The Origins of National Bubble Bath Day

The History and Origins of National Bubble Bath Day

Mark your calendars and get those bathtubs ready, bathers! January 8th marks National Bubble Bath Day 2022!

We know what you’re thinking. Isn’t there a national everything day?

There are indeed a plethora of days that celebrate everything from cupcakes to friendships, but here at TOA Waters, we’re all about those bubble baths!

The practice of bathing dates back to the time of the Ancient Romans who built elaborate pool and drainage systems for their public bath houses. It took considerable time for bubble baths to make their way onto the bathing scene, however.

The first American bubble bath products were made available in the 1940s. That’s right, the very first bubble bath solutions were sold by a Chicago-based company called Chemtoy.

It wasn’t until the 1960s that a new product, Mr. Bubble was created. This product was created by Mr. Harold Schafer and the Gold Seal Company. Mr. Bubble was manufactured and distributed in the United States satisfying bathers and filling more bathtubs along the way!

There is some discrepancy relative to the actual origin of National Bubble Bath Day itself. Some sources attribute it to the 1960s, while others suggest that the late 1990s saw the first national recognition for this celebration.

Regardless of the discrepancy, it’s safe to say that bubble baths have come a long way since the creation of the first few products. Today, there is much more variety and versatility available to those looking for a great soak.

So, as you think about how to commemorate National Bubble Bath Day this year, consider browsing through TOA Waters' products and setting yourself up for the most sensational soak.

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One thought on “The Origins of National Bubble Bath Day

  1. The first American bath foams came out in the 1930s, contemporary with light duty household detergents that were also labeled for use as bubble bath, such as Swerl. Dreft saw a lot of use as bubble bath but was never directly promoted for that use to my knowledge.

    To my knowledge, Chemtoy has never made bubble bath solutions, only bubble BLOWING solutions. Their Mr. Bubbles trademark (note plural) is not to be confused with Mr. Bubble (singular).

    “It wasn’t until the 1960s that a new product, Mr. Bubble was created” is at best a misleading statement. It’s not as if no new foaming bath products were created between the 1940s and then! There were uncountably many in the USA alone Mr. Bubble was basically a clone of the first to break into the “family” positioning (i.e. mostly for children, unscented or with little scent, unisex, grocery-stocked bubble bath products for routine use), a powder named “Bub” from Charlie Eaton, who’d also come up with the disposable styrofoam cup for coffee, etc., and Mr. Bubble was also preceded by Matey. What was said to account for Mr. Bubble’s success was pricing. Matey went over to the United Kingdom where it continued after it’d left the American market that originated it.

    However, ca. 1950 the use of pourable bath gels such as Badedas had already come into use on the European continent. They had somewhat similar “family” positioning except that they were highly perfumed and with more of a pitch for adult use.

    However, the above developments cover only products that produce a very stable foam at high dilution. There were already people making baths foamy with soap flakes or powder, and there was some use of saponins in therapeutic or spa settings to produce foam on mechanically aerated baths. And for another type of bubble bath, there were effervescent grains.

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