Aromatherapy in the Shower: Eight Shower Steamers to Try

Nobody seems to know who made the first shower steamer, but it is clear when they took off. In 2021 Fashionista reported that shower and bathing content drew 2.2 billion views on TikTok in the US, part of a lockdown wave the trend forecaster WGSN tied to the bathroom becoming a sanctuary. By April 2023, the Evening Standard counted 42.7 million views on TikToks featuring shower steamers.

The idea is a bath bomb for people who do not have time for a bath. Shower steamers are small tablets, mostly baking soda and citric acid, with essential oils mixed in. You set one on the shower floor or a shelf where it gets splashed, and it fizzes and releases scented steam that you breathe in. Eucalyptus and mint are the classic scents, because they feel like they clear your head on a cold morning.

One honest note. Allure points out that aromatherapy is not proven to have medical use, and its dermatologist source warns that concentrated oils on skin can irritate. So think of these as a nice ritual, not a treatment.

The first grid is eight shower steamers, mostly eucalyptus, mint and lavender, with one citrus. The second grid is shower oils and aromatherapy body washes that work alongside them.

The key tip is placement: keep the steamer out of the direct stream of water. Under the spray it can vanish in under a minute, while off to the side PureWow says a good one lasts 15 to 20 minutes.

Most of these do the same thing, so I would choose by scent and by how they are packed.

Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint is an easy place to start, six tablets with eucalyptus and spearmint oils that the brand pitches as clearing and uplifting. Body Restore Eucalyptus & Mint is six tablets made with 100% natural essential oils, and the Body Restore Citrus box is the brighter morning version, with citrus, cocoa orange and grapefruit tablets wrapped one by one.

Dermasuri has two here: Eucalyptus Mint, cool and crisp, and Lavender Eucalyptus, which is the calmer evening one. Saje Natural Wellness Shower Steamers are made with all-natural ingredients and a slow-release aroma. Love x June Lavender is a set of six that you place on a wet shower floor before you turn the water on. anihana Mint Refresher is peppermint and eucalyptus in a single tablet, handy for trying the idea once.

Store the rest dry. Steamers react with water, so a humid bathroom shelf can start them fizzing before you need them. A sealed jar or the original pouch in a cupboard works.

What I would skip: dropping one in the bath. They are made for showers, with more concentrated oils than a bath product, and the oils can make the tub slippery.

A steamer handles the air. These handle your skin, and together they make a quick shower feel like more of an occasion.

For a matching scent, Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Eucalyptus Spearmint Body Wash is the same eucalyptus and mint as the steamer, and it doubles as a foam bath. Nécessaire The Body Wash in Eucalyptus is the more grown-up version, a treatment cleanser with lipid-rich oils and niacinamide. Nécessaire Olibanum is its sibling, with vitamin C and enzymes for radiance.

Then the oils, which are what I would pick in winter. L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil turns from a silky oil into a milky lather. Sol de Janeiro Delícia Drench Shower Oil is made for dry skin and supports the skin barrier. Cyklar Vanilla Verve is an in-shower body oil balm with ceramides, so you moisturize before you step out.

For something woodier, Salt & Stone Santal & Vetiver is an aromatic gel wash with seaweed extracts and hyaluronic acid, and Cyklar Sacred Santal is a silky, oil-infused body wash.

A small ritual: steamer on the shelf, oil in your palm, two slow minutes of breathing before you start washing.

What I would skip: a shower oil on a smooth tiled floor without a mat. Oils rinse off skin but can leave the floor slick, so rinse the tiles or step carefully.

I think shower steamers are best as a small ritual for mornings you want to wake up slowly or nights you want to wind down. Pick one scent, eucalyptus for mornings or lavender for evenings, keep the tablet out of the direct spray, and give yourself two minutes of steam before you start washing. They will not cure a cold, as Allure is careful to say, but they do make an ordinary shower feel like a small reset.