It all started with a single shower.
Trying Smoosh for the first time stopped me in my tracks. My skin didn’t just feel clean... it felt brand new. But more than that, I looked forward to showering for the first time in years. The soft silicone fingers soothed my muscles and gave me a little moment of care, just for me.
I was asked to run our first consumer-use study. I had a theory: if others had the same tools and support, Smoosh would completely change their bathing too. I believed that the clean would be better... feel better... and that participants would begin looking forward to it just as much as I do.
Study Design
We initiated our first consumer-use study in March, 2025. The study would last 4 weeks for participants, ensuring enough hands-on shower time to get the full Smoosh experience.
We recruited nearly 40 participants through social media and email. Once accepted, each participant received a Smoosh scrubber, the optional handle attachment, and two body-wash bars taking into account their preferences (because the best data starts with a little delight).
I created both written and video instructions orienting participants to their new Body Smoosh scrubber system. Body Smoosh is the world's first embedded bar silicone body scrubber, so a little education is necessary to make sure people know how to get the best performance out of it.
Then it was time to hop in the shower.
After their very first Smoosh experience, participants filled out a brief post-shower questionnaire. I wanted to measure their initial experience and reactions after the first use... and then also record their experience at the close of the study.
Over the next few weeks, participants continued using Smoosh as part of their regular routine. When the study wrapped up, they completed a final questionnaire recording their quantitative and qualitative reactions to the Body Smoosh system.
Current Method Data
Before Smoosh ever touched their skin, participants recorded how they really felt about their current body washing routines. The results match our expectations... there's general apathy and middling levels of satisfaction.
CURRENT METHOD SATISFACTION RATINGS
With 1 being completely dissatisfied, and 5 being completely satisfied.
Plastic Pouf/Loofah: 2.7 out of 5
Silicone Scrubber: 3.0 out of 5
Hands: 2.8 out of 5
Washcloths: 3.2 out of 5
Some common themes emerged around what experiences could be improved upon from their current bathing methods:
- Lack of exfoliation
- Vanishing lather
- Slippery soaps
- Tight/Dry feeling skin
- Feeling rinsed, not so much clean
Smoosh Qualitative Data
From the very first scrub with Smoosh, the initial feedback was visceral and emotive.
“Like orchid-scented silk...”
“...beautifully exfoliated and not dried out...”
“My kids are begging for their own...”
When you first step into the shower, you quickly "rev" Body Smoosh's engines to get the lather started, and then it continually keeps lathering foaming up throughout your use on it's own. So understanding the level of satisfaction with lather was keys.
“WAY more than I expected… it felt thick and luxurious”
"Frothy, rich, almost velvet-y...”
“I actually lowered the soap mid-shower because I didn’t need more.”
Smoosh’s scrubbing fingers don't just clean your body effectively... they become a sensory experience. The scrubby fingers were soft enough to be soothing and firm enough to be effective (a combination that loofahs, washcloths, and hands-alone largely couldn’t achieve for our study participants).
“... like micro baby fingers gently polishing and brightening the skin.”
“Like a little massage...”
“MAGICAL. I actually felt clean after one full body pass.”
How do the Smoosh body-wash bar scents stack up? Even those who weren’t usually drawn to bar soap found themselves swooning over the Smoosh suds.
“Smells like standing in a garden on an island.”
"... it made me feel like I was in Puerto Rico again.”
“... delicious-smelling, but unfortunately inedible.”
These aren’t just product reviews. They’re full-body sensory flashbacks—tiny time machines that transport users with scent and touch.
Smoosh Quantitative Data
68% of participants reported zero learning curve. And those participants who took a shower or two to adjust were still impressed by how simple and intuitive it was.
THE CLEAN
Smoosh scored an impressive 4.8 out of 5 for it's ability to deliver or exceed the users' desired feeling of clean (far above the satisfaction ratings reported for loofahs, hands, washcloths, or other silicone scrubbers).
- 100% of respondents said Smoosh effectively removed dirt and sweat
- 97% reported that their shower routine felt streamlined with Smoosh
And not a single participant reported irritation from the experience.
THE FEELING
But it wasn’t just about clean skin... it was about how it felt getting there.
- 97.3% said the soft silicone fingers felt good on their skin
- 78.4% said they felt especially great on sore muscles
And 100% said they’d use Smoosh after a workout, turning their cooldown into a clean-up.
ACCESSIBILITY
Smoosh also proved to be a hit on the accessibility front.
- 8.5 out of 10 participants said the stick helped them clean hard-to-reach places
- 9 out of 10 participants found themselves washing their backs more often
And 87% reported that Body Smoosh was easier to hold than anything they’d used before.
OVERALL SATISFACTION
When it came to overall satisfaction, Smoosh knocked it out of the park:
- 4.8 out of 5 (overall satisfaction with the whole Body Smoosh onboarding and use experience)
- 92% preferred Smoosh over their old method
- 100% would recommend it to friends or family
Participants overwhelmingly let us know that they look forward to their next Smoosh-powered shower. Because when something this simple delivers this much joy, why wouldn’t you?
Wrap-Up
The results were clear, and they support my bubbly hypothesis. The people love Smoosh. Not just because it gets them cleaner. But because it makes them feel something. Pride in a smarter routine. Relief from products that never quite worked. Joy in a tool that actually delivers what it promises: a better, more beautiful clean.
We heard from participants who felt like Smoosh transformed their showers into something they looked forward to... something restorative. They spoke about smoother skin, less plastic waste, easier routines, and more moments of pleasure packed into a daily habit. For some, it was a small upgrade. For others, a bubbly revolution.
And while this was our very first user study, it won’t be our last. Because at Smoosh, we’re not just trying to make a better scrubber—we’re trying to change the way people feel in their own skin.
🫧 One joyful shower at a time.
