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How to Use Shower Steamers, and What Luxury Makers Put in Them

How to use a shower steamer, how long one lasts, and what Musee, Saje, Esker and Elyiss put in theirs, plus safety notes for kids, pets and pregnancy.

By the Luxury Bath editorial teamUpdated 5 min read14 sources

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A glass-walled shower with a slatted wooden floor mat

Shower steamers are fizzing tablets of baking soda, citric acid and scent that you set on the shower floor, where the hot water releases the fragrance into the steam. They are for the shower only, never the bath. Luxury makers such as Musee, Saje and Esker scent theirs with named essential oils.

How to use a shower steamer, step by step

Using a shower steamer takes four steps, from Musee’s directions with Saje’s eye caution added:

  1. Turn on a hot shower and let the room fill with steam.
  2. Unwrap one steamer.
  3. Place it on the shower floor, under the running water.
  4. Let it fizz while you shower, and keep it away from your eyes.

Where the steamer sits differs by maker. Musee puts it under the running water; Saje says only to place it on the shower floor. Elyiss keeps it away from the direct stream, on the floor or a dish. Esker sets its tablet in a marble holder close to, but not under, the stream, with the doors closed and the fan off, though its FAQ says to put it under the stream in a larger shower or one with a curtain. Follow the box you have.

How long a shower steamer lasts

A shower steamer lasts about two showers, according to two makers. Saje says its slow-release aroma lasts up to two showers. Esker says one tablet should last approximately two showers, depending on your shower. Musee and Elyiss do not give a figure.

Shower steamers vs bath bombs: what is different

Shower steamers and bath bombs share a fizzing base of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, but Musee’s bath balms and Bathorium’s bath bombs add skin oils or butters, and Musee’s steamers do not.

Feature Shower steamer Bath bomb
Where it goes The shower floor The bathwater
Example from Musee Eucalyptus and Mint steamer: sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, fragrance oil, eucalyptus essential oil, Coloreze Mini bath balm: the same base plus coconut milk bath, jojoba oil and tea tree essential oil
What you notice Scent in the steam Scent, color and the feel of the water

The bath bomb gift sets guide covers the bath side.

Luxury shower steamers compared by maker

Luxury shower steamers from Musee, Saje, Esker and Elyiss differ most in how much of the ingredient list each maker prints.

Maker Example set Scent oils the maker names, by blend Full ingredient list on its page
Musee Steamers sold by scent Eucalyptus / sweet orange Yes
Saje Trio packs; Liquid Sunshine is one 1.76 oz steamer Tea tree, lemon, eucalyptus / grapefruit, bergamot, lime / peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary No, oils only
Esker Discovery Set: four steamers plus a Carrara marble holder Lavender, eucalyptus / blood orange, bergamot / rosemary, spearmint / cedarwood, palo santo, calendula Yes
Elyiss Solère set: seven steamers in a keepsake box Lemon, orange, grapefruit / eucalyptus, peppermint / lavender, bergamot, ylang ylang / cedarwood, vetiver, lavender Base plus oils

Musee handcrafts its products at a studio in Mississippi. Read its ingredient lists rather than the scent names: the Palo Santo and Sage description says palo santo oil fills the air, but the list names sweet orange essential oil and fragrance oil. Musee’s pages print no warnings.

Saje Natural Wellness labels its steamers for shower use only and says to keep away from eyes and children, and store somewhere cool and dry.

Esker prints a full list for each tablet: sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, kaolin clay, corn starch, the essential oils and water, with dried botanicals in two scents. Three of its four scents add menthol crystals; Calendula Palo Santo does not. Esker says the tablets are free from synthetic fragrances. Its page prints no cautions.

Elyiss, an Australian brand, says its steamers are made in Australia without added dyes and sealed one by one in aluminum. Its base is baking soda, citric acid, pentasodium triphosphate, maltodextrin and PEG-400. Its Solère page lists menthol in each of the four blends, though not every ingredient list on its pages includes it. No cautions are printed.

Shower steamers from Musee, Esker and more

Shop shower steamers

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Do shower steamers help you sleep?

Shower steamers sold with “sleep” in the name are scent products, and the FDA draws a clear line here. A product meant only to cleanse or make you more attractive is a cosmetic; a claim that a product will help you sleep is a drug claim. NCCIH, part of the National Institutes of Health, says it is unclear whether aromatherapy helps insomnia, because little rigorous research has been done.

Read a scent name as a scent name, and ask a doctor about trouble sleeping.

Shower steamer safety with children, pets and pregnancy

Shower steamers belong on a high shelf, not the side of the tub. Poison Control says products containing essential oils should be stored where children cannot find them, and that eucalyptus oil can cause seizures if swallowed.

  • Children. Saje’s label says to keep its steamers out of reach of children and to seek medical attention if one is swallowed.
  • Pets. The ASPCA suggests running a diffuser only briefly, in a room your pet cannot get into; the same care fits a shower steamer, so keep the bathroom door closed.
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Ask your doctor or midwife before using a scented shower product while pregnant or breastfeeding. Saje’s label says to consult a physician first.

If a shower steamer is swallowed

Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or use the webPOISONCONTROL tool. For a pet, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

Shower steamers as a gift for someone who showers

A box of shower steamers suits a stocking or a thank-you gift for someone with no tub. Pair it with a shower oil, or see the luxury bath and spa gifts guide for gifts by person. The luxury bath at home overview covers the whole kit.

Frequently asked questions

Can you use a shower steamer in the bath?

No. Saje labels its shower steamers for shower use only, not for the bath. For a fizzing tablet in the tub, buy a bath bomb, which is made to dissolve in the water.

How long does a shower steamer last?

Saje says the slow-release aroma of its steamers lasts up to two showers, and Esker says one tablet should last about two showers, depending on your shower. Musee and Elyiss do not give a figure.

Should a shower steamer go under the water?

It depends on the maker. Musee says to place its steamers under the running water. Elyiss says to keep them away from the direct stream, and Esker says close to, but not directly under, the stream, or under it in a larger shower or one with a curtain.

What are shower steamers made of?

Mostly a fizzing base plus scent. Esker's tablets list sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, kaolin clay and corn starch, plus essential oils and, in three of its four scents, menthol. Musee's Eucalyptus and Mint steamers list sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, fragrance oil, eucalyptus essential oil and Coloreze.

Are shower steamers safe during pregnancy?

Saje's label says to consult a physician before use if pregnant or nursing. Ask your doctor or midwife before using a scented shower product while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Are shower steamers safe around cats and dogs?

The ASPCA suggests running a diffuser only briefly, in a room your pet cannot get into; the same care fits a shower steamer, so keep the bathroom door closed. If a pet eats one, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

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