The Best Shower Gels
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If you’re on the hunt for the best shower gels, you’ve come to the right place. All of the shower gels here provide a refreshing wash and plenty of satisfying suds, leave your skin feeling clean, but not stripped, and generally make for a far more pleasant bathing experience. Beyond that, choosing the perfect shower gel for you will come down to your skin type, your scent preference, and your budget (on this list, you’ll find everything from $10 drugstore finds to shower gels so fancy that they hold a Royal Warrant). Though shower gels typically aren’t as hydrating as cleansing oils or creamy body washes, they can still be nourishing if you pick ones that contain moisturizing ingredients like olive oil, aloe, and glycerin. If you prefer something refreshing or exfoliating, however, those are easy to find, too.
Before you get to shopping, here’s one tip: After using a gel wash in the shower, always follow up with a moisturizing body lotion or body oil (best applied on still-damp skin). Even the most nourishing shower gels can remove a lot of the natural oils from your skin, so you may find that, without moisturizing, your skin may start to feel dry.
Without further ado, check out a handful of the best shower gels on the market right now.
1. Best French Pharmacy Shower Gel
Made with glycerin, an emollient that helps keep your skin moisturized, Bioderma Atoderm Gel Douche is a staple in French households, and a popular pick with Amazon shoppers as well. It comes in a large, 34-ounce bottle (though it’s also sold in other, smaller sizes if you prefer a less obtrusive bottle) and features a convenient pump-top dispenser. Though it’s reasonably priced, it still has that luxurious French-pharmacy feel, and it leaves your skin smelling clean and fresh.
2. Best Shower Gel For Smooth Skin
Because this shower gel contains urea, a humectant that attracts water and promotes softer skin, and lactic acid, a gentle chemical exfoliant, Korres Olive Shower Gel is a great way to keep your skin smooth and free of bumps. Made with the brand’s hero ingredient, cold-pressed Greek olive oil, as well as aloe and glycerin, this provides plenty of moisture, so even people prone to dry skin can use it comfortably. Fans of the product love the excellent lather it produces, and the nice scent (it comes in fragrant wild orchard and unscented options, as well).
3. Best Shower Gel For Body Acne
If you’re prone to breakouts on your back, arms, butt, or elsewhere on your body, pick up The Body Shop’s tea tree-based body wash to clear up congested skin. Not only does tea tree oil have antifungal and antibacterial properties, but it also smells great, helps deodorize, and has long been used as a natural way to treat acne. This body wash is also vegan, and the brand is PETA-certified cruelty-free.
4. Best Shower Gel For Sensitive Skin
For babies, kids, and everyone else with delicate skin (yes, that includes adults), opt for Mustela’s Cleansing Gel from their new organic line. Not only is the formula free of fragrance, sulfates, alcohol, and essential oils (in other words, all the things that could irritate sensitive skin), but it’s also vegan, biodegradable, and COSMOS-certified organic. This multipurpose gel can also be used to cleanse your hair, and it’s made with moisturizing ingredients like aloe and olive oil to prevent drying out your skin.
5. Best Scents (& The Best Value)
If a wide range of fragrance options is a key selling point for you, JĀSÖN’s body wash and shower gel has so many wonderful scents to choose from, including rosewater, lavender, citrus, coconut, apricot, and more. These gels are enriched with skin-nourishing vitamins and made without sulfates, parabens, and phthalates — and at under $10, they’re wallet-friendly, too. Best of all, these come in huge, 30-ounce pump-top bottles, so considering the price tag, it’s an amazing value.
6. Best Splurge
If you like to incorporate a touch of luxury to your shower experience, you can’t get much fancier than Molton Brown; the English skin care company holds a Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II, which they received for supplying Her Majesty with toiletries. Their extensive line of bath and shower gels includes scents like ‘Jasmine and Sun Rose’, ‘Orange and Bergamot,’ ‘Tobacco Absolute’, ‘Delicious Rhubarb and Rose,’ and ‘Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel’, but one of the most popular is ‘Fiery Pink Pepper’ (you can find all of the scents here). It doesn’t hurt that a bottle of this shower gel will look luxurious in your shower, too.
