Go Inside Josh Ray's Bath Lab, the One-Stop Shop With Bath Bombs and Body Care For Every Body

Josh Ray wasn't sure if anybody would be interested in his homemade bath bombs, but a surprising amount of Etsy sales led him to become a full-time creator at his Bath Lab in Knoxville, Tennessee.

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May 24, 2023

By: Beth Braden

Show: HGTV Handmade

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Photo By: Sarah Busby

Photo By: Holly Rainey

Photo By: Sarah Busby

Photo By: Holly Rainey

Rub-a-Dub-Dub, A Man and a Tub

Josh Ray was at a party with friends when he first had the idea to make bath bombs. With the 2017 holiday season looming, making bath bombs seemed like a great way to give meaningful gifts. He also opened an Etsy store and posted his bath bombs for sale during the holidays.

The interest was so large that Josh was able to start the Bath Lab, a body care shop in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Josh creates a variety of bath and body products.

Cute Butt, Lumberjack Daddy

The Bath Lab's signature peach scent was once called just "peach," but Josh changed it to "Cute Butt," which is a cheeky reference to how the peach emoji is often used in texting vernacular or online to symbolize the buttocks.

“We’re a fun, colorful company; we’re going to have a fun name for it," he said.

The jokes continued as other scents got names like "Lumberjack Daddy," which Josh describes as smelling of "crisp cedar wood, exotic amber and a hint of orange."

A Soap by Any Other Name

Seasonal scents at the Bath Lab include "Zombie Brains," a citrus raspberry blend for Halloween, as well as "Reindeer Poop" and "Cozy Weather" in the winter.

So Much to Choose From

Since its beginnings as a bath bomb shop, the Bath Lab has expanded to include body scrubs, soaps, bubble baths, candles, wax melts and a variety of seasonal products with fun colors and catchy names.

Smell Ya Later

Brainstorming is one of the hardest parts of the process, Josh said. It begins with sitting down with all of the fragrances and mixing them in varying ratios to get inspired. He thinks about what memories and feelings the scents evoke. Josh loves the nostalgia in some of the aromas.

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3

Once Josh is happy with a scent, it's time to test it and pick a name. He takes a lot of baths as he makes sure he has the scent just right.

The Bath Cave

In addition to doing all of the scent blending in his studio, the space has all of Josh's ingredients on display and ready to use. The walls are painted in the Bath Lab color scheme and are used as backdrops for product photos and social media posts.

Scaling Up

At first, Josh could only make six bath bombs at a time, but his studio space now allows him to create hundreds of bath bombs each day.

Gone to Market

About 50% of Josh's business comes from attending vendors markets in the Knoxville area. His first market was at a nursing home where he made $60.11 as senior citizens purchased bath bombs for their grandchildren. As time has passed, Josh has been able to become more selective about which markets he attends.

If You Make It, They Will Come

One of Josh's favorite events is the biannual Retropolitan Craft Fair held in Knoxville each November and May. At Retro, the Bath Lab joins dozens of makers selling handmade goods ranging from purses to art to handbound journals.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Josh loves getting to know his customers and learning what products they love the most. "That just makes me feel so good knowing that I have people who want to see me at these events," he explained.

Bold and Beautiful

When it comes to shopping at the Bath Lab, it's important for Josh that his customers have a bright, happy experience whether that's at his booth in a market or online. “The Bath Lab is definitely for everybody. Anybody that just loves self-care and fun colors and fun smells is definitely gonna love the Bath Lab," Josh said.

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