If you’ve ever wondered whether you should make your own foaming hand soap, the answer is YES. You should. It’s super easy and incredibly customizable. It’s also a cost effective alternative to buying fancy hand soaps.
I don’t remember what got me onto the homemade bath and beauty product bandwagon, but I am on it hardcore. I’ve made lip balms and lip gloss galore, shampoo bars, apple cider vinegar rinse for my hair, make-up remover, home made deodorant, and even oil diffuser refills for our bedroom and bathrooms. But my very first foray into making my own products? Foaming hand soap.
Anna loves when we make our own foaming hand soap because she gets to measure and pour the ingredients into our jar (always a favorite activity for her). She also gets to choose her scent for the soap that goes into her bathroom. Hey, anything that gets her excited to use actual soap when washing her hands is a bonus in my book.
I love it because:
- I get to control the ingredients and the smells (because hello, pregnancy and already being sensitive to smells makes finding a scent that doesn’t make me sick or nauseous incredibly difficult)
- I don’t have to shell out a ton of money on products that I feel only meh about (Mrs. Meyer’s, I’m talking to you)
- It’s cost-effective at roughly $2.70 per batch of the foaming hand soap versus $6.00-8.00+ for the fancy organic stuff
- There is minimal waste (hooray!)
- My hands always feel super soft after washing them
I was a little hesitant at first because the ingredients are expensive to buy (a large bottle of Castile soap runs about $16.99). BUT, we’ve been on the same bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap* for the past three months and have made at least 7 batches of hand soap. The best part? The bottle is still over half full. Which doesn’t take into account the other things I’ve made with Castile soap as the base.
Worth every penny, in my opinion.
I also love that I now have all of the ingredients on hand and if we run out of soap, I simply make some more. No having to run to the store or scramble to find an old bottle that we hated just to be able to wash our hands. (Happens more than I care to admit in our house.)
How To Make Foaming Hand Soap
Supplies:
- Mason jar with a foaming dispenser lid OR empty foaming hand soap container
- Measuring cup*
- Measuring spoons*
- Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Hemp Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Soap* or other tear-free baby soap
- Essential Oils
*This is an affiliate link. I make a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase it through the link.
Instructions:
- Fill your mason jar or foaming hand soap container 1/4 of the way with your Castile soap.
- Add 10-20 drops of your favorite essential oil (if adding) and swirl around.
- Fill the rest of the way with water.
In case you want to be super precise with your measurements, the dilution ratio is one part soap to three parts water. For example, it would be 1/4 cup soap to 3/4 cup water or 1 cup soap to 3 cups water if you want to make a big batch to refill your jar or bottle with later.