I've been meaning to review a rather happy little product for a long time, but have been swamped under tomes of psychoanalytic theory and patristic theology. Perhaps unsurprisingly, when I finally emerged last night from my last exam for the year, I was in sore need of a cheerful and uncomplicated pick-me up. After a long luxurious night's sleep, this morning I was revived and pleased to spend some time appreciating the happy little product I had forgotten all about — ShiKai's Yuzu Moisturizing Shower Gel.
I picked up a bottle of this shower gel last winter after reading good things about its moisturizing properties. ShiKai's shower gels contain colloidal oatmeal and aloe vera gel, and they're also vegan and soap-free, with no animal testing. Given all that, I was happily surprised to find that it lathers nicely, leaves my skin softer after rinsing, and has a highly enjoyable fragrance.
I have never smelled a yuzu so I can't compare it to the original, but this delightful scent reminds me of fresh plum — the kind with juicy bursting golden flesh encased in tart, tight deep purple skin — crossed with a tangy-sweet golden grapefruit. It balances softly between round sweet fruit and citrus zest, and smells decidedly natural (although I don't know if it is). The scent doesn't really linger, so it won't conflict with your perfume, but on occasion it reminds me of Parfum d'Empire Osmanthus Interdite and it might complement that nicely if you really wanted to bring some sunshine to your morning.
It's a great daily shower gel. I look forward to trying their other shower gels soon — they come in eight different fragrances ranging from Cucumber Melon to Gardenia to Sandalwood. If anyone has tried them, please do comment!
ShiKai Shower Gels can be found at a decent price online (around $7 for 12 oz at drugstore.com) and sometimes they're even cheaper at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods (I think I once saw it there for around $3).
Note: top image is via Wikimedia Commons.
Thank you so much for this review, Pia!
I know the travails of psychoanalytic theory – tomes indeed.
My bookcases are filled with them. I keep a Sigmund Freud doll perched on a shelf for comic relief, along with a “My Analyst” psychotherapy ball. An amusing side benefit to a serious profession: I can diagnose my own perfume triggered OCD.
I’m glad to know that the ShiKai shower gel is a really good one – I’ve passed it by many times, but now I’m off to Trader Joe’s!
Enjoy your end of class freedom.
Hi Margot! A Sigmund Freud doll for comic relief sounds like a grand idea, LOL. Are you an analyst? Sounds like you might be…:) I do hope you enjoy the shower gel, and if you try any of the other scents, do let us know what you think!
omg Joe mentioned this on the open post and I looked it up
He’s psychic!!!!
LOL great minds….
I will add a plug for the matching lotion — very nice. Perfect for summer, maybe not rich enough for winter (if, like me, you have very dry skin in winter). But too bad that when they repackaged, they switched the lotion from a bottle to a tube…I’m not a fan of tubes & will probably never buy it again. Then again, maybe they reformulated it & it’s richer? Don’t know.
Ooh, haven’t seen that. Must look into it!
The advantage to a tube is that when you get low on lotion so that it won’t squeeze out of the tube anymore, you can cut off part of the tube and dip it out with your fingers until you’ve used every last molecule. (Use the cut-off bottom as a cap – you have to be sure to cut off a big enough section that it will stay on.) Can’t do that with a bottle.
LOL that IS an advantage, especially when dealing with the super pricey lotions like L’Artisan et al.
What are you doing that requires psychoanalytical theory and patristic theology both: history, perhaps? Congratulations on finishing your exams! Mine start next week…
Hey Capillary, I’m actually studying religion and depth psychology at seminary. I’m not sure if it will end up being a prelimary to analyst’s training for me, or a more psychological exploration of theology, but either way it’s fascinating, challenging and exhausting! LOL Good luck on YOUR exams!
That sounds really interesting. Thanks for the good wishes!
This was certainly timely! And like Krok said; Joe just mentioned this the other day (great minds, and all that) –turns out that I’m a bit of a citrus enthusiast as well….and have ordered some…can hardly wait (don’t worry, I’m NOT holding off on showering until it arrives in the mail…so y’all can stop holding your breath…)
Hope you love it! I have to say, I’m kind of looking forward to purchasing one with the new packaging. I always thought the quality seemed a bit better than the old packaging might imply…
I’ve seen it 2 places online (but I didn’t do an all-out search) Vitacost.com $5.66 but 4.99 shipping and drugstore.com $5.99 but free ship over $25 ….it was no problem to accumulate a $25 order! The bottle in the picture is white…is that the new packaging? Doesn’t really matter what it looks like, just sounds gloriously invigorating! I’m always open to trying a good shower gel since I never use bar soaps…they always seem to make my sensitive skin itchy (yuck) or at least feel like they leave a film (also yuck). Thanks for the review Pia, now I’m twice as excited to be getting some!
Daisy, this picture on this post is the new packaging. The old packaging had similar colors, but more white and the bottle was shaped slightly differently. You’re right though, it doesn’t matter!
It IS a very nice gel. Soft and refreshing, and definitely helpful for dry skin. The other one I like, that I saw Joe also mentioned on the open post (I just went back and read it) is the EO grapefruit -mint. That one is more invigorating, the Shikai a touch more fruity. Both are very nice. Enjoy!
Ah, then the picture at drugstore.com must be of the old packaging. But I could receive either one, who knows what they have in stock or if they’ll ever update the photo. The picture at the top of your post is prettier.
Yes, I think so too, but no matter so long as the stuff inside is the same!
Haha! It is very funny that I mentioned this just Thursday in response to someone’s request for great citrus shower gels! I used to buy this one and the Cucumber-Melon all the time at Trader Joe’s, but it seems to be out of stock for the last month or two at my local TJs (their stock can really fluctuate). I haven’t yet seen the new packaging shown in the photo above. The feel/consistency of ShiKai is really great and I assume the oatmeal and other ingredients really do prevent drying like some gels can. I’ve never tried any of the other scents, but it’s great to see this line getting some love here in your review. Thanks!
Ah Joe, glad you stopped by! LOL And I hadn’t even read your post on Thursday, so it really was a synchronicity. How do you like the Cucumber Melon? Maybe they are replacing the old stock with the new packaging and that is why they are low on it at TJ’s? I saw the shikai website was phasing out the old and bringing in the new…glad you liked the review.
the two online stores I mentioned have both the Yuzu and the Cucumber-Melon….the Yuzu just sounded a little better to me. Cucumber smells good at first then starts to make my stomach a little queasy—showering for 15 minutes with the smell would be okay but I was concerned that if it clung to my skin I’d be stumbling back to the shower in an hour to “get it off, GET IT OFF !”. So anyhow, I ordered the Yuzu .
I’ve had similar concerns about the melon part, which is why I keep hoping someone else has tried it, LOL.
I actually love the cuke-melon too (I don’t have aversion to melon, and it’s not super sweet at all — very refreshing). As I said, I used to switch between buying bottles of Yuzu then Cuke-Melon. Also, neither variety leaves much scent behind on the skin, so Daisy, don’t worry about having to “do a scrubber” after a shower.
Oh good, then I will look forward to trying that this summer!
Shikai’s lotions are the best. They have an unscented one with borage oil that is the bomb!
Well, they seem to have a matching lotion for every shower gel, so that makes it all the more tempting. I’m guessing the one you are referring to is part of their Dry Skin Therapy Line? Looks seriously effective! Will keep in mind for next winter–thanks!
I will have to try that one!
Hope you like it if you do–do let us know!
Pia: Best of luck on your pursuits in seminary and studies in psychology. I am a psychiatrist, trained in the psychoanalytic tradition, but with a newfound interest in Buddhist psychology, mindfulness, and integral studies. I feel so privileged and grateful to say how much I love my work. Nothing is more gratifying than being of service and helping to reduce suffering in our fellows. And there are so many of us shrinky-types who are also perfume lovers! Something to do with memory, pleasure and the reptilian brain…thanks for your wonderful posts.
Wow, that sounds really interesting. There was an article in the NYTimes magazine lately about psychoanalysis and Buddhism, did you catch it? Actually a lot of the work I’ve been doing this semester has to do with understandings of the self theologically and psychologically. Fledgling explorations, but fascinating to me. I’m so glad you love your work–that is wonderful. And I think perfume/fragrance fits right in somehow–it brings beauty and joy to so many!
Yes, I did read the NYT magazine article on the Zen master going to psychotherapy. It’s a lesson in how clinging to one “answer” or truth is a path to suffering, and how one’s own self must be experienced and understood before it can be deconstructed in Buddhist psychology. There are no shortcuts….
Thanks for your wonderful blog.
It’s a good thing we have the pleasure of fragrance along the way too…:)
So glad you enjoy the blog–Robin’s the one to thank, not me!
Has anyone tried the sandalwood?
Isn’t shikai used to wash hair in like India? And it like grows in pods on trees or something I think. I don’t think this line is named after it…
sorry to comment twice in a row but has anyone tried the shampoo? My hair is very ~*important*~ to be and it is really long and thick so I can only use good shampoos.
And when I looked at their shampoo it said “What is shikakai?”
so my question #2 above is answered…
LOL glad you got your question answered. I have not tried the shampoo, but would also love to hear if anyone else has, and if so what they thought…