My Apartment Doesn’t Have a Bathtub so I Use These Aromatherapy Shower Steamers

When I was in high school, I wrote my senior thesis on the collective works of Sylvia Plath. In what could only be described as a prerequisite for any Tumblr girl of the early ‘10s, I threw myself into the pages of her only novel, “The Bell Jar.” I found myself feeling an overwhelming sentiment of ‘same’ by the line: “There must be quite a few things a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.”

I’ve always related, but when you live the life of an apartment dweller, sometimes a bathtub just isn’t in the picture. Without one in my current apartment — for the first time ever in my life — I’ve found myself longing for soaks spent indulging in bath bombs, brooding over poetry books, and sipping wine. (Tumblr girls don’t die, they just evolve.) But since necessity is the mother of invention, I found a hack to make my hot showers almost as relaxing: these aromatherapy shower steamers.

Made with real essential oils, Cleverfy’s Shower Steamers have added a bit of self care to my daily routine. The set comes with six individually wrapped tablets filled with their own aromatherapy scents, which include eucalyptus, lavender, watermelon, vanilla and sweet orange, grapefruit, and peppermint.

Because I didn’t read the directions upon opening the package, I didn’t realize why the tablet only lasted a few minutes when I placed my feet in the shower. Unlike a bath bomb, which you drop right into the water to activate, these shower-friendly tablets work best when placed farther away in the corner of the shower where water droplets are less likely to make contact. That way, the warm steam from the shower begins to gently release the aroma of essential oils as the tablet slowly melts away throughout the duration of your shower.

Amazon shoppers seem to love the shower tablets just as much, awarding them a 4.4-star rating. Though, admittedly, I haven’t gifted the set to anyone but myself since I discovered it, I agree with shoppers who say they’d make a thoughtful self-care gift for someone in your life since they come packaged in such a cute box.

While I still miss the luxury of soaking in my own bathtub dearly, finding these little steamers has helped me make the most of my showers. At least until my lease is up, that is.

Shop now: $23 (Originally $30); amazon.com