How to Use Shower Steamers?

Shower steamers have surged in popularity in recent years as an easy way to enhance the shower experience. Resembling oversized bath bombs, these circular discs are placed on the shower floor while you bathe.

Hot water activates essential oils, soothing ingredients, and appealing aromas locked inside to fill your shower with custom-blended steam. Read on to learn all about how to use shower steamers for cleansing, refreshing results.

Benefits of Using Shower Steamers

When placed under running water, shower steamers dissolve slowly to infuse steam with skin-nourishing and sensory ingredients. As you breathe deeply, these beneficial compounds are inhaled into the airways for holistic wellness benefits. Shower steamers offer perks like:

• Enhanced relaxation: Soothing scents like lavender, eucalyptus, and chamomile promote relaxation.
• Decongestion: Menthol, eucalyptus, peppermint, and other cooling ingredients help clear sinuses.
• Moisturization: Natural oils moisturize skin, leaving it smooth and soft.
• Aromatherapy: Custom essential oil blends boost mood and reduce stress.
• Spa-like experience: Specialty ingredients like flower petals enhance luxury appeal.

With custom scents and skin-nourishing ingredients, shower steamers can turn an everyday bath into a rejuvenating spa ritual.

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Key Ingredients in Shower Steamers

Shower steamers feature several key ingredients that allow for fizzy, aromatic steam upon contact with hot water. Common components include:

Essential Oils

Fragrant essential oils like eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, and lavender infuse steam with aromatherapy benefits. Soothing, refreshing, or invigorating scents can be tailored to match personal preferences.

Baking Soda

Baking soda triggers the fizzing, bubbling reaction when steamers come into contact with water. The mild base also helps balance steam acidity.

Citric Acid

This tart acid interacts with other steamer ingredients to produce effervescence and steam. Too much can cause throat irritation for some users.

Cornstarch

Added as a binder, cornstarch allows steamer ingredients to hold their pressed shape before placing in the shower. It also aids even dissolution.

Shea Butter

In moisturizing shower steamer varieties, shea butter and other emollients are incorporated to hydrate and smooth skin. These nourish when inhaled in steam form.

Various other specialty ingredients like menthol, oatmeal, clay, and flower petals can also be added to achieve tailored effects.

Types of Shower Steamers

There are a few main shower steamer varieties to suit different needs:

Aromatherapy Shower Steamers

The most popular type, aromatherapy shower steamers feature custom blends of essential oils. Scents like eucalyptus-spearmint or lemon-lavender fill steam to boost relaxation, energy, and more based on oil properties.

Moisturizing Shower Steamers

Containing ingredients like shea or cocoa butter, moisturizing steamers double as inhalable skin treatments. As you breathe in hydrating vapor, skin is simultaneously softened and nourished.

Decongestant Shower Steamers

Formulated with menthol, eucalyptus, peppermint, and camphor, decongestant steamers work to open clogged sinuses and clear stuffiness. The cooling ingredients provide medicinal vapor.

No matter your therapeutic steam preferences, there’s a shower steamer to match. Some products even allow you to customize oil blends.

How to Use Shower Steamers Properly?

It’s important to use shower steamers correctly for best fizzing effect without wasting material down the drain. Follow these tips for proper usage:

Check Your Shower Type and Settings

Shower steamers require hot, steamy conditions to activate fully. If you have a weaker showerhead that only drips water, steam results will be minimal. Ensure your bath has strong spray before using shower steamers.

Adjust to the highest heat setting that is still comfortable. While boiling hot water isn’t necessary, warm to hot temperatures allow steamers to fully dissolve and infuse vapor effectively.

Place Steamer on Shower Floor Away From Water

Set your shower steamer puck flat on the floor a few inches away from direct water spray. This allows steam activation before the tablet begins dissolving.

If placed directly under the stream initially, some material will wash down the drain before releasing vapor. Position slightly aside where ambient steam will start the fizzing process.

Set Shower to Hot and Steamy

With the steamer set safely out of the stream, turn your shower to its highest comfortable heat level. Close any doors and bask in the building hot steam to create a steam room effect.

Ambient heat will activate essential oils and ingredients in the steamer to fill space with scented vapor. Breathe deeply and allow steam to infuse the air fully before continuing.

Close Shower Door and Breathe Deeply

For best steam saturation, keep glass shower doors fully closed. This traps steam to intensify aromatic and breathing benefits.

Inhale through your nose and mouth to pull vapor deep into your airways. As steam passes through nasal passages and throat tissue, advantages like moisturization and decongestion maximize.

Rinse Residue Down Drain When Done

After several minutes when your steamer has fully dissolved, use your feet to rinse any remaining residue down the drain. Avoid using hands directly under hot water to prevent burns.

This cleans away any lingering product and oil slick on your tub floor. Give walls a quick rinse as well before finishing your shower.

Tips for Best Results

Follow these extra pointers to make your steamer sessions as beneficial as possible:

• Store steamers in an air-tight container between uses to maintain oil potency and prevent bathroom moisture damage.
• Allow at least 10 full minutes for complete steamer dissolution to get your money’s worth from each puck. Lingering residue means wasted oils!
• Supplement aromatic steam with hydrating body washes and scrubs when desired for head-to-toe therapeutic skin effects.
• Adjust exact steamer placement and distance from the spray once inside your running shower to account for differences in tub sizes and water pressure.
• Buy multi-packs of certain steamer scents to keep refills stocked. Trying a sample pack is smart when first experimenting with varieties.

Precautions When Using Shower Steamers

While generally safe when used as directed, be aware of a few shower steamer cautions:

• Check ingredient lists carefully and avoid using if you have skin sensitivities or known allergies to any components. Stop immediately if irritation occurs.
• Supervise children closely when using shower steamers to prevent slips/trips and accidental ingredient inhalation.
• Oil residue makes tubs very slippery! Rinse floors thoroughly and always step carefully when exiting after a steam session. Using a towel on the floor is smart.
• Discontinue use if throat discomfort, coughing, or difficulty breathing occurs when inhaling steam vapors.

With proper handling and care taken to avoid mishaps, shower steamers offer a largely safe, convenient steam therapy experience.

DIY Shower Steamer Recipes

Looking to make your own custom shower steamers at home? Crafting them is simple with just a few key ingredients:

Basic Shower Steamer Ingredients

• 2 cups baking soda – provides fizzing base
• 1⁄2 cup citric acid – interacts with baking soda to produce bubbles
• 1⁄2 cup cornstarch – binds other ingredients
• 15-25 drops essential oils – for aromatherapy infusion
• Spritz of witch hazel/

Essential Oil Blends

Tailor scent and therapeutic properties by selecting complementary essential oil combinations like:

• Eucalyptus + Spearmint: Decongestant and cooling
• Lavender + Chamomile: Relaxing sleep aid
• Lemon + Peppermint: Energizing and mood-lifting
• Rose + Vanilla: Floral and sweetly romantic

Experiment blending 3-4 oils in varying proportions until the aroma suits your preferences.

Color and Shape Customization

• Shape Molds: Press steamer mix into fun silicone molds like stars, hearts, or circles before drying.
• Clays: Add a pinch of clay like bentonite or French green clay to tint steamers naturally.
• Mica Powder: This cosmetic mineral powder adds shimmery color when blended in.
• Dried Flowers/Herbs: Fold in a spoonful of dried rose buds, chamomile flowers, lavender buds, or other herbs for visual and aromatic appeal.

Top-Rated Shower Steamer Products

While making your own is fun, buying pre-made steamers is easier when you want quality results without hassle. Some top brands to consider include:

• Kneipp: Offers bath/shower duo sets with perfectly coordinating scents.
• Clever Soap: Great variety of whimsical shapes and essential oil options.
• Purelis: Emphasizes using only natural, vegan, and cruelty-free ingredients.
• Serenity Remedies: Mix and match custom aromatherapy blends.
• Dr. Teal’s: Trusted drugstore brand with Epsom salt-enhanced steamers.

No matter which brand you choose, look for varieties free of dyes, sulfates, and artificial fragrances when possible for purest steam sessions.

Conclusion

Acting like oversized bath bombs for your shower, steamers provide aromatherapy, decongestion, and relaxation through fizzing steam infused with essential oils and soothing ingredients. With proper placement and hot, steamy conditions, they offer a therapeutic sensory experience to both invigorate or unwind.

Be sure to pick steamers with ingredients aligned to your skincare needs and scent preferences for best results. With numerous options available from natural body care brands or made at home, there’s a custom shower steamer anyone can enjoy. Just avoid directly inhaling concentrated vapors, supervise kids, and rinse residue thoroughly after use.

FAQs

How long do shower steamers last?
Expect your steamer puck to provide aromatic steam for 5-15 minutes depending on size, water temperature, and tub humidity levels before fully dissolving. Jumbo XL varieties last longer.

How often can I use them?
You can enjoy shower steamers daily if desired, but average use ranges from 2-4 times weekly to avoid olfactory fatigue to scents and potential skin drying.

Can shower steamers help me breathe easier?
Yes, menthol and eucalyptus varieties provide temporary relief for congestion, sinus pressure, allergies, coughs, and more as you inhale therapeutic vapors. Those with asthma may find breathing easier after steam sessions.

Do shower steamers moisturize my skin?
Certain “melting” shower steamers contain cocoa or shea butter to provide light moisturization as you bathe. The ingredient results are mild rather than intensive hydrating though. Combine use with body washes/lotions.

How should I store shower steamers?
Keeping unused steamers in an airtight container away from excess moisture prevents premature activate or drying out. Let used steamers fully dry before placing back into packaging.