DIY antibacterial & moisturizing all-natural foaming handsoap
Body DIY DIY Skincare & Beauty Natural DIY Personal Care
There’s a chill in the air…
And this means a number of things for me: (1) Boots and sweaters! By far my favorite articles of clothing. (2) Faking my way through football season like the good girlfriend I am (at least I get a lot of thinking done while staring at the TV). (3) Trying my darndest to stay healthy and not catch a cold. (4) Chapped winter skin.
The last of these two go hand-in-hand: I find myself washing my hands A LOT trying to avoid any germs from coworkers, fellow bus riders, etc., but this dries my already chapped hands even more!
This DIY antibacterial and moisturizing foaming handsoap is bound to be my saving grace in the upcoming months. Best yet, it’s all-natural, unlike those toxic store-bought antibacterial handsoaps (yeah, I’m looking at you, triclosan).
Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/4 cups water (filtered or previously boiled and now cooled to room temperature)
- 1/4 cup liquid castile soap
- 4 teaspoons vegetable glycerine
- 3 teaspoons sweet almond oil (or another skin oil of choice such as coconut or jojoba oil)*
- 5 drops lemon essential oil*
- 10 drops red thyme essential oil
- 10 drops rosemary essential oil
*Note: you can make the soap without these ingredients. They simply add to the antibacterial/moisturizing properties of the soap.
Why these ingredients?
Lemon essential oil and red thyme essential oil both have strong natural antibacterial properties.
The vegetable glycerine and sweet almond oil leave hands subtly moisturized, while the vegetable glycerine also increases the foaming power of the soap.
Rosemary essential oil acts as a natural preservative (which is necessary given the fact that the recipe includes water).
Directions:
- Add the ingredients in the order listed (if you add the soap before the water, it will become a sudsy explosion!).
- Stir the mixture gently, mixing everything together. The castile soap will cause the mixture to look cloudy.
- Put the mixture into your foaming handsoap dispenser and voilà! Now you have an all-natural, antibacterial and moisturizing foaming handsoap, and you made it!
- As always, give yourself a pat on the back while saying, “I’m so clever.”
NOTE: the mixture will separate, so give it a little shake before each use!
P.S Like my homemade mason jar foaming soap dispenser? Check out how easy it is to make your own!
You totally could!
Also, would you use this as a body wash?
What is the purpose of the red thyme EO if the lemon EO also has antibacterial properties? If it’s just another source for an antibacterial property, can the hand soap be made without the red thyme EO? I’m asking bc I have all the ingredients but the red thyme. I want to know if it’s integral that I have it.
I like to use guar gum as an emulsifier but it would probably make the mixture too thick to use a foaming pump — then you’d just use a regular soap dispenser. I have a recipe like that here: DIY All-Natural Rich & Creamy Moisturizing Hand Soap
Will the addition of gar gar or xantham gum eliminate having to shake it prior to use?
Awesome!! So glad to hear it 🙂
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for posting this very awesome recipe!! I have been faithfully making it for my family (and extended family + friends as a gift) for over 8 months now!! NO MORE Triclosan here!! Only I have actually omitted the Lemon and added Neem essential oil for its nourishing benefits to the skin 🙂 Thanks again, you rock!!
Edit: In the last sentence, by “dispenser,” I meant the foam dispensing pump.
Essential oils can lead to chemical leeching from the plastic container. Nadia, in what concentrations is it not dangerous to use EOs in the presence of plastics? Even if someone is using a DIY mason jar-style soap container, the dispenser itself is still made of plastic.
That will depend on how much you get all of the ingredients for… and how many batches they will make.
how much it costs?
I am also wondering about using tea tree instead of the oils you listed. Wouldn’t that be a preservative? Thanks! Love your site and recipe, by the way, thanks for sharing!
Since there’s water in the recipe, it is best to use an EO to help preserve the soap even though the castile does have some.
Would the lemon essential oil be necessary if I used the tea tree oil castile soap?
Bonnie, just poor some washing soda in your sink once in a while 😉
It works perfect for me! (This tip is brought to you by rosies dutch grandma)
I am glad you didn’t forget my favorite ingredient Glycerin. It provides us with that wonderful feeling of soft, smooth, moist skin. The feeling all of us, men as well as women, want their skin to have. 🙂
Hmm that is a great question, Bonnie. I will look into that!