DIY Foaming Hand Soap

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DIY Foaming Hand Soap Recipe - all natural and frugal
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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 - all natural and frugal
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4.11 from 67 votes

DIY Foaming Hand Soap Recipe

This easy foaming hand soap contains only water, organic liquid castile soap, a moisturizing oil, and optional essential oils for a simple and frugal homemade soap.
Prep Time5 minutes
Author: Katie Wells

Materials

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

You will need a foaming soap dispenser for this soap. Either buy one online or reuse the bottle from a store-bought foaming soap.

Do you make your own soap already? If not… will you start now? Share below!

This easy foaming hand soap contains only water, organic liquid castile soap, a moisturizing oil and optional essential oils for a simple and frugal homemade soap.

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

290 responses to “DIY Foaming Hand Soap”

  1. anita Avatar

    Can Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Castile Soap be used? Is that the same thing as “liquid castile soap”?

  2. Mary Avatar

    I was going to use Lemon Essential Oil (thought it would be a good hand soap in the kitchen), but in the description it states do not use on skin…
    Are there certain essential oils to use for this? I also make lotions and would like to use them for either…Thanks-

  3. Claudine Avatar
    Claudine

    I have tried different recipes for hand soap and dish soap. All contained Dr.Broone’s soaps and all leave a greasy layer on the bathroom sink or kitchen sink. Do you have an idea to avoid this?
    Thanks Claudine

  4. Jennifer Avatar

    Has anyone had any problems with their pump wheezing? I’ve been using watered down liquid soap from walmart, but just switched today to castile instead and now they’re not working- the pump isn’t stuck, it’s just shooting air out with almost no foam. I took all the parts apart and cleaned them all out- wow- there was mold and gross stuff in there. But now they won’t work. Argh! 🙂

  5. Krystal Avatar

    5 stars
    Hi,
    Love reading your blog !!!!
    I reposted this piece on my blog as well
    I am in love with Dr. Bronnners!

  6. Cindy Avatar

    I have tried and tried and tried to make this and many of your other recipes with little luck. The Dr. Bronners liquid makes me itch, badly. I actually prefer Kirk’s Coco Castile ( I just wish it was organic!!). I found a recipe somewhere in the internet explaining how to turn the bar to liquid (which is actually gel-like). 13 ounces of water per ounce of bar soap. Melt the soap. Let sit for 12-24 hours and then use it. I prefer this soap, BUT it just doesn’t always work right…. I really want to be able to make my own everything. I will be trying your recipe for handmade soap. I am hoping that you can please tell me how to turn your bar (and any other bar) to liquid and then figure out how to replace that liquid (watered down bar soap) with the liquid called for in your recipes so that I get a good result. Thank you so much! I love, love, LOVE your site!!!

  7. Minh Avatar

    I’m in college and live in a suite with three other girls and we go through a lot of hand soap. I’m really glad that I found this recipe because it looks super easy and affordable to make. I’m just curious if I could add coconut oil to it to make it a moisturizing soap?

  8. Leah Avatar

    I love this easy recipe. We just switched to it about a month ago. We go through it quickly in our bathroom (probably because we cloth diaper 2 babies, so with each diaper change= hand wash with soap). I have not added essential oils for scent, but was curious what your thoughts are on adding essential oils to this in a plastic foaming dispenser or if it should actually be in a glass dispenser to prevent leaching of the oils? Any feedback would be appreciated:)

  9. Michelle DeVore Avatar
    Michelle DeVore

    Does anyone know where I can find more decorative of plain Glass foaming soap dispensers? The Mason Jar option doesn’t really go with my home décor.

    I can’t seem to find glass dispensers anywhere?

  10. Carey Avatar

    Just curious if this HAS to be used with a foaming dispenser? I just want to make a liquid soap to refill the regular dispensers I already have. Thank you!

  11. Kate Avatar

    I would like to make a big container of this stuff so that we can just refill the dispensers easily….can you recommend any proportions for water/soap/ essential oils?

  12. Becca Avatar

    For this recipe, can you use an ordinary soap dispenser?
    Love this website – it’s life changing!

  13. christine Avatar
    christine

    4 stars
    Thanks! Our soap dispenser has been empty for a week (we had to resort to bar soap which just makes things a mess) because neither my husband nor myself wanted to spend $8 for the bottle that refills our dispenser 2+ times. We already had castille soap and olive oil around. Simple and so much more affordable!

  14. Kanue Avatar

    I’ve tried making foaming hand soap and used a foaming dispenser, but I feel my product is to thin, any suggestions on how to thicken it up?

  15. Lisa Avatar

    I made the hand soap using grated Castile bar soap. It seems to clog the foaming pump cause after a day I can’t press it down. Any suggestions?

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