Should You Spray Perfume in the Shower?

  • By: Nathan Cherry
  • Time to read: 5 min.


You take a hot, steamy shower that opens your pores wide open. You lather yourself up and down with some artisanal goat’s milk soap, and scrub your silky smooth skin with some oh-so-exfoliating brown sugar scrub. 

Spying a bottle of your favorite luxury perfume by the vanity, you decide to spray yourself a few times in the shower just to seal the deal. You’ll be smelling like a god and/or goddess all day long and you know it, so why not? 

But does spraying perfume in the shower really work? 

I’m afraid I might have to burst a bubble or two. 

Though it might be tempting, spraying perfume in the shower – either on the skin, in the showerhead, or on the floor – doesn’t have much of an effect. It is much better to spray on perfume after a shower, rather than during the shower. 

Let’s find out why. 

The Argument For Spraying Perfume in the Shower

Before I pour some cold water on this theory (I had to), let’s first examine the argument for spraying perfume in the shower. 

There are a few different methods that people use to apply perfume in the shower. 

The one that I’ve most commonly seen is to spray some perfume on the floor of the shower before actually starting the water up. Once you’ve got the shower going, the hot water will make the perfume evaporate into steam, which will seep into your open pores and into your hair. 

Another way is to spray perfume on the showerhead, which allegedly works in much the same way as the former method. The argument is that perfume will mingle with the steam of the shower and seep into your hair and skin. 

Finally, some advocate for spraying perfume directly on skin while in the shower, since your pores are open and perhaps more willing to absorb fragrance when you’re washing yourself off. 

The Argument Against Spraying Perfume in the Shower

While I can understand what the people who advocate for spraying perfume in the shower might be driving at…

Please don’t. And especially don’t spray your expensive, high quality, lovely perfumes in the shower. Value your hard earned money a little more. 

Perfume and Water Are Not Friends

The main reason why I’m anti perfume in the shower is quite simple: perfume and water are not friends. 

To see this point illustrated, go and spray some perfume on your skin. Then, shower like you normally do, with soap and body butter and scrub and the works. 

After your shower, sniff the area where you applied your perfume. Does it smell the same as it did before the shower? 

I’ll go ahead and answer that question for you: no, it probably does not. 

That’s because perfume is designed to be washed off.

Some especially high quality, long-lasting perfumes might be able to survive a good wash in the shower. But for the most part, your average everyday designer perfume will be nigh undetectable after a shower. 

Your perfume will also be washed away as you sweat, too.  

And that’s a good thing! You don’t want your perfume to just eternally cling to your skin forever and ever, right? 

Imagine if you test out a fragrance that really doesn’t agree with you or the people around you. You go to the bathroom to wash it off, but to your shock and horror you find that it won’t come off with soap and water

Imagine a world where perfume couldn’t be removed with water, but rather required you to buy “perfume remover”, like nail polish remover or makeup remover. 

So, really, spraying perfume on yourself in the shower is not going to do much, since the soap and water will just wash it all away. 

What About Scented Steam? 

So, what about scenting the steam in the shower with your perfume? Is there any merit to that? 

There might very well be some kind of argument to be made for scenting the steam in your shower and letting it seep into your pores. However, there are other ways to achieve the same result without using your expensive perfume. 

Fragrance molecules from your soap, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and whatever other products you use in the shower will also be sublimated into the steam, which will then be absorbed by your pores. 

What’s the Solution, Then? 

But what if you really, really like the smell of your perfume and want every pore of your skin to exude its sweet, sweet fragrance? What if you literally want to bathe in your favorite scent?

Then you’re in luck! Almost every major brand also offers their perfumes in shower appropriate products. 

There’s Dior Sauvage shower gel, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle body and hair wash, Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede perfumed shower oil, and much, much more. 

You’re sure to find a shower appropriate product for your favorite scent. That way you can perfume yourself in the shower with your favorite fragrance, without wasting the actual perfume itself.  

When Should I Spray My Perfume? 

The best practice for applying perfume is not to spray it on during a shower, but rather directly after a shower. That way, you can still take advantage of your open pores while still getting the most out of your perfume. 

Simply hop out of the shower, towel yourself down, apply an unscented moisturizer on your skin, and let it sink in for a few minutes. 

Then you’re free to spray away, without your perfume getting washed off by soap and water. 

If you really want to smell like your perfume, then use its accompanying body wash or scented shower oil. Applying your perfume (after the shower, mind you) on top of that base layer of scent you got from the shower will make you smell simply smashing – you’ll be excluding your favorite perfume from every pore, but in the best way possible. 

The Final Word

So, should you spray perfume in the shower, either on yourself, on the showerhead, or on the floor? 

In my opinion: no. It’s a waste of good perfume, and you can achieve the same result in different, and frankly better ways. 

Spraying perfume in the shower might give you a slight scent boost, but it’s not the best way to scent yourself in the shower. For best results, use your favorite perfume’s matching body wash, scented lotion, or shower oil, then spray on the perfume itself after you shower. 

That way, you’ll be getting the most out of your perfume, while still smelling drop dead gorgeous. 

So please, as a personal favor to me, don’t spray your perfume in the shower. For a perfume lover, it’s equivalent to putting pineapple on pizza to an Italian. Sure, you can do it, but is it the best way to experience your pizza, or your perfume? 

So spray away – but after you shower, if you please.