Best Shower Gels for Men

With hundreds of shower gels available for purchase, choosing the right one for your needs isn't easy. This is especially true since the bathing solution has become an essential component of our daily grooming routine — serving as a habitual wakeup call that energizes us with effervescent fragrances when stepping into the shower every morning, or a transportable way to stay clean if you take your morning shower at the gym or at work. RELATED: Best Shampoos for Men Some guys still question the difference between the use of bar soap and bath wash. That’s a pure amateur move. Need convincing? The truth lies in the facts. Studies show gel cleansers are less likely to unsettle your skin’s pH levels than soap, as those brick-shaped substances supposedly strip the skin of its essential oils. What else? Let's break down some of the other key factors of using a shower gel: Aromatherapy treatment: The elegant fragrances exuded by these cleansers help ease discomfort, relax muscles, and treat headaches. More sanitary: Bottle packaging keeps the solution fresh and reduces the risk of contamination.   Potent formulas: Natural ingredients, essential oils, nutrients, and vitamins usually make up the complex. Reduce waste: Bar soaps wear off quickly and leave debris in the shower, whereas shower gels avoid this issue. Rich lather: Liquid cleansers tend to produce more suds and help to activate skin-cleansing properties. What’s in the Formula? Again, the main function of any form of body wash, let alone a good men's shower gel, is to cleanse and protect skin from harmful agents. To achieve this, personal care brands compose their formulas with conditioning and effective, yet slightly-hazardous-when-overused elements. Don’t be so naïve to fall for exotic scents or eye-catching ads pushing skincare benefit jargon. Ingredients matter most. Keep your eyes peeled for these beneficial and/or dermis-endangering components when picking your next body wash. The Good Aloe Vera: A heavily popular agent with skin-cooling properties. Essential oils: Condition and hydrate skin to maintain its natural moisture level. Glycerin: Creates a nourishing effect for necessary moisture. Plant extracts: Contains natural antiseptic and exfoliating qualities. Shea Butter: Treats the outer skin layer with protective and smooth texture. Vitamins: Singular compounds such as C and E serve as antioxidants for detoxification and softening. Not exactly the type of results you’ll warrant from a pharmacy or supermarket brand. Then again, if misguided on selection, worst-case scenarios await you. The Bad (and Potentially Dangerous) Diethanolamine (DEA): Can block absorption of choline, a vital nutrient that aids in brain development. Dioxane: Known as a high-hazard agent that can cause toxicity in the brain, central nervous system, and liver just to name a few. Harmful Fragrance: Some body washes bear a high perfume rate that can produce irritation and affect vital organs. Parabens: Preservatives that are linked to a variety of skin conditions and breast cancer, which yes, men can be diagnosed with. Propylene glycol: Commonly used in personal care products with a history of causing dermatitis and kidney/liver abnormalities. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS): A surfactant and detergent found in many cosmetic products linked to skin irritation, organ toxicity, endocrine disruption. Triclosan: This antibacterial compound has been suggested to contribute to antibiotic resistance. See how this creates complication? Exactly. We also recommend something that possess high-quality additives like grapefruit or bergamot oil — basically, all the good stuff that does wonders for your skin type depending on its sensitivity level. To help in your search for the perfect shower gel, we compiled this collection of elite options based on consumer feedback, expert reviews, and hands-on experience to help narrow things down. Here are the best shower gels money can buy that deserve a spot somewhere on your shower caddy or gym/travel bag. Without further ado, say bye to bar soaps and learn all about the best shower gels for men on shelves now.  Best Shower Gels for Men Old Spice High Endurance Pure Sport When in doubt, go with Old Spice. It lathers well, rinses clean, and maybe most importantly, has a mature, masculine scent that never disappoints men, or men's skin. $25.88 for 4 at Amazon.com Saya Body Wash With a delightful base of aloe vera juice and glycerin, this hydrating and luxurious body wash isn’t just a pretty face. Behind the handsome scent of rose and cedarwood is a moisturizing body cleanser that is loaded with organic ingredients, instead of any synthetic fragrance or harmful chemicals. It’s formulated with kakadu plum to soothe the skin and naturally perfumed with fresh and floral essential oils. $47 at SayaSkin.com Degree Men Maximum Recovery Body Wash and Soak From the brand you trust to keep you dry and fresh under extreme exercise comes a new shower gel-meets-muscle-soak designed to help recover from all those vigorous activities. With a selection of aromatic aromas to savor, we particularly enjoy the invigorating and refreshing scent of menthol. This body wash not only fights post-workout body odor, but soothes post-workout soreness thanks to magnesium sulfate. When it comes to Degree, we wouldn’t expect anything but just the right body wash to help recover after all of that putting its tough antiperspirant to the test. $20.77 at Amazon.com Proactiv Deep Cleansing Acne Body Wash Proactiv is a brand known for its superior acne-fighting skin care. SO it should come as no surprise that the best body wash we found to fight oil skin below the face would be from the brand. The men’s body wash is designed specifically for acne-prone skin and helps stop acne-causing bacteria as well as prevents new breakouts from forming by using tried-and-true salicylic acid. $30.45 at Amazon.com Cetaphil Ultra Gentle Fragrance Free Body Wash One of the first things most doctors will tell you if you have severely sensitive skin — quit the fragrances. Because the FDA gives brands a free pass on fragrances thanks to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1966, allowing them to keep such ingredients off any labels to preserve “trade secrets,” fragrances can be any number of things that could cause skin sensitivity. So, that’s why a fragrance-free moisturizing body wash from dermatologist-approved brand Cetaphil is our go-to for even the most sensitive skin conditions. $21.99 at Amazon.com Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash for Dry Skin Dermatologist-recommended brand Aveeno uses a unique, sensitive skin-friendly formula with moisturizing ingredients such as nourishing oatmeal and rich emollients to lock in moisture. It’s gentle on sensitive skin, soap-free, and dye-free. $13.76 at Amazon.com Dove Body Deep Moisture Wash If you’re looking for a hefty dose of hydration, why not go to the brand that has it as part of their DNA. This mild and pH-balanced formula from Dove includes it’s proprietary Moisture Renew Blend — a combination of skin-natural nourishers and plant-based moisturizers — to absorb deeply into the top layers of skin. Add to that, this body wash is PETA-certified cruelty free and made in 100% recycled plastic bottles, and you can feel good about not only cleaning and conditioning yourself, but helping do so for the world we all share too. $39.99 for 3 at Amazon.com Bathing Culture Mind and Body Wash If this soap from Bathing Culture only kind of worked, we’d still be OK with it since it just looks so cool. The good news is, it works really well. Not only does it remove dirt effectively (because if a soap really only does one thing well, that should be it) but it leaves skin clean without feeling dry or tight. The certified-organic, biodegradable formula features organic coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, aloe vera, and comes out thick with a foamy lather, and a gender-neutral herbaceous smell. All this while being paraben-, soap-, and synthetic fragrance-free. Oh yeah, and every vessel is made from 100% recycled glass and plastic. How could it get any better? $20 at BathingCulture.com BULLDOG Coastline Body Wash With the cooling effects of bright citrus, coastal evergreens and the invigorating effects of eucalyptus, this BULLDOG body wash does more than we could have even asked for. The fragrance and tingle that comes from natural oils is just about perfect for post-gym clean up. $6.99 at Amazon.com CeraVe Body Wash with Salicylic Acid A gentle cleanser with salicylic acid? You better believe, and if any brand can do it (and do it really well) it’s going to be CeraVe. Rooted in the belief that ceramides are an essential part of the skin, and therefore a skin care process, CeraVe incorporates hyaluronic acid and three essential ceramides (1, 3, 6 II) that help both restore and maintain your skin's natural protective barrier. A low dose of salicylic acid gently exfoliates dead skin cells and softens skin rough skin while niacinamide helps keep skin calm. Free of microbeads, parabens, fragrances, and non-comedogenic, this is one of the best multipurpose body washes for anyone with sensitive skin. $13.99 at Amazon.com SheaMoisture Men Exfoliating Body Wash When it comes to an exfoliating body wash, you shouldn't have to sacrifice moisture. Lucky for you, moisturizing is the foundation of SheaMoisture. Using certified organic, free trade shea butter (hence the name) this new exfoliating body wash from the brand stands up to other exfoliators that get rid of dead skin cells, but leave skin dry and tight. Himalayan salt and Jeju volcanic ash buff skin to a natural, healthy shine. If skin that feels good all day isn’t enough, then you have the clean refreshing scent, with a hint of menthol, that stays on the skin all day too. $14 at Walmart.com Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap Dr. Bronner’s was doing organic before organic was a thing. By using most, if not all, organic ingredients, these castile liquid soaps can do a lot more than clean just you. Famous for the 18-in-1 capability, the brand stands behind its mission to make the world a bit of a better place by using 100% post-consumer plastic for its bottles and natural ingredients such as peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus, and lavender to infuse fragrance. No matter which fragrance (or fragrances) you pick, you won’t be disappointed in the clean results you get — literally. $9.66 at Amazon.com American Crew 24 Hour Deodorant Body Wash Whether you workout midday, sweat more than others, or you just stink, this is a body wash made for you. By not only washing away stank odors, but also keeping them at bay all day, you set yourself up for smell success when you wash with this tea tree oil and minty fresh men’s body wash from American Crew. $14.50 at Amazon.com EC3O Body Wash What the …? If you thought waterless body wash was just bar soap, you would be mistaken. Take a look at the soap of the future, from EC3O. EC30 reduces the C02 emission impact from manufacturing, chemistry, and shipping by 50% vs traditional liquids. Did you know that liquid cleaning products are mostly water? Every year, 800,000 million gallons of unnecessary water is shipped around the world. When you take water out of the equation, you get a greener product with a much much smaller carbon footprint. With that in mind, EC3O created an entire collection of truly waterless products from face wash and body cleanser to laundry and toilet cleaner that work just as well as their water-full counterparts, just without the harsh chemicals. The heart of this fragrance is like fresh bamboo, subtle rose, and Sicilian lemon-peels. Whether you throw some in your gym bag, bring a few when you go camping, or pack what you need for your next trip (whenever that might be), these little sudsy, soap swatches are going to change the way you shower. $19 at EC3OClean.com You Might Also Dig: Best Razors for Men Best Exfoliating Face Scrubs Best Shaving Gels for Men