How to Make Foaming Hand Soap

Learn how easy it is to make this cleansing, yet moisturizing foaming hand soap with natural ingredients. It's so quick to whip up and unbelievably inexpensive!

I think more and more people are realizing the potentially harmful effects of all the skin products we use in our daily lives. There seems to be a separate product for every imaginable thing: day moisturizers, night moisturizers, eye creams, anti-wrinkle creams, cleansers, exfoliators, toners, serums, acids, milks, gels, balms, mists, lotions... SERIOUSLY?! I haven't even gone into makeup products. It's CRAZY! And each product has an ingredient list a mile long, full of words that definitely can't be English...

There is a simpler way. When I started to take an interest in removing chemical-laden products from my home and replacing them with more natural options, I realized that natural ingredients yield better results on our skin because they aren't foreign to our skin!

I think this soap is the first thing I made when I started making my own products. It's not an intimidating recipe because it's simple and only takes a few minutes, so it's a great one to start with! It is also MUCH more economical than buying soap from the store, you will save serious cash in the long run.

I'm extra sensitive to chemical smells, so I really appreciate a lovely scent from an essential oil that doesn't leave my head pounding and make me want to puke. You can also combine essential oils to make original scents. It's fun!

Tips For Making Foaming Hand Soap

• Use any old foaming soap bottle you have! I have a few around the house, some are from Bath and Body Works, some from Method. You could also upgrade and buy a nicer one, like this. There are a lot of options for different styles that you can match to your decor.
• Don't stress too much about the measurements, it really doesn't need to be exact. I will give you an estimate of what I usually do, but eventually, you'll just eyeball everything and it'll turn out great every time!
• Only use 5-6 total drops of essential oil. They are concentrated and very powerful, so if you use more than this you could cause some skin irritation. This is why they need to be diluted in a carrier oil at a proper ratio. I learned from experience when I used too much cinnamon essential oil! DISCLAIMER: I'm not an expert in essential oil safety and recommend only based on personal experience. Research and use your own discretion.
• Using distilled water is best when making personal products because it is free of chemicals and contaminants that can strip the skin of moisture (and are just plain nasty!). However, for making hand soap, I use tap water. Let's face it- tap water will be all over your hands as you wash them with the soap anyway!

Why Use Foaming Soap Instead of Regular Soap?

When you pump foam soap, it comes out as a lather, so you require less water to wash your hands with it. Making foam soap yourself will also save you money because the materials needed are inexpensive and you will get many, MANY bottles of soap out of them!

Foam soap is great for everyday use, however, there are some scenarios where something stronger may be needed. For example, if my husband has extra grimy, greasy hands from changing the oil in his truck, he'll go straight for the Sunlight dish soap. But honestly, 95% of the time, this foaming hand soap does the job.

What is the Cost of Foaming Hand Soap?

This will depend on where you live and where you shop, but I'll give you a breakdown of what it costs me (I live in Canada, but I'll also show you the final cost is US dollars, as of the exchange rate today)!

Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap Baby Mild Unscented 32oz - $25.98 (at Real Canadian Superstore). I use 2 tablespoon or 1.2 oz of castile soap. 32oz ÷ 1.2 oz = 26.67. So every time I make a bottle, I use 1/26.67 of the castile soap bottle. $25.98 ÷26.67 = $0.97

Terra Delyssa Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 33.8oz- $7.49 (at Costco). I use 1.5 tablespoon or 0.9 oz. 33.8oz ÷ 0.9oz = 37.56. So every time I make a bottle, I use 1/37.56 of the bottle of olive oil. $7.49 ÷ 37.56 = $0.20

Plant Therapy Essential Oil 6 pack 2oz total- $41.97 (amazon.ca). 2 oz of essential oil is approximately 2000-2400 drops. $41.97 ÷ 2400drops = $0.02 per drop. I use 5-6 drops, so pay a maximum of $0.12 for essential oil in my soap bottle.

Water - The average household in my area pays around $40 a month for water. So the amount going into this soap is just pennies if that. We'll say $0.05 to be generous.

$0.97 + $0.20 + $0.12 + $0.05 =

TOTAL $1.34 CAN = $1.07 USD

SO cheap for a natural, easy option for hand soap!

Variations of Foaming Hand Soap

• You can use almost any oil as the moisturizer in the soap. My favourite is olive oil (my skin likes it best), but you could use fractionated coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, etc. The only oil I would not recommend is virgin coconut oil. Although it is less processed, it is solid at room temperature, so it will not stay well blended in your soap and can cause clogging in your pump (yes, I learned that from experience too!). It also doesn't absorb into the skin as easily as fractionated coconut oil.
• You could make it without oil, but it has been somewhat drying for my skin when I've tried that. But, it is an option!
• Again, you can use any combination of essential oils that you like! Different essential oils have different benefits, so it's fun to research and make combinations that smell delicious but also have benefits for the skin. For example, lavender promotes relaxation, has anti-bacterial properties and won't clog pores. Sweet orange is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and is good for all skin types. Rosemary is anti-inflammatory and soothing to the skin. DISCLAIMER: I'm not an expert in essential oil safety and recommend only based on personal experience. Research and use your own discretion.

DIY Foaming Hand Soap Ingredients

2 tablespoon liquid castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner's Baby Unscented- it has so many other uses too!)

1½ tablespoon olive oil (or other carrier oil)

5-6 drops essential oil (optional, I used 3 drops lavender, 2 drops tea tree)

water

DIY Foaming Hand Soap Instructions

Pour liquid castile soap, oil and essential oil (optional) into foaming soap dispenser. Gently swirl to combine. DISCLAIMER: I'm not an expert in essential oil safety and recommend only based on personal experience. Research and use your own discretion.

Very slowly add in water until the container is almost full. Screw the pump on and again, gently swirl to combine. If you add the water too quickly or shake vigorously, the soap will suds up!

Pump a few times to get the soap into the pump and your soap is ready to go!

What Did You Think?

Did you try this recipe? How did it go? Let me know and tell me your favorite essential oil combinations in the comments!

More Natural DIY Recipes

• NATURAL FACE MOISTURIZER
• DIY GLASS AND MIRROR CLEANER
• SHEA BUTTER BATH BOMBS
• DIY ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER WITHOUT VINEGAR
• DIY LIP OIL

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