As a child, a bottle of Pepto-Bismol-pink Mr. Bubbles sufficed for a fun-filled bath time. But after a stressful week, when a desire for down time nearly overwhelms, a plastic bottle doesn’t convey the ultimate in relaxation. For a more luxurious experience, try a bath bomb, a compressed ball of oils and fragrances, plus a blend of ingredients that make for a fizzy chemical reaction with warm water. They are like scoops of ice cream, and the result is pretty much the same: total satisfaction.

LUSH

What we liked: LUSH helped originate this concept, and it’s still a favorite of sybarites everywhere.

These dissolve more slowly than other bombs, so you can drop them in the water, then pull them back out once you have enough essential oils and scent. LUSH also offers a lot of variety, everything from jasmine and vanilla to avocado to pine to citrus.

Price: $4.85 and up at LUSH stores or online at http://usa.lush.com

Bath Junkie

What we liked: Because they were the largest, they had the biggest visual punch, fizzing for longer and changing the color of the bath water dramatically.

The fragrance caught us, too. The vanilla created a cloud of warm scent, without any cloying fragrance. You could easily get by with using only a half a bomb for a regular-sized tub. Scents include pomegranate, oatmeal and honey, vanilla and patchouli.

Price: $8 or 3 for $21, Bath Junkie, www.bathjunkie.com

Swizzles by Fraiche

What we liked: The bombs by the Lewisville-based company look like tiny planets, with the swirls of bright oranges, blues and purples, and come with seductive names such as Bare Naked and Promiscuous. The scents range from rose petals to peppermint. These were the most heavily scented bombs we tried. They’d work beautifully in a large bathroom but might overwhelm a tiny one.

Price: $7.25, at www.myfraiche.com.