There are different ways to use shower steamers, as well as tips and tricks to increase the potency of their fragrance.
The most common and straight forward method to use a shower steamer is to:
- Place the tablet on the edge of the shower, away from the water stream.
- Soak the tablet with just a few water droplets.
- Make plenty of steam so it can dissolve the tablet.
- Keep adding water droplets whenever you want more fizz.
- Enjoy the aromatherapy!
Those are the basic steps that work with practically every shower steamer.
That being said, the results you’re going to get can vary depending on the shower steamer brand, how much steam you make, where you place the shower steamer, how long you shower for etc.
This means there’s quite a bit of room for experimentation and playing around on your part.
Below are a few tips and tricks you can use to control the shower steamer and improve its results.
Tips and tricks on how to use shower steamers
Don’t soak the shower steamer in water
Applying too much water on the shower steamer will dissolve it very quickly, releasing its fragrance all at once in a powerful burst that lasts only a minute or two.
This is why you should generally keep the shower in a corner where it’s protected from direct contact with water.
A few water droplets are sufficient at the beginning of the shower are enough for the steamer to start dissolving and releasing fragrance.
If there’s not enough steam in the shower for the steamer to dissolve, then keep pouring some water on the tablet to keep the fizz going.
Make lots of steam
Unlike bath bombs, shower steamers are designed to react to steam and not water.
Steam dissolves the tablet in a much slower and more controlled rate, while also carrying the scent and fragrance and filling the whole bathroom with it.
Thus, try to make as much steam as possible while showering.
Use two tablets if your bathroom is big and open
Bigger bathrooms not only need more time to become hot and steamy, but also have more space to spread out the fragrance so it’s not as concentrated and punchy as in smaller bathrooms.
That being said, this shouldn’t be a problem if your shower area is enclosed, either through walls, curtains or foldable sliding walls.
If your bathroom is bigger or has an open shower layout, then you may have to use two shower steamer tablets, or instead just buy steamers that come in bigger sizes.
Put the remains in an open container
If the shower steamer hasn’t completely dissolved away, then one thing you can do is to place the remains in an open container.
This way, the shower will keep releasing its scent and fragrance throughout the bathroom, although at a lower intensity.
Depending on the brand you used or how dissolved the steamer was, you can expect it to keep giving off scent for a few hours, or even up to an entire day!
Try using a slotted tray
If you want a more explosive but short experience for your shower steamer then you could try placing it on a bath tub tray.
This way more water will come into contact with the steamer, but it gets filtered out quickly so it doesn’t melt the steamer all at once.
Let hot water run for a minute or two before showering
This particular step does kind of waste some water, but letting hot water run for a minute or two before entering the shower will give the steamers some time to dissolve and spread the fragrance around the bathroom.
This way, when you come inside the bathroom you’ll be greeted by a scent cloud emanating from the steamer.
Combine the steamer with essential oils for showers
If you really like to freshen or spice up your showers, then one option is to mix and match essential oil sprays or gels with shower steamers.
These kind of shower essential oils are fairly inexpensive, but last a long time since they require only a few sprays or droplets to work.
It does require some experimentation on your end to find the right combination of scents, but it’s the fun kind of experimentation.
Be careful not to slip on the steamer
Like bath bombs, shower steamers are made from essential oils, and essentials oils tend to be slippery.
That being said, the concentration of essential oils in shower steamers isn’t as high as in bath bombs, but you can still slip on them, especially when the steamers have just come into contact with water and are beginning to dissolve.
Washing yourself with the steamer won’t do much
Unlike bath bombs, most shower steamers are designed only to release a pleasant fragrance and not for washing yourself with them.
To be clear, they are perfectly harmless to your skin and nothing bad will happen if you do decide to wash yourself with one, it’s just that they don’t have a lot of essential oils and other substances that can clean or moisturize your skin the same way shower bombs do.
Part of the reason is because too many oils in a shower steamer makes the bath floor slippery.
Another explanation is that too much essential oils will make the steamer soft and mushy, and won’t release as much fizz.
Keep shower steamers in a dry, cool space
Shower steamers react very quickly to heat and moisture, so be sure to store them in a place where they’re protected from both.
Otherwise, the heat or humidity might trigger the reaction and turn the steamer into mushy paste.