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If you love the fizzles and calming effects of a bath bomb but don’t want to take a whole long bath, here’s a quick fix.
Shower steamers are just like bath bombs, but for your shower. They’re formulated with essential oils to create a soothing, aromatherapeutic experience. Instead of putting the disc or tablet in water, you simply hang it up or place it on the floor near the water stream. It slowly fizzles and creates its magic around you with just a bit of water. The relaxing aromatic scents will help you wind down, give your skin a nice glow and relieve you from seasonal allergies or sleep troubles.
Choosing through a wide selection of textures, aromas, and scents can easily get overwhelming. Browse through some of the highest-rated shower steamers of 2024 here with us to find what you like.
Comparing the Top Shower Steamer of 2024
Cleverfy Shower Steamer — Best Overall
If you start with good ingredients, you can be sure to get good results. Cleverfy's Aromatherapy Shower Steamers are formulated with only natural, aromatic components, and pure essential oils. These shower bombs feature12 various scents, including lavender, vanilla, menthol/eucalyptus, peppermint, watermelon, and grapefruit. Their aromas provide a meditative experience that is both profound and enveloping.
These shower bombs are a treat for the senses and the mind. Just tuck one of your shower fizzes into the shower's corner and allow the intoxicating smells to lull you into a state of relaxation. You can now take delight in this brief but significant exercise in self-care with this best overall set.
Pros
- 12 unique scents
- Doesn’t clog the septic system
- Doesn’t cause a slippery residue on the floor
Cons
- Strong fragrance for some
Lagunamoon Shower Steamer — Best Formula
For a serene shower experience, this aromatherapy set comes with six pure essential oil shower steamers. These shower steamers are created with highly concentrated pure essential oils to fill the shower with sublime scents of cedar, figs, lavender, verbena, mint, sandalwood, and lemongrass.
Further, these handmade shower steamers come in a labeled box, individually and elegantly packed to make the perfect gift for your loved ones. The plant-powered formula will preserve fragrances 4x longer. They leave absolutely no residue behind.
Pros
- Easy and safe to use
- Gluten-free and paraben-free
- They are great for aromatherapy
Cons
- The scent is not as strong as synthetic ones
Body Restore Shower Steamer — Long-Lasting
This is a pack of fifteen aromatherapy shower tablets that can create a relaxing spa-life shower experience for you. You can use these steamers to relieve sinus pain, stress, and muscle tension. They are infused with the heavenly scent of Eucalyptus essential oil that allows your body to immerse in a state of deep relaxation.
These tablets are composed in a way that they don’t melt away too fast, and diffuse soothing scents around slowly. These shower steamers are completely vegan and cruelty-free as well. Moreover, each shower steamer tablet comes individually wrapped in a beautiful, gift-able form.
Pros
- Natural essential oils used
- Perfect for full-body relaxation
- Relieves nasal congestion
Cons
- They dissolve pretty quick if placed close to the water stream
Vicks Shower Steamer — Great for Aromatherapy
Vicks' non-medicated shower steamer tablets can transform your shower into a perfectly relaxing sauna. It infuses with the water steam and unlocks its soothing effects to give you an intense sensory experience. The proprietary blend of essential oils and Eucalyptus with scents of menthol and camphor creates a calming environment for a relaxing shower.
All you have to do is place the steamer on the shower floor, under the direct water stream and let it dissolve. The soothing scents are perfect both for daytime and nighttime showers as they help your body unwind and shed stress and fatigue for a nice boost of energy.
Pros
- Dissolves cleanly
- Relieves and clears out sinuses
- Won’t stain the floor or leave residue
Cons
- The scent might not seem strong to some users
The Herbal Zen Shower Steamer — Best for Congestion Relief
These Herbal Zen shower tablets are created without any artificial fragrances to give you a heavenly experience of soothing essential oils. Each tablet is carefully handmade to offer an aromatherapeutic experience. The soothing effects also help in relieving symptoms of nasal and sinus congestion.
Moreover, it contains a blend of Eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils that work together to bust cold and seasonal allergies. These steamers are guaranteed to be safe for use for people of all age groups. Open up the airways and breathe comfortably after this therapeutic shower.
Pros
- Sulfate-free, paraben-free and phthalates-free
- Calms and soothes the nerves
- It won’t make your floor slippery
Cons
- Poor shipping and delivery time
BYGGVIR Shower Steamer — Travel-Friendly
These small shower tablets are convenient to carry and are individually packed after a compression process that makes them easy to carry, and use. There are some additional moisturizing ingredients included that will give a spa-like environment in the shower.
Furthermore, these shower steamer tablets come packed in a high-quality gift box with a bow on top that is suitable for any occasion or holiday. They come with small plastic trays to prevent creating a mess on your bathroom floor. You can also use these tablets as aromatherapy.
Pros
- Easy to open and use
- Non-slip tablets
- Relives stress and soothes nerves
- They will not stain the floor
Cons
- The size is too small, and might not be ideal for a large bath area
Buyer’s Guide: Finding Your Top Shower Steamers
Here’s a detailed buying guide to help you pick the most relaxing shower steamer for your next shower:
From Our Celebrity Expert, Olivia Elgart:
"Shower steamers are the perfect at-home spa choice for a lot of people. And I can see why. Having those therapeutic effects right in the comfort of your own is second to none. Rihanna is a massive fan of spas, and her glowing complexion shows it. She knows that in order to have gorgeous skin she needs to reap the benefits of relaxation, and you should too!"
What to Look For in a Shower Steamer?
A few factors to check before buying a shower steamer:
Scent
The healing effects of a steamer come from its scent and fragrance as they stimulate parts of your brain, muscles, and skin in different ways. You need to pick a scent according to the benefit you’re looking to derive. For instance, eucalyptus helps in relieving congestion while lavender possesses therapeutic properties.
Lasting effects
Look for a shower steamer that will last longer during the shower rather than just a few minutes.
Ingredients
Check the ingredients list to make sure there are no synthetic chemicals added to replicate natural fragrances. Some might contain chemicals for slowing down the evaporation process. Look carefully to ensure there are no harmful ingredients added.
Four Common Scent Profiles for Shower Steamers
Take a look at the four commonest scents and discover what they can do for you:
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus gives off a slightly minty scent which makes it an ideal choice for dreary weather. It’s great for calming and relaxing your nerves and works perfectly for a stuffy nose. It helps in opening up the airways and pulling you up when you’re feeling glum and fatigued after a long day.
Lavender
Lavender has a lovely, powdery floral scent. It practically brings you the peace and serenity of a garden full of flowers. Lavender shower steamers also relieve stress and calm the nerves.
Citrus
The citrus scent is like lemons, oranges, limes, grapefruits, or a combination of all four of these fruits. This scent is perfect if you need an instant energy boost in the morning to get.
Chamomile
Chamomile has a relaxing floral scent and makes a great option if you need to decompress before bed at the end of a tiring day. It boasts a soothing effect and helps you sleep better.
What Are Some Benefits of Shower Steamers and Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy activates smell receptors that communicate with certain areas of your brain. You can use different scents to relieve and manage symptoms like insufficient energy, stress, pain, and more. A few benefits of shower steamers in this regard include:
- Better mood and productivity
- Improvement in sleep-related issues
- Migraine and headache relief
- Pain management
- Soother anxiety and stress
- Reduces inflammation and congestion
- Clears out airways
- Enhances alertness
What Is The Difference Between Bath Bombs and Shower Steamers?
Most of us are familiar with the round, colorful fizzy balls that you drop into the bath. These bath bombs dissolve into the water, spreading the goodness of essential oils and skin-loving ingredients for a divine soaking experience.
Shower steamers are simply an alternative for bath bombs for shower takers. You will also find them named shower bombs or shower fizzies. These shower steamers come in form of flat discs or tablets that are supposed to be placed on the floor of the shower. You just need a little water to activate it so that it starts evaporating in the steam for a burst of fragrance. They shouldn’t, however, be placed directly under the water.
If you pin down the main difference between the two, it would be the way essential oils are used in their formulation. Bath bombs are made by blending a carrier oil with essential oils and moisturizers to make water hydrating for the skin. While on the other hand, shower steamers use essential oils only for their soothing fragrances since they don’t come in contact with the skin.
