The first time I hear about Rituals Shower Oil I thought they were talking about the oil you apply when you come out of the shower. I was in a Rituals store. They told me that this oil was to use in the shower, as soap. I was really surprised, I could never imagine washing my skin with oil (well, I use face cleansing oils but I always use a water-based soap after it).
Obviously, I was intrigued enough to buy and try the shower oil. I bought the travel size and I have been using it for some time. In this post, I am going to review Rituals Shower Oil, from the range The Ritual of Ayurveda.
What does the brand say?
Awaken inner harmony with this intensely nourishing shower oil from The Ritual of Ayurveda. The shower oil, enriched with ancient Ayurvedic ingredients like Indian rose, sweet almond oil, moringa oil and coconut oil, transforms into a silky soft foam when it comes in contact with water. The oil nourishes and helps to hydrate your skin while showering, leaving your skin beautifully soft.
This nourishing shower oil with 90% ingredients of natural origin is carefully curated to benefit your skin optimally. The remaining 10% are clean & conscious lab-made ingredients which support the integrity and safety of our formulations.
Rituals Website
Rituals Shower Oil Ingredients
Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, MIPA-Laureth Sulfate, Laureth-3, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Parfum/Fragrance, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Laureth-7 Citrate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Citronellol, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Limonene, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid.
Price and availability
This product is available at any Rituals store in two different sizes, 75 and 200 mL. The price is £6 for the small bottle and £10.50 for the 200 mL bottle.
My opinion about Rituals Shower Oil
Rituals Shower Oil Packaging
The product comes in a red bottle made of plastic. The bottle is transparent and, therefore, allows one to see the oil remaining in the bottle. It has a sticker with the Rituals logo and some product information. It is a very simple bottle which produces a relaxing feeling.
The bottle is closed by a flip-top cap in brown plastic. It is secure enough to avoid the product from spilling in the shower. However, I feel it can easily open if you carry it in your bag.
It has a nozzle to deliver the product. I don’t like this nozzle. This is an oily product and the nozzle doesn’t allow controlling the amount of product delivered. You can, therefore, waste a lot of product or something worst, the risk of slipping in the shower as a consequence of the oil spillage.
About the oil
The product is, as expected from the name, oil. It is golden in colour and has an amazingly lovely smell. I am not good at defining scents, but this product smells like frankincense or myrrh to me. It is a relaxing scent, which reminds me of the smell of a new-age shop or my yoga class.
The oil emulsifies extremely easily when it is in contact with water. This property is what makes this oil a product suitable for cleaning the skin.
Rituals Shower Oil Application
To apply this product, I pour some oil on my hands and mix it with water to make an emulsion. Then, I apply it all over my skin, avoiding the face and intimate areas. Finally, I rinse with lukewarm water after that.
As I mentioned, the product emulsifies easily and, therefore, is easy to apply over the skin. It feels very soft during the application and the smell fills the entire bathroom. The nice feeling when you touch it together with the smell provides a spa-at-home experience.
The first time I used it I was expecting some hard to rinse off. However, it rinses off easily and completely with lukewarm water. It doesn’t leave any oily residue on my skin.
How does the skin feel after using it?
After rinsing this shower oil, my skin feels soft, hydrated and nourished. This feeling lasts for quite some time. My skin is dry, especially during winter, and this product is what my skin needs to feel and look hydrated and nourished. I don’t get any oily or sticky feeling on my skin, though, I simply feel it soft.
The product leaves a lovely smell on my skin which also lasts some time. It is not a deep or strong smell, though. It is a soft scent, very relaxing and ideal if you are experiencing sleeping problems.
How do I use Rituals Shower Oil?
I don’t use this oil every time I take a shower. Well, I don’t feel this product is the best to clean my skin. I prefer to use a solid soap or shower gel for that purpose. However, this type of product tends to dry the skin, especially solid soap.
Normally, I use this shower oil after rinsing the shower gel or solid soap, instead of using a body moisturiser. I don’t like the feeling the body moisturisers leave on my skin and, also, I am quite lazy to apply them after the shower (especially during winter when it is cold).
I apply this oil inside the shower, still warm, and my skin gets the hydration it needs. However, I don’t get any oily or sticky feeling on my skin. Just the opposite, I get a nice and velvety touch.
I love to use this oil when I take my shower at night. The scent relaxes me and helps me to get better sleep.
About the ingredients
The main use of this shower oil is to cleanse the skin, although I give it a different use. It contains surfactants and cleansing ingredients. However, the surfactant in this formula is mild and, therefore, gentle on the skin. This product doesn’t contain sulphates (understand by that SLS).
Something that attracts my attention is the high number of emollients contained in this product. Among them, we can find some beneficial natural oils like castor oil, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, moringa oil and sunflower seed oil as well as some triglycerides.
However, not everything is positive in this formula. This shower oil contains a huge amount of perfuming ingredients, which can irritate sensitive skin.
Rituals Shower Oil
Pros
- Lovely smell
- Hydrates and nourishes my skin
- Easy to apply
- Rinses off well
- Doesn’t leave an oily or sticky feeling on my skin
Cons
- The nozzle doesn’t control the amount of oil dispensed
- The cap is not secure enough to carry in the bag
- May irritate sensitive skin
- Not widely available
Will I repurchase? Do I recommend it?
I am going to buy this product again. As soon as I finish the one I have now, I am going to buy the 200 mL bottle.
If you like spiritual scents you will love this product. I highly recommend it to people with dry skin. It will provide the hydration with your skin needs.
In summary, I am surprised by this product. I don’t like it as a cleansing product but it is amazing to hydrate and nourish the skin. I would like to try similar shower oils from other ranges to see if I like them as much as I like this.
Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.