Having a bath is actively discouraged in our home (there are 4 of us, including 2 teenagers). No one misses it because we have a hot tub in our sun room.

Our master bathroom is quite plain but I love our large shower stall. I love shower gels from Bath and Body Works.

Carrie

It has probably been 2-3 years since I have taken a bath :). We are definitely shower people. I am planning on removing a tub/shower combo this spring and replacing with a shower only in my BR. DH has shower only.

Will NEVER use bar soap again! My showers are so much easier to clean after switching to liquid soap.

I know I'll be in the minority here. I've read that most Americans take showers. I'm a bath taker! Love a hot bath. It's a highlight of my day!

I use bath gel always. Haven't used bar soap for my bod in over 20 years. Haven't used it on my face for over 30!

There are so many wonderful bath product options out there now, and you don't need to spend a lot to get something that smells great & is nice for your skin.

I do see some Very pretty and lovely smelling soaps around...I just pass because the gel is better for skin & soap can sort of "melt" and get gooey on the side of the tub or in a soap dish. Having said that, I keep an un-used bar of Dove on the side of my tub in the re-done master bath! It looks clean & pretty & I feel happy to see it there, as goofy as that may sound. Often the bath gel bottles are not so attractive!

I like a shower for convenience and a bath for relaxing. I got lucky in this house as it was built with a great shower and a soaking tub. I also stopped using bar soaps years ago. My favorite shower gel is a verbena-scented on from L'Occitane.

Definitely a shower, and I use "body wash" liquids -- Dove or Olay, or whatever is on sale that is also moisturizing. I probably take a bath two or three times a year, and it's just to sit and soak.

I'm a shower person. But about soaps.... I use Ivory because it doesn't make my skin itch nor does it have any scent whatsoever.

So what kind of shower gels do you recommend that fulfill those two requirements? We don't have a Bath and body Works or other fancy bath stores so anything that is readily available at a grocery store is best. It would definitely be fun to try something different.

A friend of mine has a shower every morning AND a bath every night. The shower is for cleaning and the bath is for relaxing. ( We don't have water meters. :)

I love both showers and baths. Showers are mostly for the business of cleaning, shampooing, shaving..... although I do love a powerful, hot massage setting on my neck and shoulders, too. But a bath, ahhhhh...... love a good soak and it's my favorite way to warm up in winter. I use my soaking tub 2 - 3 x/week year round.

I love a moisturizer body wash in the shower, something with a really soft scent, not highly perfumed and they're hard to find. A bath is all about the water for me and the scent comes from a candle.

Showers for all six of us, but my youngest occasionally likes to take a bath. I haven't taken a bath in years. For it to be truly relaxing, I'd have to soak longer than the water stayed warm enough - I like my water to be hot!

When we built this house, we removed the tub in the master bath because we needed the room elsewhere, which probably isn't ideal for resale since it's not a true master bath suite, but the kids' bathroom has a tub so I don't worry. Eventually, we plan to redo our bathroom anyway and will be in a luxurious shower that will hopefully make up for the lack of a tub.

As for body soap, I use a bar of soap - I use it to shave as it gives me a real lather and not as expensive as shaving cream, plus dh prefers bar soap anyway. The kids' though, use liquid/gel for soap.

I've been a lover of baths forever, and it probably stems from my childhood since we didn't have a shower. Truth is, back in the 50's. I don't remember any homes having a shower stall OR a shower head above the tub. When my parents remodeled in the late 50's, it was then the shower head was installed.

I take showers when i'm in a hurry, but really enjoy a long leisurely bath in the evening. I've used bath/shower wash as well as soap~at the moment i'm 'working' on a bar of handmade soap(not by me)or I like Dove in the Rose scent. It's a spa tub, so occasionally like to turn on the jets, but also like to use bubble bath, and that's a no no with a spa tub. Has to be one or the other. ;o)

But about soaps.... I use Ivory because it doesn't make my skin itch nor does it have any scent whatsoever.So what kind of shower gels do you recommend that fulfill those two requirements?

Aveeno Body Wash, Fragrance Free variety. I have found Target's generic version isn't too bad. Walgreen's generic version I don't care for, it's more oily & minimal suds but your mileage may vary. :) There's also Cerave cleanser (Ulta, CVS). It's like a cleansing lotion if your skin is super dry.

I'm definitely a "Shower Gal" ! When we had this house built, I designed a nice big shower with a tall, narrow frosted glass block window in it to bring in natural light, a built-in bench and a wall where I keep plants. All because I love my showers and wanted to really enjoy them. We also had a big 2-person spa tub put in our master bathroom with a recirculating water heater to keep the water always at the right temp. But, we really don't use it as often as we should. Sad, I know, but I just prefer showers.

As for soaps, I have very sensitive skin and most soaps cause me to itch or even break out in an allergic rash. Dove bar soap works great for me, but Tuesday2008's comment about how liquid soap keeps her shower cleaner has gotten me thinking. I'm going to see if Dove puts out a liquid version and try it!
Lynn

Showers! I haven't used our claw foot tub since we had it restored. It looks great but give me my shower! Our shower is 4' x 7'. Door less, with an arched entrance. We designed and built it ourselves. It is white subway tiled. Perfect for the era of our house. (1906). I am proud of it.

I love bars of soap. One advantage of a big shower is the soap dish doesn't have to get wet so no gooey soap here.

Love baths! Showers are for getting clean and baths for relaxing is the perfect sentiment :)

I do have a big pet peeve though. I detest shower/tub combos with a passion and will not take a bath in them. That is all we had in our FL house and we're currently in the process of redoing the master bath to put in a clawfoot tub and separate shower. I cannot wait, I miss my baths!!!

I always take a bath everynight, so does my DH and little boy. I, like patty cakes, take a shower when I'm in a hurry. Baths relax all of us at night, so I guess that why. DH takes a shower every morning also. I can't (or let my family) get into a clean bed without taking a bath first.

We use gel and bar soap, no particular brands. Although, I did buy some L'Occitane over the summer, and it smells so good! But, expensive.

Someone mentioned tub/shower combo, at a hotel-no way-always a shower there.

moonshadow - I just came in from grocery shopping and bought some Aveeno while I was there. Thanks for the suggestion and I'll let you know how it works.

lynninnewmexico - while I was looking at the Aveeno I noticed that Dove does come in liquid form as well. I was opening them all up to see if the unscented ones were indeed unscented.

I know from trying different make-ups that unscented doesn't always mean truly unscented.

A bath lover here. I take a bubble bath every morning. If for some reason I have to shower instead I feel deprived all day. Poor me ... lol! I use a bar of Dove and keep it in a seashell by the side of the tub.

Shower, always. I have taken exactly 2 baths since we moved into this house 24 years ago. I took out the tub when I remodeled the master bathroom so it's just a nice shower enclosure now. With the disclaimer this is ONLY MY OPINION AND HOW I FEEL WITH NO JUDGMENT IMPLIED: the idea of sitting in a tub full of dirty bath water really skeeves me out :).

Use Dove bar soap, never got into bath or shower gels.

Ann

Shower people here too. I can't even remember the last time I took a bath. We were always a soap users too mostly Ivory or Caress until we redid the bathroom. Since the shower is stone, we started using gels. I like Dove or Neutrogena but my absolute favorite is Satsuma by Body Works.

Shower always. Ivory soap. Sitting in water doesn't do anything for me. Pretty much what Ann/runninginplace said. The last time I took a bath was easily a decade ago.

Showers, although I occasionally consider taking a bath, but never do. I am considering removing our one tub in one of the guest baths which is the one I use and having a shower only. I figure that anyone who buys when we sell or die(!) will end up redoing the baths anyway, so I should do what I like and not worry about someday resale. Also a soap user-French soaps only-lovely, made with lavender, roses, olive oil, etc., and gentle. Their scents make me feel pampered and my skin doesn't feel dry as it does with other soaps.

Definitely a bath person, l love water and floating lol. I actually look forward to it at the end of the day, aaahhhhhh. Oh, but because I never feel I'm gotten rinsed well after soaping with Amaging Grace, I rinse off in the shower and clean the tub while I'm still there and wipe it all down. Best part of the day.

blfenton: you're absolutely correct, "Unscented" is quite misleading and those products often contain 'masking fragrance' as an ingredient (which has never made sense to me). It has to say 'Fragrance Free' on the label. Dove bar soap has a FF variety, but all I've seen in the liquid form is Unscented (with masking fragrance).

I imagine I must have taken a bath at some point since my mother stopped bathing me but I certainly don't remember it. Obviously, or it should be obvious, that I'm a shower only person.

blfenton,
I used to use Dove bar soap without a problem but when I switched to Dove liquid my skin felt terribly dry so I avoid that one now. I use Aveeno or to mix-it-up I'll use Neutrogena shower gel in the grapefruit or citrus scent (I forget what they call it exactly). It's not too bad scent-wise. I use to love Ivory liquid soap for my sink dispensers but can't find it in the stores any more.

Shower, for sure. I have a hand held shower head that can be adjusted for the intensity of the flow. I hurt my back recently and it feels so good to put the shower head on Jet and pound that spot. When I had the bathroom remodeled I got an extra wide tub so I would have more area for showering. I only have one full bath and my house is too small for a separate shower and tub.

I use the tub maybe two or three times a year. It's such a process! It takes a long time for it to fill, then the water cools off before I'm done, then I feel like I should shower off the extra soap (especially if I washed my hair), and then the tub needs to be cleaned.

When I do take a bath, I try to make an experience of it -- candles, music, maybe even a glass of wine. It is terrific for the seven or eight minutes before the water gets cold.

I always use a body wash. Trader Joe's makes one that I really like called Refresh Citrus. I keep a bar of soap around for my son to use if he takes a shower when he stops in after the gym or biking.

Showers. Definitely. I don't think I've taken a bath since I was about 12 years old and started taking showers.

I can't remember the last time I took a bath! When we did our master suite addition, I didn't include a tub. I use unscented or fragrance free liquid body wash, but I've recently discovered that the Target version of the Dove cucumber and green tea body wash doesn't bother me.

Showers with body wash for the most part at our house. The exception being when our daughter is home on college break. I think she takes both a bath and shower every day.

Blfenton: thanks for the heads up! I'll pick a bottle up tomorrow while I'm grocery shopping.
Lynn

Shower most of the time, because it takes the whole hot water heater to fill my Jauzzi, and I like bath water to be HOT, like most other people here do, too! My two Westies get to use my lovely large tub more than I ever do any more! We fashioned a hose attachment to the faucet and it is now their bathing station. I used it much more often when I was younger when we first built our house - but now it seems like too much trouble to fill and clean, so I hop in our double headed shower. I love the fancy bath soaps, too, but use then to scent the bathroom only, and use a shower gel because it keeps the shower tile cleaner than soap.

Showers only here. With body wash. I remember taking a bath once as a young adult. Got in there intending to read and relax because people told me they loved to do that. I didn't last long. Haven't tried it since.