You know that feeling when you've been putting off a shower all day—you’re too tired, too overwhelmed, too whatever—and then you finally get in and instantly feel like a whole new person? That’s not just in your head. “Cortisol levels are definitely lower in the shower,” says Amy Wechsler, MD, a New York City–based dermatologist and psychiatrist.
Water is inherently soothing (perhaps because we once lived in amniotic fluid), and the warmth helps our muscles relax, she says. A shower is also an escape from the modern world—you’re not being bombarded by texts, fielding Slacks, or endlessly scrolling Instagram. It might even be the only two minutes of the day that are entirely your own, which makes it a sacred place for your most creative thinking or your most cathartic cries—and a powerful reset for your nervous system, Wechsler says.
All of which points to the shower as an opportunity not just to get clean but to shift how you feel. Enter: goop Beauty’s new Black Pepper + Ginger Grounding Body Wash.
According to Thira Burns, goop’s VP of product development, Gwyneth had one request for the PD team: a sultry, genderless scent that could be shared by her and Brad. The end result, a luxurious and grounding blend of black pepper and ginger root rounded out with delicate notes of sandalwood and citrus, delivered: “I’m addicted to this body wash: the lather is so rich and thick, and the scent is gorgeous—a little sweet, a little spicy. It’s an indulgent daily ritual that resets my body and mind.”
And it does this in a matter of seconds: “The quickest way to change someone’s mood—quicker than any other sensory modality—is with smell,” says Alan Hirsch, MD, the neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. That’s because the olfactory lobe (the part of the brain that processes smells) is actually part of the limbic system, or the emotional brain, he explains.
The shower itself can actually amplify the impact: “Your sense of smell is better than otherwise because of the heat and the moisture—so you’ll smell notes there that you otherwise wouldn’t,” Hirsch says. A compelling reason to start your day with a scented body wash, before you even reach for perfume.
“I’m addicted to this body wash: the lather is so rich and thick, and the scent is gorgeous—a little sweet, a little spicy. It’s an indulgent daily ritual that resets my body and mind. —Gwyneth”
The scent of black pepper, for example, may make you feel more awake by exciting the trigeminal nerve, Hirsch says—and citrus notes tend to have a similarly invigorating effect. But the context in which you're using the scent matters, too. “The scent you use in the morning that makes you more awake, at nighttime might make you more sleepy,” he says.
But smell is also incredibly complex and individual, formed by our own experiences and memories, Hirsch says. And biologically, women have a better sense of smell than men, he says, so you and your partner may experience the same scent in completely different ways.
Beyond the scent, the body wash also delivers on the cleanse itself. The gentle plant-based surfactants create a satisfying lather that removes all traces of dirt, oil, and sweat—without that stripped, squeaky feeling of traditional soap. And there's an added benefit to getting really clean: "Bad odors tend to increase aggression," Hirsch says, meaning washing off the day is itself a mood intervention as much as a hygienic one.
And the formula meets goop’s clean ingredient standards, which matters for a product you use daily on virtually every inch of your body, including more vulnerable areas like the underarms. “This is body wash, not face wash—so it’s covering a lot of epidermis,” says Alicia Zalka, MD, board-certified dermatologist and associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University. “It’s not just what good stuff is in it—it’s what's left out that’s really key.” That includes heavy surfactants and synthetic fragrances, which dermatologists recommend avoiding as they can be irritating to the skin, she says.
As for the skin-care benefits, there’s a trio of hydrators—aloe vera, glycerin, and panthenol—that work synergistically to calm, hydrate, and protect. While aloe isn’t new, it’s having a moment now in skin care thanks to its exceptional soothing qualities, Zalka says—while glycerin is “extremely, extremely moisturizing,” she adds. To round it out, panthenol, also known as pro-vitamin B5, helps reduce transepidermal water loss while soothing the skin, “helping to keep your skin barrier function intact,” she says.
The translucent gel is also spiked with polyphenol-rich green tea extract, a powerhouse antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that has been used in skin care for centuries (it gives the body wash its amber color). It helps protect the skin from free radical damage, which can accelerate collagen breakdown and skin aging, Zalka says.
The texture feels incredible on skin when you use it in the bath or shower, with results you can feel long after your momentary self-care ritual ends. “Even though body wash isn’t designed to stay on the skin, it sets the stage for your best skin all day,” Zalka says. In a consumer perception study, after four weeks of use, 100 percent of the subjects agreed their skin felt softer and that they would recommend it to a friend.
The shower is one of those rituals that’s both mundane and powerful at once. You never regret it. “If everything else feels a little out of control and you keep your daily routines—your shower routine, your skin-care routine—it gives you back some control,” Wechsler says. “And that feels really good.”
The 5-Minute Shower That Feels like an Exhale
Use the body wash in the morning, in the evening, or both. “I love a shower in the morning after a workout—or at night if I’ve been somewhere with a lot of people with weird energy, then I need a good scrubdown and hair wash at night. I’ll dry brush, sage myself—and then shower,” Gwyneth says.
Before the shower
Right before you step into the shower, use a dry brush to stimulate your nervous system and awaken the senses, while gently sweeping away dead skin.
In the shower
With notes of sandalwood, the goop Beauty Amino Acid Shinebath Shampoo and Conditioner play well with the body wash. While your conditioner seeps in, take a moment to breathe in deeply, letting the fragrance fully unfold for a more immersive sensory experience.
It can also be used in tandem with the Microderm Instant Glow Body Polish. We’ve had an internal debate, but there’s no right order: “You can scrub first and use the body wash after, or body wash first and then scrub,” Burns says.
And when you want a really deep clean for both your hair and scalp? The Himalayan Salt Scrub Shampoo is a tried-and-true goop favorite. On days when you have a bit more time, follow with the Nutrient Shinebath Hair Mask (leave it on for up to seven minutes for shinier, healthier-looking hair).
When you get out of the shower
Follow up with the nourishing repair body butter to infuse even more moisture into the skin —it’s best applied to damp skin, Zalka says. Gwyneth calls it her best-kept secret: “It literally means I can still wear shorts in my 50s. That body butter is magic.”
