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How to Use Shower Steamers (and Why a Spray May Be Easier)
Here's how to use shower steamers: set the disc on the floor of your shower away from the direct stream, unwrap it first, and let the splash-back — not the full spray — slowly release the scent while you breathe. That's the whole method. One honest update before you shop, though: Monsuri no longer makes shower steamers. The good news is that an aromatherapy shower spray gives you the same eucalyptus-or-lavender hit faster, with more control, and it works as a room and pillow mist too. Below is how to use both — and how to choose between them. (Prefer a longer soak? See our bath essentials guide.)
- Steamer: disc on the floor, out of the direct stream, unwrapped — too much water and it's a one-hit wonder.
- Spray: 3–4 spritzes on the shower wall before you step in; the steam carries the scent in seconds.
- Steamers are discontinued at Monsuri — the eucalyptus shower spray is the in-stock way to get the same effect, and it doubles as a linen and pillow mist.
- Want all three scents? The Aromatherapy Shower Spray Gift Set ($74.95) is cheaper than buying the bottles separately.
What shower steamers (and sprays) actually are
A shower steamer is a small, hard disc of baking soda, citric acid, and essential oils — like a bath bomb built for standing up. Water and steam dissolve it slowly so the oils evaporate into the warm air. A shower spray does the same job from a bottle: a few spritzes of essential-oil-and-water mist that the steam disperses on contact. The difference is timing and control. A steamer releases gradually over one shower and stays put on the floor; a spray is instant, lets you dial the intensity, and travels out of the bathroom to scent a room, a pillow, or a set of sheets.
How to use a shower steamer
Placement is the whole game: keep the steamer near the water, not under it. Here's the four-step version.
- Unwrap it. Leave the wrapper on and nothing happens — the scent stays sealed inside. Take it fully out of the packaging first.
- Set it on the floor, off to the side. Put it in a back corner of the shower where it catches splash-back and steam but not the direct stream. Under the full flow, it dissolves in a minute and the scent is gone.
- Let the steam build. Run the water warm and close the door or curtain so the steam concentrates. The warmer and more enclosed the space, the more scent you'll notice.
- Breathe, slowly. Take a few deep breaths through the nose. Eucalyptus reads bright and cooling; lavender reads soft and calming — pick the one that matches the time of day.
Shower steamers for a stuffy head
The reason "sinus shower steamers" gets searched so often is the eucalyptus-and-peppermint combination: both carry menthol, and menthol's cooling sensation is the one people reach for when they're stuffed up and want the air to feel easier to breathe. A steamer in the corner of a hot, closed shower puts that cool, camphorous scent right where you're breathing. A spray does the same thing without the wait — and because you can take it with you, several reviewers keep the eucalyptus spray on the nightstand. As one put it, "It helps clear out my sinus passages... I also spray it around my bed just before going to bed." (A shower spray is a comfort ritual, not a medicine — if you're really unwell, see a clinician.)
What about an "Epsom salt shower steamer"?
A few recipes online fold Epsom salt into a DIY shower steamer for a more relaxing feel. It's harmless, but worth knowing: Epsom salt's usual draw — soaking sore muscles in dissolved magnesium — doesn't really apply in a shower, where it never dissolves into water you sit in. In a steamer, the salt is mostly bulk and texture; the scent is doing the work. If a muscle-soak is what you're after, that's a job for the bath, not the shower floor — and there's a right and wrong amount of Epsom salt for that soak.
The easy alternative: an aromatherapy shower spray
Since the steamers are gone, this is where most people land — and a fair number prefer it. To use one, give the shower wall or door three to four spritzes before you step in, keeping it off the direct water line; the rising steam carries the scent through the stall in seconds. You control the strength (a light mist or a heavier fog), and the same bottle works as a room spray, a linen mist, or a pillow spray at night. Aromatherapy's documented benefit is relaxation and mood, not a cure — the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes it as a complementary practice for stress and wellbeing, and the Mayo Clinic lists aromatherapy among its relaxation techniques for managing stress. Lavender is the classic wind-down scent — the NCCIH notes lavender is widely used in aromatherapy for relaxation, while cautioning that the evidence for sleep is still limited.
This far exceeded my expectations — I love this better than those shower steamers.
Shower steamer vs shower spray: which to choose
If you could still buy both, the choice came down to pace and place. Now that steamers are discontinued, the spray simply does more of what most people wanted anyway.
| Shower steamer | Shower spray | |
|---|---|---|
| Scent release | Gradual, over one shower | Instant, in seconds |
| Intensity control | Fixed (one disc) | You choose (1 mist vs several) |
| Where it works | Shower floor only | Shower, room, linens, pillow |
| Best for | A slow, unhurried shower | A quick reset on a busy morning |
| In stock at Monsuri? | No (discontinued) | Yes — eucalyptus, lavender, citrus |
So: set the steamer in the corner and breathe, or give the wall a few spritzes and step in. Either way you get the two unhurried minutes that make a shower feel like more than a chore. If you're starting fresh, begin with the scent that fits your day — eucalyptus for a stuffy morning, lavender for the wind-down — or take all three in the gift set. Two minutes is yours to take.
