9 brilliant shower gels for your best ever shower (2024)

What is remotely exciting about a shower gel, you say? Well – if you get the right one – plenty, as it happens.

The humble shower gel knows that it has a lot to live up to, sensorially speaking, to rival the experience of a bath. And so it has been significantly upping its game. We're seeing shower gels whose scent is developed by renowned perfumers; body washes that have skincare-grade ingredients and are effective and gentle in equal measure; liquid soaps fastidiously formulated to combat the effects of hard water to give us our softest skin yet.

A shower experience can, it seems, rival (and dare we say, in practical terms, even surpass?) the beloved bath. In our opinion, performing your ablutions standing upright has never felt so dreamy.

We've rounded up nine of our favourite shower gels, and we're pretty sure that five more minutes in there won't hurt...

Hot off the production line at L'Occitane is the brand's new Almond Delicious Shower Cream, and we couldn't be more excited. Anyone who loves L'Occitane's almond range will go wild for this light, whipped-texture shower cream. It contains sustainably sourced Provençal sweet almond oil, can be used on all skin types, and brings to mind summer in the South of France. Dreamy.

This new shower gel is like waking up to sunshine every morning (honestly, we're not exaggerating). The formula's expertly, perfumer-crafted scent combines sun-soaked clementines with earthy vetiver which together create a feeling of being in hot, sunny climates. You can continue the mood with the new body lotion and fragrance, too.

We love that this wash can be used on both face and body. It contains a blend of natural fruit acids and PHAs that gently exfoliate and smooth the skin which, according to the brand, is softer and brighter after just seven days. Plus, it does all this while also leaving skin feeling hydrated and bouncy. So smart.

One of the best-known fragrances of the last two decades is now available as a body wash (yay!), and we can't get enough. Molecule 01 – the perfume that, famously, only contains one note believed to accentuate our natural pheromones – has now been poured into a body wash and lotion. The perfume smells remarkably different from person to person, so how will the shower gel smell on you?

This brand is smart: they're all about offsetting the drying nature of hard water (the stuff that leaves skin feeling a little 'tight'). It's a bi-phase milk-meets-soap that transforms into a foam once shaken. There's clever, hydrating ingredients here – think skin-strengthening microalgae, niacinamide and vitamin E – that leave skin softer to the touch and feeling far less dry.

For sporty types, Espa's Fitness Shower Oil offers the perfect post-workout reward. The uplifting spa-like scent of eucalyptus and clove oils revives tired muscles, while nourishing coconut oil leaves limbs feeling soft, supple and hydrated. It's enough to coax you back to the gym. Yes, really.

If early mornings are a struggle, Neom’s shower gel, with a zingy blend of spearmint, rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils will get you out of bed. Apply it all over your body and take a few deep breaths. As the invigorating scent begins to take over your home, you'll feel ready to take on the day ahead. Bonus points for the ginormous bottle, which will keep you going for months to come.

Caudalie may well be known for its hardworking skincare, but its bodycare – the shower gels in particular – is equally efficacious. Brilliantly priced at £10 for 200ml, this turns into a frothy gel that smells like a sunny afternoon. The happy-making scent also lingers both on skin and in the bathroom once you're done.

LA-born brand Nécessaire is now Instagram-famous for its elevated line of bodycare products, which are all dermatologist-tested and hypoallergenic. Should you prefer fragrance-free formulas, The Body Wash is gentle on the skin and enriched with niacinamide, vitamin C and E to leave it feeling clean, yet nourished. The minimalist packaging will look chic on any bathroom shelfie, too.