When I was a little ‘un, pouring over “grown up” newspapers and magazines, I became fascinated by a series of advertisements. They concerned an attractive young woman who, still wrapped in a towel after her bath, looked out her window to hail the arrival of a man whose physical attractions were in parallel with her own.
Things happen after a badedas bath, ran the strap line. Of course, when I came of age, I had to find out what
did happen after the bath, and in spite of receiving a bottle of badedas one teenage Christmas time and loving it, I’m still awaiting the arrival of that man. Badedas is still with us and the advertisement series has achieved historical status in the same way as Milk Tray and Martini. Just recently, a leg injury gave me cause to renew my acquaintance with
Badedas Original Indulgent Bath Gelee, and my love of the product came rushing back. Online reviews are wildly out of synch with one another. Some reviewers liken it to cheap, pine toilet cleaner –
never! – while other reviewers love it as much as I do.
The smell of it is extraordinary, so much that after a half-hour soak, I can spend twenty-four hours without using any other scent. Instead, a tangy, spicy cloud, redolent of mountain forests and rushing streams, envelops me throughout the day. Yes, it is expensive; I paid £6.50 for the standard 300ml flagon. But a little goes a long way and a few drops of the dark-green liquid will colour the bath water, rendering it soft and soothing, with a cleansing power that makes soap redundant. And yes, it does seemed to have shrunken the swelling on my leg – one reviewer even said that it helps her psoriasis. The active ingredient in Badedas is
aesculus hippocastanum or horse chestnut extract, which contains
aescin, an age-old remedy for inflamed and distended skin. Much debate rages around the safety of
aesculus hippocastanum, and whether or not it is toxic. One thing is certain; chestnut seed must not be given to horses. They won’t be getting my badedas, either…
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