I found a £5 supermarket shower gel that makes my bathroom feel like a luxury spa

Spending a small fortune on a serum or night cream? Easy to justify. A £30 shower gel? Somehow less so – especially when a budget formula can deliver the same spa-like feeling.

From Molton Brown to Aesop, Augustinus Bader and Jo Malone, a great body wash can turn an everyday shower into a bona fide self-care ritual. And in a modern life increasingly lived through screens, the shower may be one of the last places we can switch off entirely.

It’s a philosophy Dove knows well – with one crucial difference: its shower formulas cost less than £5. The American beauty brand began in 1957 with the Dove Beauty Bar, a patented roster of mild cleansers and a nourishing moisturising cream (an alternative to the era’s harsh soaps).

The new body + mind range includes a foaming body wash and an exfoliating scrub

Daisy Lester/The Standard

Dermatologists have backed Dove since the beginning, and the brand has remained committed to efficacious, sensitive skin-friendly formulas at some of the most affordable prices around.

The likelihood is that your deodorant, body lotion and body wash all hail from Dove – and its latest launch, the body + mind serum range, is continuing the brand’s story.

Fragranced to bolster your sensory experience in the shower, scents range jojoba oil and coconut milk to French lavender and pink dragonfruit. After testing the three shower gels at home for the last month, here’s why Dove’s body + mind serum body wash range deserves a spot in your bathroom.

Dove

Jojoba oil is known for its skin barrier-repairing emollient properties, while coconut-derived ingredients can support softness – the perfect duo.

Dove

Just like the rest of the body + mind serum range, the French lavender and oak shower gel lathers beautifully, cleansing without leaving skin feeling dry. The gentle fragrance makes it perfect for an evening shower when you’re craving a peaceful moment after a busy day.

Combining cleansing ingredients with soothing, moisturising oat, the formula demonstrates a thoughtful approach to skin comfort.

Dove

Fruity fragrance fans should pick up the pink dragonfruit and primrose body + mind serum. Instantly uplifting and refreshing, the formula creates a rich lather that leaves skin soft, smoothed and nourished. Luxurious yet energising, there are few better ways to start the day.