My favorite Instagram account is @just.ingredients. She makes healthier, non-toxic eating and living feel practical and achievable. Recently she pointed out that many conventional hand soaps contain harsh chemicals and parabens that can be absorbed through the skin. She also demonstrated a simple, inexpensive way to make a clean-ingredient hand soap at home. I tried her method and couldn’t be happier with the result.
Making your own soap has some upfront costs — you’ll need bottles and supplies — but the value quickly becomes clear. One gallon of liquid Castile soap can fill about 32 pump bottles, and a single bottle of essential oil will typically scent twice that many batches. That brings the cost per bottle well under $1.50, which makes homemade, non-toxic soap a great bargain.
Aside from saving money, making soap at home lets you control the ingredients. Choose a trusted brand of liquid Castile soap, pick an essential oil you enjoy, and use BPA-free pump dispensers and distilled water. The process is quick and flexible: blend the Castile soap with distilled water in each bottle, add a few drops of essential oil, and you’re done. Refill as needed and experiment with scent combinations to suit your household.
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Homemade Hand Soap
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Ingredients
- Liquid Castile soap (any reputable brand)
- Essential oil of choice for scent (e.g., grapefruit)
- Liquid soap pump dispensers (BPA-free)
- Distilled water
Instructions
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Pour about one-third liquid Castile soap into each pump dispenser.
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Top each bottle with distilled water, leaving a little space to avoid overflow when pumping.
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Add 5 or more drops of your chosen essential oil to each bottle and gently swirl to mix.
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Refill dispensers with the same ratio as needed and enjoy a cleaner, gentler hand soap.