EasyPeasyMom

Clean & Easy DIY Hand Soap

By Jody June 1, 2015 Household 30 Comments

Clean & Easy DIY Hand Soap

I’m kind of a germaphobe.  Ok, maybe kind of is an understatement. I’m one of those people you will see in a public restroom trying to open the door with my elbow (or paper towel covered hand). Since I have a toddler, I’ve had to get my germaphobe-filled self under control because we all know that germs love kids. I always thought that as long as I was using antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer, then I was good to go.

Not To Scare You But…

The more I began to read about the ingredients in most of our everyday products, the more I learned that the stuff in our hand soap, namely triclosan, is posing more of a risk to our health than those germs they are supposed to be protecting us from.  You’ll see triclosan listed as the main ingredient in many, many hand soaps, as well as toothpaste, body wash, and other products.  Yet the FDA has been investigating whether triclosan has a negative effect on the thyroid hormone and could also be contributing to an increase in allergies, among other things. Aside from that, there is concern that an overuse of antibacterial soaps could lead to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria.  Plus, the FDA says that using antibacterial soaps is no more effective than just plain soap and water.

Source: 5 Reasons To Skip Antibacterial Soap from Consumer Reports.com

Source: FDA Taking Closer Look At ‘Antibacterial’ Soap from FDA.gov

Ok, I promise that I’m not trying to scare you with this information.  I just wanted to give you a little background info into why I started looking into making my own soap. You’ll always find differing opinions and research into various ingredients, but from what I’ve read, I felt like I had enough information that I wanted to try something new.  Now for the good stuff!

DIY DIY DIY!

When I googled how to make homemade hand soap, there were a million different recipes that popped up.  It’s kind of awesome for a new DIY-er like myself.  Obviously I wanted something super simple that didn’t require ordering special ingredients.  And not a lot of steps. (Sounds similar to how I meal plan right?  Easy my friends.  I’m all about easy).

One ingredient that kept coming up was castile soap.  I’ve heard of it and I’ve seen the massive bottles in Target, but I didn’t really know much about castile soap.  The more I read, the more I was convinced that this was a healthy product I needed to have in my house.  Castile soap is vegetable oil based, contains no animal products, and is just pure soap.  I love Dr. Bronners Unscented Baby Mild.  It is organic, fair trade, and has no fragrance (there are scented ones, however, like peppermint, lavender, etc. if you prefer).   I have had the 32 oz bottle for over three months now and I’m only halfway through it.  And I use it for many things around my house (I promise to tell you all about how very soon).  A little castile soap goes a long way.

Ok, so I have my cleaning agent now.  I knew I would need to add some kind of moisturizing oil so the soap wasn’t too drying.  Olive oil fits the bill for that and I always have it in my house so that’s an easy one.  Water, check. Essential oil is optional, but I like to add in a few drops of lavender.

Now I’ll let you in on a little secret.  Those foaming soap dispensers that we all love, they don’t have some kind of magical foam soap in them.  It’s the pump that creates the foam.  Luckily I had saved some empty foaming soap dispensers, so next time you are done with one, save it!

What You’ll Need:
  • 3/4 cup water (either use distilled or boiled water)
  • 1 T Castile soap
  • 1 t Olive oil (or whatever type of moisturizing oil you prefer)
  • *10 drops essential oil (optional, but I like lavender for the scent.  It’s also antifungal.  Always make sure you are buying high quality essential oils and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, check to see if that oil is safe).
  • Empty foaming soap dispenser
Instructions:
  1. Add water to the soap dispenser until it is about 3/4 full.  Don’t overfill.  If you are using boiled water, wait until it has cooled.
  2. Add in castile soap, olive oil, and essential oil.
  3. Put the dispenser back on and give the bottle a good shake.  The olive oil will settle on the top, but a quick shake will take care of that.

Pump and watch your homemade foaming soap appear!  I have to replace this about every 3-4 weeks, but the ingredients last for a very long time so I haven’t had to re-purchase anything.  I have definitely saved a decent amount of money by making my own hand soap so it’s a win-win all around!

*On a side note, when I’m feeling especially crafty, I plan to replace the plastic soap dispenser with a mason jar one.  Kind of like this snazzy one….

 icon-thumb-tack Quick tip:  I have found the price for Dr. Bronners Castile Soap to be pretty much the same at Target, Amazon, and my local health food store.  I purchased the 32 oz. one for just under $17 and I’m still on the same bottle!

Have you ever tried making your own hand soap? If so, what’s your favorite recipe?

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Coconut Oil Eye Makeup Remover
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30 thoughts on “Clean & Easy DIY Hand Soap”

  1. Sandy Sandmeyer

    I have never tried to make my own soap. Honestly, I’m not that much of a DIYer. This is a great recipe and super easy. Thank you so much for sharing your soap at the #AnythingGoes Link Party!

    Reply ↓
    1. Jody Post author

      Yes Sandy, that’s why I love this soap recipe! I don’t have the patience for many steps so this one is great. Plus it’s a great money saver and I love knowing exactly what’s in a product we use so frequently! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply ↓
    1. Jody Post author

      Awesome Kimberlee! Yes definitely check out the foaming pumps…stock up at the dollar store! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply ↓
  3. Carissa

    I’m going to try this! I am a confirmed germaphobe (and thanks to that I can count on one hand the number of times my kids have barfed combined!) so we wash our hands constantly! I’ve been using the fragrance free Method soap but I’m sure this recipe is much more cost effective — and healthy!
    Thank you!

    Reply ↓
    1. Jody Post author

      Haha glad to hear I’m not the only germaphobe Carissa! Definitely give this one a try…super easy and can be easily customized to whatever scent you like (or none at all). Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply ↓
    1. Jody Post author

      Thanks Jamie! Yes, one of the many ways to use essential oils! I mostly use lavender in my soap but have used peppermint and tea tree as well. That’s the beauty of this soap, you can customize it! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply ↓
    1. Jody Post author

      Thanks for pinning Shannon! Yes, it is super easy! My patience tends to run on the shorter side so I have to keep things that I make super simple, which this definitely is! Plus there are a million other great uses for the castile soap! Thanks for reading!

      Reply ↓
  9. Amanda

    This is the recipe I use for my soap, and I LOVE it! I also add a dab of Vitamin E for a little extra hand love. And orange and spearmint smell great together. Perfect for summer. Great post, lady. Keep it up. Let’s win the war on overused antibacterials!!

    Reply ↓
    1. Jody Post author

      Thanks Amanda! I have Vitamin E on my list of things to buy, and the orange and spearmint sound amazing! I love finding other people who are as enthusiastic about natural products as I am! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply ↓
  10. Amy Ngai

    This is awesome! I’ve never heard of Castile soap but I love this idea! especially being able to play with your own scents! Thanks for sharing. #ConfessionsLinkUp

    Reply ↓
    1. Jody Post author

      Thanks Amy! Definitely give the Castile soap a try! I use it for so many things around the house and a big bottle lasts a long time. It’s a money saver and a cleaner product, can’t beat that! Thanks for reading!

      Reply ↓
    1. Jody Post author

      Aww thanks Hannah, I really appreciate that! This soap is great because it’s so simple to make and has definitely saved me a lot of money! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply ↓
  12. Deborah Davis

    I love to make my own natural cleaning products too, so I am so delighted that you shared your DIY, natural Clean & Easy DIY Hand Soap with us at the Healthy Happy Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I’m pinning and sharing.

    Reply ↓
    1. Jody Post author

      I love to hear that Deborah! Isn’t it fun to make our own products and know exactly what’s going in to them?! Thanks for stopping by and sharing, have a wonderful week!

      Reply ↓
  14. sue

    I really admire people like you that DIY. I sometimes think it is all too hard but you make it look quite easy. Stopping by from #FridaysBlogBoosterParty.

    Reply ↓
    1. Jody Post author

      Honestly Sue, I’ve always been intimidated by pretty much anything DIY, but these homemade skincare products are really very easy to make, I promise! Thanks so much for stopping by, have a wonderful weekend!

      Reply ↓
  15. Kathleen

    I could not agree more with the use of commercial hand washes or antibacterial washes, they are detrimental. Your recipe looks so easy and good, I love the foaming bottles too. Frequent hand washing is so essential but don’t try and kill off all the germs in your world. Many of them are good and some are essential for us. Many keep your immune systems working well. Lack of exposure to germs has been linked with childhood asthma.
    Thanks for this good information,
    Kathleen
    Fridays Blog Booster Party #15

    Reply ↓
    1. Jody Post author

      Thanks Kathleen! Yes, this recipe is definitely very easy to make and has saved us a lot of money. Plus it’s great to know exactly what is in a product that we use so frequently. I totally agree about trying not to kill off all the germs, some are necessary! Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a wonderful week!

      Reply ↓

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