“It’s not a shower gel. It’s an experience.” That’s what you have to remind yourself when you shop at Molton Brown. Because that cheap shower gel in Boots may do the same thing as their Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel, but where’s the glamour in that? If you’re looking for a pampering treat, you’re… well, in for a treat. Here’s why:
What’s In Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel?
SURFACTANTS TO CLEANSE SKIN
Drugstore or high-end, all shower gels work in the same way: surfactants. Surfactants refers to a family of ingredients that helps water mix with oils and dirt, so they can be rinsed away down the drain. This shower gel uses Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine, two surfactants that strike the perfect balance between cleansing power and gentleness. Translation: they remove ALL impurities without drying out your skin.
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The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients
NOTE: The colours indicate the effectiveness of an ingredient. It is ILLEGAL to put toxic and harmful ingredients in skincare products.
- Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product do the best possible job for your skin.
- Yellow: There’s not much proof it works (at least, yet).
- Red: What is this doing here?!
- Water (Aqua/Eau): The base of almost every skincare product. Think of it like the pot where you throw all the ingredients in to simmer. It dissolves actives, makes everything spreadable, and is basically the reason your cleanser isn’t just a brick of powder.
- Fragrance (Parfum): Purely for your nose. It doesn’t clean or hydrate, it just makes the whole thing smell nice. Some people love it, others’ skin doesn’t – especially if you’re sensitive.
- Laureth-7 Citrate: The peacekeeper. Its job is to help oil and water ingredients mix without separating, kind of like the blender that keeps your salad dressing smooth instead of oily at the top and watery at the bottom.
- Sodium Chloride: Yep, table salt. It thickens the formula so it feels like a gel instead of watery soup.
- Propylene Glycol: A humectant, which means it pulls water into your skin so it doesn’t feel bone-dry after cleansing. It also helps carry other ingredients deeper into the formula so they can actually do something.
- Coco Glucoside: Another mild cleanser, but this one’s coconut and sugar-derived. It boosts foam without being too harsh. Picture it as the “friendly helper” that makes sure your skin gets clean without shouting about it.
- Honeysuckle Extracts (Caprifolium & Japonica): These give the formula a bit of a botanical vibe. They’ve got some antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, but let’s be real: they’re mostly there to look good on the label and make you feel like you’re washing your face with flowers.
- Rhubarb Stalk Extract: Adds a touch of antioxidant support and maybe a brightening effect. Think of it as the quirky extra no one expects to show up at the party.
- Rose Fruit Extract: Full of vitamins and antioxidants, and marketed as a skin-toner and brightener. More of a “nice to have” than a game-changer.
- Ethylhexylglycerin: A multitasker: keeps your skin feeling soft and boosts the power of preservatives. Without it, your cleanser might spoil faster.
- Glycerin: The MVP hydrator. It’s cheap, effective, and works like a sponge to keep water in your skin so you don’t get that desert-dry tightness post-wash.
- PPG-26-Buteth-26 & PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil: These two are the fixers behind the scenes. They grab oil-based ingredients (like fragrance) and make them mix evenly with the water base so the whole thing doesn’t separate into layers.
- Benzophenone-4: Protects the product from UV light so it doesn’t go bad if you leave it out on your bathroom shelf. Basically sunscreen, but for the formula itself.
- Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone): A chemical UV filter. Great in sunscreens, pointless in a cleanser because it rinses off before it can protect you. In this formula it’s mostly a stabilizer and marketing fluff.
- Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate): Another sunscreen agent, normally used for UVB protection. Again, not going to help you here since you’re washing it off. It’s more about the formula looking “protective” on paper.
- Ethylhexyl Salicylate: Yet another UV filter. Same story: works in sunscreen, not in a shower gel or cleanser. It may contribute a little to keeping the formula stable under light, but don’t count on it for your skin.
- Benzyl Alcohol: Works as a preservative and also gives a little whiff of scent. Too much can be drying, but in tiny amounts it just keeps things safe.
- Benzyl Salicylate: A fragrance ingredient with a sweet, floral smell. Also stabilizes UV filters.
- Citral: Gives a citrusy note to the fragrance. Lovely to smell, but can be irritating to sensitive skin.
- Citronellol: Another fragrance component, with a rosy, fresh scent. Same caveat: nice smell, possible allergen.
- Geraniol: Floral fragrance molecule, often rose-like. Adds depth to the scent, but can irritate reactive skin.
- Limonene: Citrus-scented fragrance compound. Think lemon peel – fresh and zesty, but not sensitive-skin friendly.
- Linalool: Adds a soft, floral, lavender-like note to the fragrance. Again, smells great, but one of the common allergen suspects.
- Sodium Phytate: A chelating agent. It grabs onto stray metals from water or packaging that could mess with the formula, keeping everything stable.
- Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate: Another chelator, doing the same job: stopping impurities from wrecking the product.
- Butylene Glycol: Another humectant. Keeps things smooth, hydrates, and also helps other ingredients absorb better. It’s one of those quiet workers that just makes the whole formula feel nicer.
- Salicylic Acid: An exfoliant that gets inside your pores and removes the gunk from within. Too bad it’s useless in a cleanser.
- Sorbic Acid: Preservative that prevents mold and yeast. Keeps the product safe over time.
- Phenoxyethanol: The main preservative, widely used and effective at keeping bacteria out.
- Sodium Hydroxide: Balances pH. Without it, the cleanser could end up way too acidic or too alkaline, both of which could wreck your skin.
- Caramel & Red 33 (CI 17200): Coloring agents. They don’t change how the product works at all – they just make it look prettier in the bottle so you enjoy the vibe of using it.
Texture
This stuff feels fancier than your usual shower gel the second it hits your palm. It’s not watery or runny – it’s got a thicker, syrup-like slip to it that makes you want to play with it for a second before lathering up. Once you start working it onto your skin, it doesn’t explode into a huge foam party, it makes this softer, creamier lather that clings to your arms and legs instead of sliding off into the drain. It feels smooth, cushy, and a little indulgent, the kind of wash where you can tell the difference compared to a cheap bottle. And when you rinse, it doesn’t leave you squeaky or dry, your skin just feels comfortable – clean but not stripped.
Fragrance
The scent is the main event here. At first you get this tart, zingy rhubarb note that’s almost mouthwatering – like you just cut into a stalk and it snapped under the knife. Then the rose comes through, but it’s not heavy or old-fashioned at all. It’s light, fresh, almost airy, balancing out that sharp fruitiness with something softer and floral. The two together make this addictive sweet-but-not-too-sweet mix that feels happy and uplifting in the morning, but still works if you’re winding down at night. And the best bit? It sticks around. You catch whiffs of it on your skin and in the bathroom long after you’re done, which makes the whole thing feel a little more luxe.
How To Use It
You can use it like any shower gel – a small squeeze on your hands, sponge, or loofah and you’re good. But honestly, because of the texture and the scent, it feels nicer if you take a second with it. Let it foam up with the hot water and steam and the fragrance really blooms. In the bath, a capful under running water gives you a lightly foaming soak that smells amazing. Don’t expect a mountain of bubbles, but the scent in the bathwater makes up for it – it turns a regular soak into something that feels a bit more spa-like.
Packaging
Molton Brown bottles always look chic, and this one is no different. The gel itself is a pretty blush-pink, which you can see through the clear bottle, and it ties perfectly into the rhubarb-and-rose name. The chrome cap gives it that “luxury product” vibe without trying too hard, and it’s sturdy – no random leaks or cheap-feeling plastic. It’s the kind of bottle you actually want sitting out in your bathroom because it looks nice on display, almost like bathroom decor as much as body wash.
Performance & Personal Opinion
There’s just something about Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel that just makes spending an hour or two relaxing in a bubbling bathtub after a long day on your feet that little bit more enjoyable. (It may be the placebo effect, but let’s not go there. It ruins the mood).
For starters, the smell is gorgeous. The right scent lifts your mood and transports you back to happy memories you love to relish. It cleanses skin well too. When I get out of the bathtub (or the shower), my skin’s all clean and soft and smells gorgeous. Too bad the scent doesn’t last that long. At this price point, I feel like I should smell of rhubarb all day. But maybe it’s a good thing I don’t?
What I Like About Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel
- The texture feels richer than your average shower gel – it’s got that silky, almost syrupy slip that makes washing up feel more like pampering.
- The fragrance is addictive: tart, juicy rhubarb with a soft rose finish. Fresh, uplifting, and not at all old-lady floral.
- It actually leaves my skin soft instead of tight, which isn’t always the case with fancier “scent-first” shower gels.
- The packaging looks luxe enough to leave on the counter – that pink gel and chrome cap scream “treat yourself.”
- You don’t need to use a ton to get a decent lather, so the bottle lasts longer than you’d think.
What I Don’t Like About Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel
- The scent fades faster than I’d like. At this price, I kind of want to smell like rhubarb crumble all day, not just for half an hour.
- It’s expensive for what it is – a shower gel. You’re paying for the name, the packaging, and the fragrance more than the formula itself.
- If you’re into giant bubble baths, this isn’t it. It foams, but don’t expect mountains of bubbles.
- Sensitive skin types might side-eye the fragrance. It smells divine, but fragrance is still fragrance, and it can be irritating.
Who Should Use This?
This shower gel is for people who want their daily shower (or bath) to feel like a little event, not just a quick scrub. If you love fragrance, enjoy pampering products, or want something pretty to sit on your bathroom shelf, this is your vibe. It also makes a killer gift – it looks expensive, it smells expensive, and it feels indulgent without being something most people would buy for themselves. If you’re on a budget or you want skincare with active ingredients that do more, you’ll probably roll your eyes at the price. But if you’re after that “small luxury” that makes an ordinary day feel a bit more special? This one delivers.
Does Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| A citrus infusion of sweet and floral notes gently cleanses and leaves skin irresistibly fragranced. | True. |
| Top notes: grapefruit, yuzu and lemongrass. Heart notes: rhubarb leaf, rose and spearmint. Base notes: vanilla, musk and spun sugar. |
True. |
Price & Availability
$32.00/£26.00 at Cult Beauty, John Lewis, Look Fantastic, and Molton Brown
Do You Need It?
It’s a pampering treat, not a necessity.
Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Fragrance (Parfum), Laureth-7 Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Coco-Glucoside, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Rheum Rhabarbarum Stalk Extract, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Benzophenone-4, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Sodium Phytate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Butylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Caramel, Red 33 (Ci 17200).
About Gio
Hi, I’m Gio. I’m a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever – every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what’s worth the splurge and what’s best left on the shelf – using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.
