Due to high demand from my most amazingly awesome readers (like you!), here’s a super easy, inexpensive, and highly effective DIY foaming hand soap recipe that’s also healthful.
This recipe contains all natural ingredients (meaning there are no toxic ones, obviously) and is very nourishing to the skin as well as cleansing. Here is a breakdown of the ingredients (plus, if you click on the links, you’ll see what specific ingredients I used).
- Purified water. This is pretty obvious. Just buy a gallon at your local grocery store or use some that has run through your filter.
- Liquid Dr. Bronner’s soap. This ingredient is where the main cleansing action comes from. It’s also what makes it foam up. Dr. Bronner’s sells several different kinds, but I typically just stick with the Baby Unscented variety.
- Essential oils. These are optional, but do boost the smell and cleansing effectiveness of the soap. Some suggestions would be Thieves, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Tangerine, Citrus Fresh, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Rose, Rosemary, Peppermint, Grapefruit, Lemongrass, Geranium, Tea Tree, Cinnamon, or even ImmuPower. I of course recommend the Young Living brand above all others.
- Almond oil. This nourishes and moisturizes.
- Glycerin. This is another optional ingredient. Glycerin adds moisturizing properties to the soap and also ever so slightly thickens up the formula.
This soap lasts pretty much indefinitely–even with the water in it. I’ve never had a batch go bad on me. Then again, I and my family typically use up a full recipe’s worth within about a month, so maybe I just haven’t reached the rancid stage with it. Just use common sense. If it looks, feels, or smells funky, throw it out and wash the container before making more or adding anything else to it.
The way I dispense my soap is by using a pint size Kerr mason jar. It is topped with a plastic mason jar lid that my hubby drilled a hole in and I spray painted my signature aqua blue color. I started using a plastic lid because the metal ones would get rusty after a couple month’s use. I also used a well-washed foaming hand soap pump from an old purchased foaming soap bottle. When I started putting together this post though, I googled and googled to find a healthier alternative to the plastic lid and pump and found this all-metal one on Etsy. I ordered it and I’m eagerly looking forward to its arrival so hopefully it works well!
- 1 c. purified water
- 1/4 c. liquid Dr. Bronner's soap
- 10 to 30 drops essential oils (see post for ideas)
- 1/2 tsp. almond oil
- 1 tsp. glycerin, optional (for moisturizing qualities)
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Add all of the ingredients in order to your container of choice. Gently shake everything together and you officially have foaming hand soap.
Janelle says
February 23, 2016 at 12:00 pmMy son has an almond allergy what oil could I use instead? Thanks
TJ says
March 9, 2016 at 11:58 amHi, Janelle! You could swap it for fractioned {always liquid} coconut oil {like this: http://amzn.to/1pgoO8h}. 🙂
Rebecca Wolkcin says
September 16, 2017 at 2:46 pmHi there, I just recently found your site and absolutely LOVE it !!! I am curious as to where you got your foaming soap mason jar pump ( located in picture ) ???
TJ says
September 18, 2017 at 2:40 amHi, Rebecca! I made it. 🙂 It’s a plastic mason jar lid that I drilled a hole into then I inserted a pump from an old foaming hand soap bottle I had previously purchased. 🙂 I’ve found that it’s important to use a plastic mason jar lid because the metal ones eventually rust.