For most of my life, I’ve been a bath and shower gel kind of person versus the bar soap kind mainly because I find shower gels do a better job at making the skin feel clean without leaving any film or making the skin feel dry. My favorite go-to shower gel has been the Neutrogena Rainbath Refreshing Shower Gel in the Original Scent. It’s one of the classic staples that is gentle enough for my super sensitive skin. I like it because it lathers up really well and leaves the skin feeling super clean and it’s also unisex. For scented shower gels I’ve tested quite a few over the years. There is nothing like a beautifully scented shower gel to wake you up in the morning or to help you relax at the end of a day. I have a roundup of my favorites that I’ve purchased numerous times along with a few new discoveries.
Diptyque has a few of their fragrances available in shower gel form including the Tam Dao, Do Son, and L’Ombre Dans L’Eau to name a few. These are quite spendy but if you’re a fan of the fragrances this is another nice way to experience it. I’ve tried a couple – Tam Dao is very lightly fragranced with a thicker gel-like texture. It doesn’t lather up like some others but makes for a nice bubble bath. L’Ombre Dans L’Eau has a stronger scent to it (it’s the fragrance version of their Baies candle) and a better lather. A little goes a very long way. Out of all the shower gels from Diptyque my favorite is the Revitalizing Shower Gel for Hair and Body. I can’t count the number of times I’ve bought this one, it’s worth every penny in my opinion because it lathers up really nicely and smells refreshingly clean and unique. My husband really likes this one as well (for him). It leaves the skin feeling super soft and lingers on the skin but won’t interfere with your perfumes. Ingredients listed online here.
Next up is the Jack Black Turbo Wash Energizing Cleanser for Hair and Body (also available in a smaller size). This one is designed for men and is my husband’s all time favorite, but I like to borrow it too. My husband is all about products that multi-task, this one really is good for both hair and body. This one is his favorite because it suds up really well and cleans the skin without leaving any film or residue. It has a mix of rosemary, eucalyptus and juniper berry which makes it smell incredibly fresh and crisp. The eucalyptus has a cooling feel that energizes the body and wakes you up in the morning but it’s not as sharp or strong as other scents with eucalyptus making it softer around the edges. I’ve bought him a number of travel sized minis from other brands to try out but this one remains his favorite. Ingredients listed online here.
My latest discovery is the Nuxe Rêve de Miel Cleansing Gel for Face and Body. This one is designed for dry skin. It has that sweet honey and sunflower scent which I usually find too powdery or floral in other lines but it’s something Nuxe does the best. It’s really thick and concentrated so a little goes a very long way. I like that it lathers up to a gentle lather – since it’s on the thicker side it won’t foam up like some others making it adhere better to the skin when you’re in the shower or bath. That being said it does rinse off completely but leaves the body feeling well hydrated. I haven’t tested this on the face yet but if you have dry skin and like honey-scented products this is amazing for the body.
Ingredients:
Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser is a staple but also extremely pricey. This has a gel texture that lathers up nicely but since it’s more liquid than others it won’t necessarily foam up like the Diptyque or Neutrogena. It’s a nice soft geranium scent that is very mellow but still refreshing. You only need two pumps for the entire body and it cleans the skin like nothing else I’ve tried. Ingredients listed here.
Last but not least is the L’Occitane Bonne Mere Rosemary Shower Gel. I’m normally not a fan of rosemary scents for the body because they are often too sharp and too herbal-smelling. This one is very different. It’s incredibly difficult to describe but it’s a softer more refreshing version of the Jack Black Turbo Wash minus the eucalyptus. The entire Bonne Mere collection is designed to be extremely gentle on the skin. I’ve tried several items from the line and love the Rosemary Shower Gel, Olive Shower Gel and Liquid Marseille Hand Soap. The Rosemary has been repurchased 4 times already.
Ingredients:
If you’re in the market for a new bath or shower gel I hope you found this roundup helpful. There are a number of scented showers gels I love for the fragrance but aren’t so great in terms of giving the skin a good clean feeling. The ones above do both for me and are gentle enough for my sensitive skin. Do you have a favorite splurge? I would love to hear about your favorites!
The Nuxe and L’Occitane were press samples provided for review consideration. All other items purchased and repurchased by me.
