4 You Beauty Board Tests BATH SALTS/SOAKS

If you're never quite sure whether the ads for popular beauty products can be believed, relax. Our 4you Beauty Board is made up of veteran testers ready to try the latest when it comes to all things beauty. We'll share what worked and what bombed with the hope of making life a little easier for you. Check out our online database of reviews at TBO.com, Keyword: Health.

Joyful Bath Co. 'Nilla Buttermilk renewing bath salts

Available at www.joyfulbath.com; $5 for a 2-ounce packet, $16.50 for an 8-ounce jar and $23 for a 14-ounce jar.

"The healing elements of the land and the sea with bathing rituals and remedies from around the world; natural ingredients including mineral-rich salts from the Mediterranean and Dead Seas."

Rating: B -

Cloe says: Soaking in a warm, fragrant tub is one of my favorite pastimes. When my body is achy, or I just need to relax, it always does the trick. I just fill my tub with warm water, pour in some bath salt and drift off to la-la land. I loved the scent and feel of Joyful Bath. It's not abrasive, and it dissolved quickly. But the yummy fragrance completely faded when it hit the water. And part of the enjoyment of a good soak is an aromatic bath. The salts rinse clean, and my skin felt smooth when I stepped out of the tub. But I had to use a lot of product to get the benefits. So if you have a large tub, as I do, you'll have to go with an 8-ounce jar or larger.

Cloe Cabrera, 43, covers fashion and beauty for the Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8.

Me! Bath Ice Cream Bath Bomb

Available at www.mebath.com and select area spas; one scoop (for one bath) for $8.50

"Six-oil blend, purifying minerals, indulgent fragrances and Epson salt ... releases nourishing minerals and fragrant aromatic oils that hydrate, moisturize and enrich your skin"

Rating: B-

Michelle says: This company knows how to market a product to a woman. Each of the flavored bombs looks just like a big scoop of ice cream and comes with a description that conjures up some idyllic setting. In my case, it was Sonoran Sunset (having lived in Arizona, I was immediately taken away), starting with "Imagine riding horseback under the evening sun through the Sonoran desert ..." Draw the bath and put the bomb under the running water, where it's supposed to fizz and dissolve (it does) into a luxurious soak. My complaint is that this particular flavor turned the water into an icky red, a real mood killer. My idyllic image dissolved into something more like a shark attack. But the bomb did the trick, leaving my skin soft and smooth by bath's end. Note: If you're into bubbles, you'll have to get your fix somewhere else.

Michelle Bearden, 55, covers faith and values for the Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8.

Lush Sex Bomb Bath Bomb

Available at Lush Cosmetics at International Plaza, and online at www.lushusa.com and amazon.com; $6.45 for 6.3 ounces

"Jasmine, clary sage and ylang ylang to make you feel like a lover. The power of these aphrodisiac oils lies in their ability to relax you at the same time as warming your heart and other body parts."

Rating: D

Wendy says: I love bubble bath, bath salts and most aromatic, moisturizing goodies one can drop in the tub. The name and promise of this one was certainly intriguing. But the Lush Sex Bomb was, frankly, a bomb.

Sure, it fizzed nicely and smelled good, but all enjoyment ended the second I saw the slimy pinkish-purple ring forming around my tub. I thought I could simply wipe it away. Not so. That was one stubborn ring. I was so disturbed by it that I couldn't relax - much less give the "aphrodisiac oils" time to work their magic. I'll admit my reaction might have been slightly obsessive. But who can relax when you know you're going to have to clean the tub when you get out? Not me. I hopped out of the tub and scrubbed. What a turn off.

Wendy M. Whitt, 44, is the Tribune's audience editor.