29.08.2025
Why I Started 39BC
Honouring Presence, History and Ceremony
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Sharmadean Reid surrounded by books in London, 2025

I started 39BC because I was tired. Not just physically — though that too — but tired of output, noise, and the performance of wellness. I didn’t want another productivity hack. I wanted presence. To feel something real again.

So I got into the bath.

At first, it was recovery. Then it became ritual — a daily immersion that slowed my body and cleared my mind. From there, it became a study. I traced the history of bathing across cultures: the communal Roman bathhouse, the serenity of Japanese onsens, the heat of Moroccan hammams, the quiet tinctures of monasteries. Each practice revealed a different way of honouring water, scent, and touch. What began as curiosity became a map. That map became a practice.

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Sharmadean Reid deep in research, shot in London, 2025

That practice became 39BC: a fine fragrance bathing brand rooted in ancient rituals but designed for modern life. Our first collection of luxury shower oils is inspired by one of history’s most legendary alliances — Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Their love story was political, sensual, and world-shaping. We’ve translated that energy into four oils that combine history, scent, and ceremony to shift your state.


This brand is where all my loves meet: design, history, beauty, and storytelling. But beneath all of it lies something simple and essential — the human desire to feel pleasure every single day. Not indulgence, but grounding. Not performance, but presence.


The first 39BC shower oil collection is now available for pre-order. Each bottle is both ritual and reminder — to slow down, to return to yourself, to let water and fragrance carry you back into your body.


Thank you for stepping into the water with me.

Discover the Collection