bodywash / body shampoo

N

nPlayerc

Member
Shenzhen, China
Cantonese & Mandarin
Hi everyone:

Do all the following words mean the substance used to clean the body during shower? If they do, which one is used most often/the most authentic form? Thanks.

"body wash"
"body gel"
"shower wash"
"shower gel"
"body shampoo"

EDIT: I am guessing body lotion is not the same thing, am I right?
 
    • The only term in that list that I have heard is "body wash". Other terms are "soap" and "shampoo".

    I am not sure what "body shampoo" is since "shampoo" is for the hair. "Shower wash" sounds redundant since the point of the shower is to wash yourself. "Body gel" doesn't sound like something you would find in a shower. "Shower gel" sounds plausible, but I wouldn't know what it is for.

    "body wash"
    "body gel"
    "shower wash"
    "shower gel"
    "body shampoo"

    green is a correct term
    orange is plausible
    red is incorrect (in my opinion)

    EDIT: Body lotion (or just simply lotion) is different, yes. ;)
     
    Thanks, MarFish. I'm also wondering what the substances used for cleaning hands are called (the ones usually seen next to the sink in the restroom) in American English.

    "hand soap"
    "liquid soap"
    "hand santilizer"
    "hand wash"
     
    To me it's all just "soap" or "shampoo".
    Most of the terms you list are marketing terms used to advertise products used to clean the human body. Marketers make up product names to try to sell items by making the purchaser think there is something new or specialized or different or better about their products.

    The basic (non-marketing) terms would probably be "bath soap" and "shampoo".
    But they want us to buy more, so they now sell special soap for the bathtub, soap for the hands, soap for the face, and soap for the shower.
    They also have
    "wash" which implies that the product is not just soap, but some other desirable cleansing formula
    "liquid" which is a legitimate description of the form of the cleanser, as opposed to soap in solid bar form
    "gel" which might also be a legitimate description of the form, thicker than a "liquid"
    "sanitizer" * which does actually refer to something different--a substance used to kill germs, not to wash
    "lotion" which normally is not used to wash, but to soothe or moisturize the skin
    and "body shampoo" which makes no sense to me. Shampoo is for hair. But marketing departments invent all kinds of silly product names.

    * (not "santilizer" as in your typo above)
     
    Last edited:
    Hi, is bodywash used as one word or it is used as two seperate words?

    I don’t see this word in WR dictionary.

    Thanks.

    Context: To tell a kid to wash himself/herself when taking a shower. ‘you need to use body wash to clean your body.’
     
    Super Saiyan said:
    Hi, is bodywash used as one word or it is used as two seperate words?

    I don’t see this word in WR dictionary.

    Thanks.

    Context: To tell a kid to wash himself/herself when taking a shower. ‘you need to use body wash to clean your body.’
    Click to expand...
    I suppose that depends on what kind of cleaning substance is in the shower. In my house, I'd say "Don't forget to use soap/body wash/shower gel" instead of "You need to use soap/body wash/shower gel to clean your body." The former is everyday English; the latter sounds like a practice sentence from an English textbook.

    To me "body wash" (two words) is liquid soap with added moisturizing "stuff"; it's not a synonym for the general word soap.
     
    Some products are sold as "Hand, Face, and Body Gel/Lotion/Cleanser", others as "Shampoo and Shower (Gel, etc.)" to induce more people to buy it. Some hand lotions* are not used with water; sales of these increased during the Covid pandemic.
    *e.g., the aforementioned "Sanitizing Gels".
     
    Last edited:
    Yes. I would expect a product called "gel" to be clear. Quite a few of the products in the category are not clear.
     
    You must log in or register to reply here.
    Back
    Top