I started making my own foaming hand soap pretty early in my switch to a more natural lifestyle. With concerns over antibacterial ingredients in many hand soaps and potty-training little ones who found the need to wash their hands/arms/the counter with soap a thousand times a day, I needed a healthy and frugal option.
Thankfully, there is a natural, homemade and incredibly simple option that works just as well and doesn’t cost $3.59 a bottle like the foaming versions at the store.
The recipe itself is literally so simple that I now have my six year old refill the bottles and it takes just seconds to make. I keep the few simple ingredients on hand and we never have to buy hand soap or worry about running out…Surprisingly, this foaming version also makes a decent shaving cream in the shower…
Before you begin, you’ll need a foaming hand soap container. I originally ordered this pretty but pricey foam dispenser online before I realized that there was a much more frugal and inexpensive option: Buy a bottle of foaming hand soap, pour it out if it isn’t natural, and reuse after the soap is used up.
DIY Foaming Hand Soap Recipe
Materials
- 12 oz water (distilled or boiled is best if not being used within a few weeks)
- 2 TBSP castile soap
- ½ tsp olive oil (or almond oil)
- essential oil (optional)
Instructions
- Fill the soap dispenser with water to within about 1 inch of the top.
- Add at least 2 tablespoons of liquid castile soap to the water mixture. NOTE: do not add the soap first or it will create bubbles when the water is added.
- Add the oil and any essential oils if you are using them.
- Close and lightly swish to mix.
- Use as you would any regular foaming soap.
Notes
Do you make your own soap already? If not… will you start now? Share below!
Nourishing Hair Oil Recipe
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I made this a week or so ago -using washed ‘Method’ pumps- and love it! But…the soap is turning pink and I am wondering if that’s normal/ok/safe? I did as above and included Lemongrass EO. Thanks
I’ve never had it turn pink? Could be a reaction with what was in the container before. I would think it is ok as long as there is no smell or other problems.
The pink is mold. It doesn’t have a pronounced odor but you should dispose. Aureobasidium, likely.
lemon and plastic not good!! f you use citrus you should use glass. the citrus pulls the toxic material out of the plastic and puts it in your product which you then use to wash your hands with..
We recently discovered that if there’s turmeric on our dish sponge, putting bronner’s Sal Suds on the sponge turns that area pink. Sal Suds is their dish soap. As a backpacker I learned that if you use iodine treated water to wash a pot you cooked pasta in, the pasta’s starch would react with the iodine’ turning the water blue.
That’s usually the norm of the product already went bad as it is not preserved and is all natural recipe. Mainly due to the presence of water which bacteria loves. Hope all parents get to be aware and know this.
Love this recipe, thank you Katie. I plan to use Dr. Bronner’s tea tree castille soap, but I’m not a fan of the smell of tea tree oil. Do you (or anyone) have any suggestions as to what essential oil I could add that would balance it out?
Use On Guard oil as it smells wonderful. Also Thieves has a good smell too…
I use tea tree & lavender in water filtered thru a Berkey to make air bathroom air freshener that works & smells great! Amount of eo just depends on amount of water. I just wing it.
I went out today and bought 3 glass pump dispensers at Everything’s A Dollar, for $1 each (even cheaper than buying a pump with the soap already in it). Added some orange and patchouli essential oils to mine. Yum!
This is on my list of things to make this summer! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
I make my own bar soap. I have potassium hydroxide to make liquid soap. My first attempt at that was not good. One of these days I will try it again. We just use bar soap for everything. I use it as shampoo and rinse with cider vinegar. My husband and son don’t bother with the vinegar.
Been doing this for years myself as well. I have found that Lemon Myrtle EO is a great all around anti-bacterial add in and to my nose, diluted in soap, it smells like watermelon!
Wow, looks really cool! Just need to find some good liquid castille soap that won’t cost me an arm and a leg (I live in France). I was wondering what you do for body soap? I’ve been looking for a simple recipe with no Lye, to make at home, but I don’t think I’ve come a cross annything on you site yet 🙂
All soap has lye solid soap has sodium hydroxide, liquid soap has potassium hydroxide. Without lye as a catalyst for saponification you cannot make soap. There is no lye present after the saponification process but it is absolutely necessary to turn oils into soap. You won’t find a soap without it.
Oh right, well I’m not against Lye at all, but I just don’t think I could go through the whole process of making it (for different reasons)… I was more like wondering what I could use as a substitute for soap. I know people who wash only with honey, others who use sugar scrubs etc…
what about glycerin based soaps ? is there lye in that?
Great recipe. I was making my own, but this recipe is so much better. Thank you!
Can I use peppermint castile soap? I love making my own products too. 🙂
Yes
Can this be used as body soap?
How can I make it so it is not so drying to my hands?
We had the same problem! Simple fix: use Dr Bronners BABY Castile soap. So gentle!!
Great! I just made this recipe and used Peppermint. Just want to say, Wellness Mama, I love all that you do. Appreciate all the free thoughts and recipes that you share. I smile every time I see your book at the bookstores. You’re an inspiring entrepreneur! Blessings to you, and may you have continued success with your life and family!
I’ve been making foaming soap for a couple years. I mix Bronners castille soap with water 1:5 ratio. Trader Joe’s has the best price around for the soap. I used the foaming dispensers from Target (Method) once they are empty. I found buying a dispenser by itself was not worth it.
Thanks for the ratios. When you’re making them for gifts, buying the dispenser isn’t a choice. I found them for about $1.70 a bottle.
Lee, where do you buy your dispensers?
I do not see foaming soap dispensers at the link that was posted. Does anyone else have suggestions? Thank you.
One possibility is to buy foaming handsoap (Dial or some such) at Walmart or KMart for under $2. Use what’s in it and refill multiple times with the formula.
You can buy new 8 oz foaming pump containers (clear) at BulkApothecary.com for $0.89 each. All of their products are high quality, ship fast. The price on unscented castile soap is VERY low, but out of stock frequently.
How many drops of essential oil do you use making this?
Sorry I am a couple of years late getting to this. You don’t need a foamer. If you use 50% Castile soap then grind some sea salt into it and mix well it turns into something I can only describe as a ‘glob’. The other 50% can be made up of all water, all oil or a combination of the 2 with honey and/or Aloe and/or glycerin etc (a light oil like rapeseed is good, try a combination with coconut oil and honey). Using all oil will make your soap last longer than using water as long as you sterilise your implements, it doesn’t seem to make it greasy in my experience. Add your essential oils to the oil or water you’re adding and account for it in the 50% as this can affect the viscosity. I have found that any more than 50% it turns to liquid. You then add this very gradually into the ‘glob’ until all the oil is combined or if you like your soap a bit thicker don’t add quite 50%. It goes silky smooth like commercial soap and you can use it in an ordinary soap dispenser. I use 60 drops of oil to 300ml , I suppose that’s about 6 per fluid Oz in imperial. Depends how strong your oil is, how big your dropper is and how strong you like it. Hope that helps.
I get mine at the dollar store.. I just empty their contents and add my own…. I reuse them and have been for months..
The Dollar Tree $1, stores in Charleston, SC, sell foaming hand soap in the dispensers for $1.00 each. You can empty or reuse the dispenser.
I bought them from amazon 3 pack
I found glass ones on Amazon for $13 They are pricey but worth it! These are really large and come in several tints of glass: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BTXFD9Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=wellnessmama-20&linkId=de4bae1cfa1192ed3002f5e1b732e8e0&language=en_US
I bought a batch from planttherapy.com a few months ago. They’re working great so far. I’ve also started saving older bottles from other soaps to refill.
where can you buy a dispenser for $1.70??? The only dispensers I’ve found run $12-$15!
You can get inexpensive foamer pumps ($1.49 each) and Castile Soap ($8.50 for 16 oz.) from AromaTools.com.
Bulk Apothecary is also a great place to find homemade soap needs.
You can purchase 1.7 oz. Foamer bottles at Bulk ApothecRy for .49 each.
Found quality foamer bottles plain or with decor that works and are refillable. I use mine daily in shower and another one in the kitchen for over a year.
Try http://www.naturalsoapcorner.com
Hope this helps
https://www.specialtybottle.com/plastic-bottles/clear-plastic-bottles/clear-foamer-pump-plastic-bottles
Hobby lobby has them. Super cheap too. Reusable
I know this is way later, but I find soap dispensers for .89 cents through Bulk Apothecary! (bulkapothecary.com/)
You can also find many types of foaming pumps and bottles here:
https://www.bottlesandfoamers.com/
The more you buy the better the shipping is.
please l have a problem. in my area, l cannot find castle liquid soap to buy. Therefore l want to prepare my own natural liquid soap without using chemical surfactants. so how do l start. please can you guide me. My name is uchechi Onuoha.
That’s only if you buy about 50 of them! You have to buy bulk in order to get the low prices.
We’re just starting to convert our home over to ‘green’ products and will definitely incorporate this recipe.