6 Shower Lighting Ideas for a Relaxing Time

Showers can be a uniquely relaxing experience for many—the warm water and soothing steam is a great way to unwind. Why not couple that relaxing experience with lights that help set the mood? While dim or decorative lighting certainly sets the tone, it’s not always smart or safe to use those every time you take a shower. You can have the best of both worlds, though, with shower lighting that can both provide the ample light needed to shower and lights to contribute to a relaxing experience. The six below shower lighting ideas can help you get started.

Why should you pay attention to your shower lighting?

Shower lighting can make for a nice decorative or calming touch in your bathroom, and it’s also important for proper shower task lighting. If you shave in the shower, extra lighting helps you see whether you’ve left any hairs untouched. If you’re big on showers as stress-busting moments, dim lighting can be as comforting as the gentle rush of hot water.

How to choose your shower lighting

Choose your fixtures based on why you need to change your lighting in the first place. For example, if you shave your face or leg in the shower but the bathroom lighting doesn’t fully illuminate the space, you can change that by pursuing task-appropriate shower lighting ideas. Careful lighting choices also make it easier to see while you clean your shower walls or plexiglass doors.

Although these considerations focus on why you need lights, knowing where you’ll install your lights is just as important. If you’re more focused on bathroom interior design than illuminating shower tasks, you can likely install light fixtures outside your shower. In this case, you should use damp rated fixtures that can withstand exposure to moisture (such as steam that has condensated) but not water itself. For lights installed inside your shower, use wet rated fixtures that can withstand direct water exposure and make completing your shower tasks much easier.

Six shower lighting ideas

Once you’ve determined why you need shower lights, where you’ll place them, and whether you need damp or wet rated fixtures, you can choose one or many of the below lighting types to transform your shower lighting ideas from wonderful dreams to blissful realities:

1. Recessed ceiling lighting

A tried and true interior design classic, recessed ceiling lights are a great foundation for your shower. They make most parts of your bathroom fully visible, but they have limits. For example, if your bathroom is designed with recessed ceiling lights only outside your shower rather than in it, you might struggle with task lighting for shaving, buzzing, or other grooming needs. If you have the ability to add more recessed fixtures atop your shower, then go ahead—but first, consider that other options might be easier.

2. Galaxy lights

It’s one thing to calm yourself in a steamy, ordinarily lit shower. It’s another to let your shower thoughts arise as your bathroom is immersed in blue-green nebulas and stars. If anything, the combo of getting yourself squeaky clean and feeling like you’re gazing up at the world’s clearest nighttime sky is peak relaxation.

At BlissLights, this type of galaxy lighting is our specialty. Our best example is our Sky Lite Evolve Galaxy Projector, which is huge on TikTok and can immerse your bathroom in dreamy nocturnal visions for a shower you’ll never forget – even if you’re not consciously thinking. Place your projector far from water sources, though, and take it out of the bathroom when you’re done using it – it’s a beauty, but it should stay dry.

Sky Lite Evolve: Smart Galaxy Projector

$49.99$39.99

The latest evolution in smart galaxy lighting.

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3. Portable lighting

Did you ever think you could use waterproof mobile chargers as part of your shower lighting rig? Probably not, but portable lights – which are perfect for moving around your shower if wet rated – make this possible. These lights plug into mobile chargers so you can easily try them in many different parts of your bathroom, whether inside or outside your shower.

BlissLights StarPort Laser USB is also a great option for rotating your shower light around your bathroom. Move it to new places and see where your red, blue, or green starry sky displays best suit your lighting needs.

StarPort USB Light

$14.99

One tiny light. Thousands of stars!

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4. Plug-in night lights

Night lights are mostly associated with helping young kids who may be afraid of the dark to fall asleep. However, night lights for adults serve a different purpose, including providing dim, relaxing light in the shower. If you don’t want to turn on the overhead lights, a night light casts off just enough brightness to see your way around.

5. Laser bulbs

As we mentioned before, chances are that your bathroom has ceiling fixtures (though rooms without ceiling fixtures do exist), but maybe they provide light that’s not quite what you’re looking for. This doesn’t mean that you have to get new lighting fixtures – instead, you can replace your standard bulbs with laser bulbs. Your bathroom will be softly flooded with red, green, or blue starry skies that guide you toward your inner zen – just where you need to be for a soothing shower.

You can use our BlissBulbs for exactly this purpose. Remove your current bulbs from their fixtures, replace them with your new red, green, or blue laser bulbs, turn your lights on, and get your shower running. A calming, warm experience is just moments away – as is a refreshed, renewed you.

BlissBulb Laser LightBulb

$9.99

Transforming your world is as easy as changing a lightbulb.

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6. Wall sconces

You might not think of wall lights when you first think of bathrooms – often, bathrooms are lit from the top down. But not always! If you’ve ever been in a modern bathroom with a small wall lamp right over a mirror, then you’ve seen wall sconces at play in a bathroom.

If you install wall sconces in your shower and use wet rated lights, you can light your shower from within rather than outside. Wall sconces work whether you have a walk-in shower or a bathtub shower – just place them high enough to both light your shower and avoid contact with excess water. And hey, nothing’s stopping you from going the laser bulb route with your wall sconces either, because when it comes to shower lighting ideas, you make your own zen.

Try BlissLights for unique shower lighting ideas