"Shower Soothers" Offer No Relief and Smell Bad - Avoid at all Costs
Written: Dec 08 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: None.
Cons: Horrible smell, ingredients aren't what is claimed.
The Bottom Line: Awful product.
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| JennJoy's Full Review: SudaCare Shower Soothers Vaporizing Shower Tablets |
Although I normally ignore as much product advertising as possible I was intrigued enough by ads for SudaCare Shower Soothers Vaporizing Shower Tablets that I picked up a box at my local grocery store a couple days in to my first cold of the season. When it comes to dealing with the common cold, my husband and I are both most likely to treat it without using over-the-counter medications, but the idea of adding these “vaporizing shower tablets” chock full of menthol, eucalyptus, and camphor to a nice, hot shower seemed like a good idea for helping to relieve congestion.
SudaCare’s Shower Soothers are available in packages of three or seven and I opted for the smaller package for a first-time purchase. The three pack cost me around $6.00 at the grocery store (with the larger package about double the cost), though I imagine a drug store’s prices might be a bit cheaper. The instructions are easy enough - simply turn your shower on to the desired water temperature, unwrap one of the tablets and place it on the bottom on the tub or shower directly in the stream of the water, then breathe in the ‘soothing’ vapors while you bathe.
The tablets are a blue-green color and look like giant antacid tablets or a smaller version of those tablets people put in their toilet tank that turn the water blue - maybe that should have been a clue as to what the actual experience of using these things would be like. The packaging warns not to touch the tablet once the water hits it because it’s supposed to be hot, but I actually moved mine a few times to get the best placement in the shower and it didn’t seem any hotter than the water in my shower.
The Shower Soothers definitely start releasing vapors as soon as the hot water hits them, but I wouldn’t call the results anything remotely close to “soothing.” It took a minute or two for the tablet to really start fizzing and once the smell hit me I couldn’t wait to get out of the shower. The tablets have a very heavy camphor smell and I felt mildly nauseous while inhaling this stuff. I was in and out of the shower within five minutes due to the horrible smell and the tablet was pretty much dissolved by this point and all the noxious remnants of the thing quickly washed down the drain. The nausea went away as soon as I got a few breaths of fresh air and my congestion was not relieved in the slightest.
Once out of the shower I took another look at the Shower Soothers box and realized the ingredients in these things are just chemicals. Anyone wishing to read the full list of ingredients can do so on maker Pfizer’s web site at: http://www.pfizerch.com/product.aspx?id=531 The only thing listed that looks remotely like it could reference the supposed “steamy vapors of eucalyptus, menthol, and camphor” they claim on the box and in their advertising is “fragrance.”
The whole Shower Soothers experience was a complete disappointment. I felt absolutely no relief from my congestion and the smell was downright bad. Although I was a bit skeptical about paying $2 per tablet, the results of these so-called Shower Soothers certainly do not justify the cost. A simple hot, steamy shower would have proven more effective and less nauseating in the long run. I normally take a closer look at ingredients before buying most products, but this was definitely an impulse purchase by someone hoping to relieve a bit of congestion. Save your money and don’t believe the advertising hype - these things will not give any relief to your sinuses.
Recommended:
No
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JennJoy
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Location: Philly
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