Shower steamers and bath bombs are both exceedingly popular. They can both make your skin feel great, but are they interchangeable? Can you use a shower steamer as a bath bomb?
You cannot use shower steamers as bath bombs. Shower steamers contain more essential and fragrance oils than bath bombs and can cause skin irritation. The essential oils in shower steamers make very little contact with your skin when used properly.
Shower steamers and bath bombs have different purposes. Bath bombs are meant to fizz and release their fragrance and oils into the water, while shower steamers are meant to produce a thick, fragrant vapor that will fill up your shower.
If you’re looking for a relaxing, fragrant bath experience, go with a bath bomb. If you’re looking to create an at-home spa experience in your shower, go with a shower steamer.
Can You Use Shower Steamers In The Bath?
While you may be tempted to put a shower steamer in the bath when you run out of bath bombs, this isn’t a good idea.
The two products are made in different ways so that they not only offer their distinctive benefits but also react differently to the water.
It is better to save the shower steamers for the shower or else you may find that you have wasted them. Where Do You Put a Shower Steamer?
Place the shower steamer on the shower floor, away from the direct stream of water, allowing it to dissolve gradually while releasing its aromatherapeutic scent.
Alternatively, bath bombs go directly into the bath water.
How Are Shower Steamers Different To Bath Bombs?
Bath bombs are something we have used as a luxury bath-time item for a long time now. We love being able to put these big balls into the warm water and watch them fizz and turn the water into fun colors.
We then get to soak in water that smells great and is enriched with nourishing oils and other helpful ingredients.
Shower steamers are a little different. You still get that compact “cake” of ingredients that react with the shower to enhance the experience.
But, this is more about aromatherapy than anything else. The water drips on the block, allowing it to slowly release the scent and fill the shower cubicle with fragrance.
You can then breathe this in and relax a little better before bed or invigorate yourself first thing in the morning. All you have to do is place it in the bottom of the shower and let it break down slowly.
Shower Steamers Don’t Offer The Same Benefits As Bath Bombs.
If you were to put a shower steamer in the bath, you wouldn’t get the same sensory experience as you would with a bath bomb. This makes them a bit of a waste in the water.
When searching for the best bath bombs, you want something with a great scent, color, nourishing ingredients, and a great reaction with the water. Shower steamers are going to provide one out of four of those factors. They can smell amazing but that’s about it.
Color:
You will find that you are bombarded by scent when opening a box with a shower steamer inside, which then carries through to the shower. But, the colors are often muted.
There may be a hint of purple to signify a lavender scent, for example, but there aren’t any strong dyes to transfer to the water. Therefore, you won’t get that color-changing effect in bathwater.
Nourishing ingredients:
There is also no need for any of the nourishing ingredients of bath bombs in a shower steamer because it isn’t designed to improve water quality.
The best bath bombs tend to have coconut oils, avocado, or other moisturizing agents that enter the water and then soak into the skin. So, your skin won’t feel as good if you use a shower steamer instead.
Fizz:
Then there is the fizz. Well-made bath bombs can create an intense reaction with the balls whizzing around the surface. It is fun to watch and adds to the full sensory experience.
Shower steamers just crumble and break down as the water hits them from above. This means you aren’t going to get the same sort of performance if you put one in your bathwater.
Are Shower Steamers Dangerous To Use In The Bath?
More importantly than the lack of color and fizz in a shower steamer, there are health and safety considerations to keep in mind. Bath bombs are safe to use in bathwater because they contain ingredients that can easily dilute in to the water and come into contact with the skin.
That is why there are so many oils in the best products. Shower steamers, on the other hand, are not made to come into contact with the skin and could lead to a negative reaction.
This all comes down to the potency of the essential oils that give the steamers those intense scents. They are primarily aromatherapy tools because they have such a high concentration of pure oils in the mixture.
This is higher than those of bath bombs, where the scent can be more subtle. Some oils can cause rashes and other allergic reactions if you get too much on the skin. So, it is much safer to just leave the steamer in the shower tray where it belongs.
Frequently Asked Questions
While shower steamers can technically be used in the bath, they are not designed for this purpose and will not provide the same benefits as bath bombs. Shower steamers are more for aromatherapy and will not fizz or change color when placed in water.
No, shower steamers are not safe to use in the bath because they contain essential oils that can be harmful if they come into contact with the skin. It is much safer to just leave the steamer in the shower tray where it belongs.
Shower steamers are designed to provide aromatherapy benefits and will release a strong scent when placed in the shower. They will not fizz or change color like bath bombs.
The main difference between shower steamers and bath bombs is that shower steamers are more for aromatherapy and will not fizz or change color when placed in water. Bath bombs are designed to improve water quality with nourishing ingredients and provide a fun, fizzy experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you should not use a shower steamer as a bath bomb. Shower steamers are more for aromatherapy and will not fizz or change color when placed in water.
Bath bombs are designed mostly for color and suds with a little fragrance and to provide a soothing experience. While shower steamers are to fill the shower with the fragrance of essential or fragrance oils that may not necessarily touch your skin.
So, it is much safer to just leave the steamer in the shower tray where it belongs.