesn’t feel lived in.

My first memories of the bath are so clear. Our bathroom had chintzy wallpaper, and bath times were fun. I remember being in the bath with my cousins, loads of bubble bath. It was always a happy place.

Now, my bath is my Own.

Sunday nights are my favorite. I take in the newspaper supplements, knowing they’ll probably get wet and my fingers will go slightly inky. I stay in for maybe fifteen minutes. I’m not someone who props up a laptop. It’s cocooning. Reflective. I think about the week ahead, what’s in my diary, what my children need. Work inevitably drifts in too. I’m creative, and ideas arrive without warning. It might be a narrative for a shoot, a product tweak, something logistical about the website. The bath is one of the few places where those thoughts can land without interruption.

\n $\"Cozy$ \n

The first product I made was a scalloped lampshade. It was a small shift on something traditional. I’ve always been drawn to objects that are deeply functional but slightly reconsidered. A handle, a hook, a bath mat. Things people use every single day, but rarely think about.

We opened our first shop in October on Ebury Street in Belgravia, which has been a big moment for the brand. It allowed us to focus on hardware and lighting — purpose-driven products.

The brand started very differently. I'd left my job in fashion working with Venetia Scott and began doing set and event design. I loved producing products — starting with small things like napkins. Over time, we moved into tabletop and decorative pieces, but now we've really landed in hardware and lighting. It's about everyday objects with a point of difference — spinning something familiar on its head.

\n \n\n

\n\n

Our bath mats, for example, are based on traditional Portuguese knotted styles, but we made them oversized and added a linen frill. It sounds simple, but why is the bath mat always the most neglected object in the room? People will spend a significant amount on a dress they wear once, but hesitate over something they step onto every morning. I find that fascinating.

Travel feeds that curiosity. My camera roll isn’t full of sunsets and cocktails though. Its full of cornicing, door hooks, clever hotel details. I’m fascinated by efficiency. By how a coat hook can also hold a suit properly. By the rituals of different cultures. It’s the feeling of a place I try to absorb, not just its aesthetics.

Light one candle. Just one.

If I had to give one piece of advice to elevate your bath tonight, it would be this: turn off the overhead lights.

Let the room dim.

You’ll feel the difference immediately.

And in a life that is often loud and bright and demanding, that shift into softness can feel radical.

Photos: Suzannah Pettigrew

\n\n

\n \n

","bath-time-with-matilda-goad","gid://shopify/Article/618154131721",{"_15":211,"_183":-5,"_22":212,"_102":200,"_100":201},"gid://shopify/ArticleImage/236820005129","https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0939/6702/4393/articles/matilda-goad-1_8f237227-d29b-40c4-9db4-2d742890e8bf.webp?v=1779875530","2026-05-19T13:06:57Z","Bath Time with Matilda Goad",{"_178":191},{"_173":217,"_176":219,"_178":220,"_15":221,"_86":222,"_187":226,"_38":227,"_163":228},{"_17":218},"Sharmadean Reid","

$\"\"$

At 39BC, we believe bathing is more than hygiene. It is a ritual practice that has existed across cultures for thousands of years — used to prepare the body and mind for intimacy, prayer, sleep, grief, celebration and renewal. Ultimately, for us, the bath becomes meditation.

Drawing from global bathing traditions, we developed a four-stage philosophy for modern bathing rituals:

Prepare

\n
Purify

\n
Soak

\n
Seal

Together, these stages guide the body through different states of physical and emotional transformation using heat, water, scent, texture and time.

Long before bathing became a rushed modern routine, it existed as something much larger: a cultural practice of restoration. From the temazcal of Mesoamerica to Roman thermae, Japanese bathing rituals and Ottoman hammams, water has historically been used not only to cleanse the body, but to alter the state of the mind.

At 39BC, we see bathing not as indulgence, but as maintenance for the nervous system. A way to slow down, regulate the body and return to yourself in a world that constantly demands speed, performance and output.

Not every ritual requires every stage. Not every bath needs to be lengthy or elaborate. The point is not performance. The point is attention.

The modern world encourages dissociation from the body. Bathing asks for the opposite. It asks you to re-enter it.

PREPARE

Preparation begins the moment you decide to take a bath. It is the moment in time where your mind begins to shift, ready for the water.

Today, many people carry the rhythm of the outside world directly into the bath or shower. Phones nearby. Emails open. Thoughts racing. The body enters the water, but the mind remains elsewhere.

Preparation interrupts this.

This does not need to be complicated. Perhaps you light a single candle. Maybe it’s music, a playlist you make to settle your soul. Some of us simply need to close the bathroom door and turn the lock.

$\"\"$

Preparation is about creating the optimum environment for transformation before you enter the water. It means adjusting the scent, sights and sounds around you. The body responds to cues. Scent triggers memory and can calm the mind. A dim room changes perception. Music alters breathing patterns and brainwaves.

The nervous system needs to be informed that it is safe to soften, and so to Prepare is to communicate intention. Everyone has their own method of preparation, but the ritual itself changes attention. Lighting incense, running the water, watching the curls of steam begin to rise — these small acts signal to the body that it is time to let go of the outside world and return to yourself.

Preparation may include burning candles, herbs or incense, meditation or breathwork, stretching or dry brushing. It may include a prayer of gratitude, or simply a few moments of silence before the water begins to run. This is a private moment before you step into the portal.

And remember, in a world where everything seems to be documented rather than experienced, the goal is not aesthetic perfection. It’s a psychological arrival.

PURIFY

Purification is often misunderstood as removal. But in reality, it is restoration. It is returning you to yourself. You purify the body so transformation can occur. Whether through fasting, cleansing, abstinence or sweat, cultures throughout history have understood that renewal often begins with release.

\n $\"Sixteenth-century$ \n

Sixteenth-century sweat bath from highland Mexico, from the Codex Magliabecchiano. Drawing reproduced from Nuttall 1903:fol. 77r.

Across bathing cultures, this stage has rarely been rushed. Before immersion came purification of the skin through friction, oils, steam, clay, herbs, salt and water.

In Japanese bathing culture, one washes thoroughly before entering the onsen. In Roman bathhouses, oil was applied to the skin before being scraped away with a strigil, lifting dirt and sweat from the body. In the North African hammam and Korean bathhouse, the skin is scrubbed vigorously with a mitt or glove, rolling away dead skin to leave the body softer, lighter and more receptive to heat and water.

$\"\"$

The Way of the Japanese Bath - Mark Edward Harris

Purification is active. It involves tools, product and touch. This stage involves washing the skin with our 39BC Body Cleansers, using loofahs, exfoliating gloves or cloths, or applying mineral-rich scrubs, muds and clays.

It is also the one focus on hygiene we allow. After all, the bath is meant to restore you — not leave you sitting in the day’s dirt and chaos.

But at 39BC, purification is not about stripping the skin until it squeaks. Modern cleansing culture has often confused aggressive formulas with cleanliness, but healthy skin is not meant to feel depleted and exposed. Purification should leave the body clearer, softer and more awake.

Sometimes purification is emotional as much as physical. There is a reason people wash after grief, after illness, after heartbreak.

Water has always carried symbolic weight. We instinctively seek it when we need to wash something away and begin again.

SOAK

To soak is to surrender to immersion. This is the stage most modern bathing culture remembers best, but even here, something has been lost.

Today, many people feel they do not have time to soak properly. Modern life rewards speed, efficiency and constant productivity, leaving little room for stillness or immersion. Baths become occasional luxuries rather than regular maintenance for the body and mind. Soaking asks us to pause. To stop moving long enough for the body and mind to catch up with one another again.

$\"\"$

Immersion changes consciousness. The body slows. Breathing deepens. Muscles release. Thoughts reorganise themselves differently in water than they do at a desk.

A soak may take place in a bath, a steam room, a sauna, a hot spring, a cold plunge anything that allows you to immerse yourself fully. You may add things to the water, such as milks, oils, salts, herbs, minerals or botanical infusions. It can be hot or cold. Both have value.

Heat opens the body. Cold sharpens it. The point is not extremity. It is internal movement through external stillness. To shift stagnant energy, encourage circulation, restore vitality and calm the nerves.

In many cultures, bathing has historically been communal because immersion changes conversation. People speak differently in water. They open up. Hierarchies soften. Time slows. This is why bathhouses became places of philosophy, politics, storytelling and intimacy.

At 39BC, we are interested in bathing as a private ritual as well as a social rite. Formal public baths emerged 2000 years ago and created spaces where people gathered across generations to wash, rest, talk and care for one another. Knowledge was shared there. Rituals were passed down there. Bathing became a form of intimacy between parents and children, friends and elders.

The soak is where the body remembers itself, both alone and in relation to others.

SEAL

Sealing is the final stage of the ritual.

It is the moment where moisture, warmth and softness are held against the skin before returning to the outside world again. Historically, bathing rituals rarely ended with water alone. To oil the body is one of humanity’s oldest acts of care. Oils, balms, butters and powders were applied afterwards to protect and scent the skin and extend the effects of the bath.

This is because hot water evaporates. The body can become dehydrated. Moisture leaves the skin unless it is sealed in. But sealing is not only functional. It is ceremonial.

The final anointing of the body marks the end of the ritual and the return to the mortal world. Across cultures, oils and fragrant preparations were used after bathing to prepare the body for sleep, intimacy, celebration or public life.

Long before alcohol-based perfume existed, fragrance lived inside oil. Resins, flowers, woods and herbs were infused into oils and fats so scent could remain close to the skin. Frankincense, myrrh, jasmine, sandalwood and rose were carried through ritual this way, held against the warmth of the body rather than projected outward into a room.

$\"\"$

At 39BC, sealing involves perfumed lotion, oil, milk, cream or powder. The sealing act itself should be deliberate: slow hands against warm skin, scent settling onto the body, softness restored through touch and time. Always take your time.

The ritual does not end when you leave the bath. It may mean putting on soft clothes afterwards. Drinking water. Resting. Sleeping.

Sealing allows the body to hold onto the scent, softness and memory of what the ritual created.

At 39BC, these four stages exist together as a complete bathing philosophy.

Prepare asks you to arrive. Purify asks you to release. Soak asks you to pause. Seal asks you to hold onto what the ritual created. Together, they transform bathing from routine into rhythm — a deliberate practice of caring for the body, regulating the nervous system and returning to yourself. This is why we believe bathing matters. In a culture that constantly demands output, speed and performance, the bath becomes one of the few remaining spaces where nothing is required except presence. To bathe well is simply to be here, fully, just for a little while.

PS — A Note on Showers

While this philosophy is rooted in bathing, we also understand that life does not always allow time for full immersion. The ritual can still exist within a shower. Preparation, purification, soaking in steam and sealing the skin afterwards can all happen there too. What matters is not perfection, but the decision to pause long enough to care for the body with attention. Though, of course, we would always prefer you take a bath.

— Written by Sharmadean Reid

","39bc-bathing-philosophy","gid://shopify/Article/618213966089",{"_15":223,"_183":-5,"_22":224,"_102":185,"_100":225},"gid://shopify/ArticleImage/236747849993","https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0939/6702/4393/articles/39BC_BATHING_PHILOSOPHY_4_f6e89186-d5b6-4363-9577-6188bf165b83.jpg?v=1779793750",1350,"2026-05-25T16:38:51Z","39BC BATHING PHILOSOPHY",{"_178":191},"pageInfo",{"_231":69,"_232":69,"_233":234,"_235":236},"hasPreviousPage","hasNextPage","endCursor","eyJsYXN0X2lkIjo2MTgyMTM5NjYwODksImxhc3RfdmFsdWUiOjYxODIxMzk2NjA4OSwib2Zmc2V0Ijo3fQ==","startCursor","eyJsYXN0X2lkIjo2MTgxNDc1NzgxMjEsImxhc3RfdmFsdWUiOjYxODE0NzU3ODEyMSwib2Zmc2V0Ijo0fQ==","actionData","errors"]

Lake Mariout, Egypt

Lake Siwa, Egypt

Lake Ohrid

Dead Sea, Jordan

Lake Bolsena, Italy

Lake Trasimento, Italy

Lake Qarun, Faiyum, Egypt

Lake Bassenthwaite, UK

Lake Bracciano, Italy

Lake Ledro, Italy

I am not a water baby.

Growing up, bathing wasn’t just functional in our house — it was aesthetic.

The smell was always the same.

In my twenties, I had absolutely no time for any of this

Now, it’s the opposite. I definitely luxuriate.

I bathe every day.

Everything in my life needs to be efficient.

That’s why I love something like Fig Milk

\nMy baby came out in his sac\n

And now every day without fail, I do not miss bath time with the children.

I’m from lots of different places, but Ghana is the place I feel the strongest connection to.

I’m really excited to be stepping into a new chapter.

And then at the end of the day, I love a bath.

But the thing I’m truly obsessive about is lighting.

Bathrooms, in general, are misunderstood rooms.

Now, my bath is my Own.

Light one candle. Just one.

Prepare

\nPurify

\nSoak

\nSeal

PREPARE

PURIFY

Sixteenth-century sweat bath from highland Mexico, from the Codex Magliabecchiano. Drawing reproduced from Nuttall 1903:fol. 77r.

The Way of the Japanese Bath - Mark Edward Harris

SOAK

SEAL

At 39BC, these four stages exist together as a complete bathing philosophy.

PS — A Note on Showers

— Written by Sharmadean Reid

\n
My baby came out in his sac\n

\n
Purify

\n
Soak

\n
Seal