Being a creative person, I love making my own household products. I love to pick and choose essential oils that are soothing and smell delightful to me.
Making your own foaming soap is so quick and easy to do. You only need a handful of ingredients and a dispenser bottle. Making your own foaming soap costs a fraction of the price of store-bought soaps, and is a fun project to get your kids involved in.
I love giving homemade gifts for Christmas and this is an ideal gift because you can customize the gift by using different oils and even attaching the recipe so that the recipient can also make the soap for refills in the future.
Help the planet by reusing plastic bottles or, even better, use glass when you make your soap. If we all do our bit, we can reduce our own carbon footprints.
Essential oils have great anti-bacterial qualities with fantastic moisturization that locks in the skin’s natural oils, leaving your skin soft, moisturized, and smelling decadent.
Foaming Hand Soap Recipe
Equipment
- a glass or plastic dispenser bottle
Materials
- 1 tablespoon Almond oil, olive oil, or vitamin E oil
- 10 drops essential oil I like Ylang Ylang, rose, cinnamon, or vanilla, but this is your choice to make, it is entirely a matter of preference
- 10 drops Tea Tree oil optional – I add tea tree oil to almost every product I make as it has great anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and healing properties
- 2.5 oz Castile soap the correct ratio is 1 part soap to 4 parts water
- 10 oz distilled water or water that has been boiled and then cooled off
- 1 – 3 teaspoons table salt optional – the more salt you use the thicker the foam; do not use too much soap as it could affect the dispenser’s ability to dispense the soap
Instructions
- Dilute salt in boiling water or distilled water (I use 3 teaspoons – that way the soap is foamy without blocking the dispensing system).
- Fill your dispenser bottle ¾ full of the distilled water. The soap to water ratio Is 1 part soap to 4 parts water.
- Add the castile soap. Using good quality castile soap will absolutely affect the quality of the foam
- Add the base oil – almond, olive, or vitamin E oil. Choose a good quality base oil that will moisturize your skin.
- Add the 10 drops of the essential oil of your choice.
- Add the 10 drops of tea tree oil.
- Fill the bottle with more distilled water.
- Shake the mixture well to combine all the ingredients.
Problems and Tips
When you visit a link in this article that takes you to a different website where you can purchase something, I may earn a commission. Read my full disclosure for more details.
Finding Castile Soap
Many people do not know what castile soap is. The reality is you probably have a bottle of it in your kitchen right now. Castile soap is dishwashing soap.
Castile soap is natural, nontoxic, biodegradable, vegetable soap that is completely free of animal fats and synthetic ingredients. You do not need to go to great lengths to find some. Just hit the detergent isle in your local store.
Ingredients Separating Over Time
The ingredients may separate because the ingredients are 100% natural. Store-bought soaps have chemicals added that prevent the separation of ingredients. Your ingredients separating is just a sign of the goodness within. If your ingredients separate, shake the bottle before use.
Thin, Watery Soap
If you want thicker soap, add salt into the water (heat it so that the salt dissolves). You can add salt until it is as thick as you want it.
Getting the Ratio Right
The optimal ratio is 1 part castile soap to 4 parts water. If you use too much water, the foam will be runny. If you use too much soap, your pump bottle will struggle to dispense the soap.
Dispenser Bottles not Working
It is always better to use a good quality glass dispenser if you plan on making your own soap. But even the best quality dispensers will get clogged up eventually. When you make your soap, make sure the bottle and pump are clean. Use warm water to break up blockages.
Stopping Leaks From the Dispenser
Adding approximately 3 tablespoons of water to the soap dispenser will help pump the soap out completely, meaning no more leaks!
Conclusion
Whether you are making this for your own home or as a personalized gift, you will find it easy and relaxing to make. You can also personalize it by adding waterproof labels.
If you are giving it as a gift, I recommend that you give the soap fun or classy names based on who you are gifting the soap to.
Di-Anne Devenish Seebregts was raised in an environment where daily life consisted of hiking, environmental conservation, growing fruit and vegetables, and raising poultry for meat and eggs.
She combined her passion for the writing word with her love of the pride that comes with not relying on others. She raised three children (who are now adults) to value the environment, and understand the value of being self-sufficient.
Find out more about Di-Anne on our About Us page.