Shoppers will soon find cancer symptom advice printed directly onto Morrisons own-brand bath and shower products, as the supermarket becomes the first to embed NHS messaging in the daily routine of washing.
A new range of nine own-brand items — including Muscle Soothe Sea Minerals and Sage Extracts Bath Soak, Tingly Mint Shower Gel, and Lavender and Water Lily Herbal Bath — will carry reminders reading “Be body aware” and “Know the signs of cancer”. The products are due to appear in around 450 Morrisons stores and online from May.
The initiative is designed to turn a private moment in the bathroom into a simple health check. The messages encourage people to get to know what is normal for their body and to contact their GP practice if anything feels out of the ordinary.
What to look for
The campaign highlights specific symptoms that can be spotted while washing. Shoppers are urged to check for a lump or swelling anywhere on the body, skin changes, and unexplained pain, aches or bruising.
Beyond those visible signs, the NHS lists a wider set of possible cancer symptoms that people should be aware of. These include persistent heartburn, indigestion or bloating; changes in bowel or bladder habits; bleeding from the bottom, in poo, in urine, after the menopause or after sex; sweating heavily at night; feeling more tired than usual; and a croaky voice, hoarseness, or a cough that does not get better or gets worse.
The advice is clear: if something in your body does not feel right and you are worried it could be cancer, contact your GP practice. Most findings will not be cancer, but the NHS stresses that early diagnosis dramatically improves treatment success. In England, 58.7% of common cancers were diagnosed at stage one or two between September 2023 and August 2024 — an improvement on pre-pandemic levels — and the health service aims to reach three-quarters by 2028.
Survivors’ stories
Ed Baldwin was 27 when he noticed a dull ache in his right testicle in summer 2024. The pain became sharper a few months later, and after a blood test and ultrasound he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Surgery and a short round of chemotherapy followed, and within three months he was told he was cancer free. He has since become an ambassador for the men’s health charity Movember.
“You just never expect to hear the words ‘you’ve got cancer’, and for me it was a total shock,” Ed said. “Thankfully, because I found it early, scans showed that it hadn’t spread anywhere else. I went through surgery within weeks and, to give myself the best chance of it not returning, I completed a short round of chemotherapy. Less than three months after my diagnosis, I was told I was cancer free.
“Having NHS messaging on things like shower gels is a great way to get across an important reminder to check for cancer while you might be washing in the privacy of a bathroom. It’s especially key for something like testicular cancer, which can easily go unnoticed if you’re not paying attention to your body and checking yourself regularly. If you do find something, it’s important not to be embarrassed about it – it could be nothing at all, but it’s always better to get it checked.”
Stacey Gordon first found a lump in her armpit in 2019 but thought she was too young for it to be anything worrying. It was only when a work colleague at Morrisons urged her to get it checked that she contacted her GP practice in February 2020. Further tests led to a diagnosis of breast cancer. She started chemotherapy within six weeks, followed by a lumpectomy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy, and was declared cancer free by December that year.
“I didn’t think cancer would happen to me,” Stacey said. “Before my diagnosis, as a young woman, I didn’t think I needed to check my breasts. Now, I regularly check. Some of my friends ask me how to check, how do they know what to look for. But you’re not looking for any one thing, you’re getting used to your normal.
“If you check regularly, you will get used to your body. If there’s something different, then you can go and get it checked out. If you find a change that isn’t normal, it could be nothing, but it could be something. Finding cancer sooner is the key.”
Both survivors appear in press photographs taken at the Morrisons Corby store alongside the new product packaging.
Official endorsements
Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer at NHS England, said: “If you notice a lump, swelling, skin change or anything else that doesn’t look or feel right while you’re in the bath or shower, please contact your GP practice. This campaign is about turning an everyday routine into a simple health check reminder – helping people know their bodies better and spot possible signs of cancer earlier. In most cases it won’t be cancer, but if it is, finding it early can make all the difference.” Professor Johnson, who holds a CBE for services to cancer research, previously served as Chief Clinician for Cancer Research UK.
Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said: “Spotting cancer early can save lives, and this partnership is a simple but powerful way to encourage people to be more aware of their bodies. By placing these reminders on everyday products used by millions of people, the NHS and Morrisons are helping to make potentially life-saving advice part of people’s daily routines. This is a great example of getting business and the NHS working hand in hand to build a healthy Britain where everyone lives well for longer. If you notice something unusual or that doesn’t feel right, please contact your GP practice.” Hodgson was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention in March 2026.
David Scott, Corporate Affairs Director at Morrisons, said: “We are proud to be partnering with the NHS again to raise awareness of the symptoms of cancer through the new body awareness messages on our own brand bath and shower products. The messaging highlights the importance of spotting the symptoms early and encouraging people to reach out to their GP if something does not feel right, both of which can lead to earlier treatment and ultimately saving lives. It is a vital message and we believe in the importance of helping the NHS reach as many customers as possible to encourage them to get checked and be body aware.” Scott joined Morrisons in 2010 and also chairs the Morrisons Foundation.
The partnership builds on a previous first-of-its-kind campaign in 2023, when Morrisons worked with the NHS to feature breast and testicular cancer advice on its Nutmeg-branded underwear. That campaign directed shoppers to the NHS website via QR codes. The NHS has said it is open to working with other supermarkets interested in displaying similar health messaging on their products, a move that reflects wider efforts to embed awareness into everyday life — from urinal mats in pubs to community lung health checks.