Best body wash for a more refreshing shower (2024)

Elemis' revitalising body wash leaves skin feeling re-energised and revived from head to toe, having been designed as an invigorating aid to recovery post-exercise. Infused with a nutrient-rich blend of birch sap, it's packed with natural sugars and minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium manganese and iron, with gentle mango-derived cleansers to effectively wash away dirt and grime. Administering a unique cooling sensation, it features aromatic oils of juniper, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus and thyme for an uplifting fragrance.

Rituals The Ritual Of Karma After Sun Cooling Shower Gel

• Fragrance: Lotus flower and white tea
• Powered by: White tea, aloe vera, a powerful Hydra-Boost Complex

We’ve all been there: you spend a bit too long in the sun and haven’t topped up the SPF as often as you should, leading to itchy, slightly irritable and tight-feeling skin. But don’t worry! Salvation is on hand. This cooling gel-to-foam shower gel has been specifically designed to soothe and hydrate dry skin following prolonged sun exposure. I used this after a day at the beach (one of the perks of working from home on the Kent coast) and found it ultra-hydrating and uplifting, with a light and summery floral aroma. It boosted my skin’s elasticity and helped alleviate that tight feeling you get when you’ve stayed out for too long. It also gives a cooling and tingling sensation; the longer you leave it before risking, the cooler it becomes.

Neom Super Shower Power Body Cleanser

• Fragrance: Spearmint, rosemary and eucalyptus
• Powered by: Organic coffee extract and oat milk

This Supercharged body cleanser has been specifically formulated to power up your mind and kickstart your body. A uniquely awakening, 100 per cent natural formula, it's enriched with an energy-boosting scent made from spearmint, rosemary and eucalyptus oils, which has been designed to have an positive effect on your mental state as well as help to relieve body fatigue and sluggishness. For the full multi-sensory experience, lather all over the body and inhale a few times with deep breaths before rinsing clean.

Haeckels Bladderwrack + Buckthorn Body Cleanser

• Fragrance: Parsley seed and lavender
• Powered by: Seaweed extract and rapeseed oil

The eco-marine-based infusions from this Margate-based brand have become a favourite with men who look for great efficacy from their grooming without causing further damage to our planet. Using indigenous plants and locally harvested, hydrating seaweed extract, its vegan-compliant and nut-free body cleanser is free from silicone and soy and has antiseptic properties. Incorporating sea buckthorn and stimulating tea tree, with strong antioxidants and vitamins, it actively helps repair the skin and improves its texture. A delivery system of fast-absorbing rapeseed oil helps the active ingredients travel to the deeper levels of the dermis more effectively. Low-foaming, but giving a rich lather, it features a natural parsley seed and lavender aroma. It even comes with a 100 per cent recyclable pump.

Santa Maria Novella Giardini Medicei Bizzarria Bath & Shower Gel

• Fragrance: Citrus/floral
• Powered by: Plant-based surfactants

Founded by Dominican friars in Florence in 1221, Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is (besides being a mouthful) widely acknowledged as one of the earliest perfumeries in the world. Its new body care line, which features bath & shower gels and fluid body creams, feels luxe and will elevate your everyday shower routine. I tried the Bizzarria body wash, which combines an explosion of citrus notes with neroli, pepper, orange blossom absolute, ginger, cedar wood and musk, and was immediately transported to a Mediterranean garden. Making no claims to fix any specific skin concerns, it gave a gentle cleanse, using vegetable-origin surfactants, with a very soft foam (its only downfall in my opinion) and left my skin feeling protected by maintaining its natural hydrolipidic film.

What is the difference between a body wash and a shower gel?

Body wash and shower gel, though used interchangeably, are actually a smidgen different from one another. Shower gel tends to be dense, while body washes tread on the side of soap-like consistency. We've featured both in this list to follow. Wanting to upgrade your entire shower routine? A new set of bath towels and a scented candle should be on your shopping list, too.

What's the best-smelling shower gel for men?

There's rather a lot of choice when it comes to choosing a scent for your shower and bath. Perhaps not as comprehensive as the choices of ouds, nerolis and musks available in fragrances, but close. Before you choose your next body wash/shower gel make sure you've thought about the kind of scents you like and, more importantly, those you dislike. Ingredients like peppermint and peppercorn are sharper scents, while sandal and cedarwoods are more deeply luxurious. Citruses are better for waking you up on a tired morning. Of course, there’s also always the unscented option.

How we chose the best men's body washes

Like most of our grooming guides, everything here has been independently selected by Adrian Clark, an award-winning journalist who's worked in the male grooming vertical since his graduation from Central Saint Martins. Since then, he has worked for decades discovering the best products a man can buy, via his own medicine cabinet, regular samplers and launch events. Adrian has tried most of the body washes in the list below and only included brands that he knows and trusts when that wasn't possible.

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