Easy DIY Foaming Hand Soap with Essential Oils

Learn how to make easy DIY Foaming Hand Soap with essential oils; it’s quick, easy, and will save you money!

Wash your hands without toxins with this easy foaming hand soap recipe and you will be well on your way to getting rid of those toxic household products one by one! 

Why make your own hand soap?

I prefer to make my own foaming hand soap for a few reasons:

It’s cost-effective and saves money 

Making your own homemade foaming hand soap can save you money as people use less soap when dispensing it from a foaming dispenser. This makes it more economical and means that foaming soap lasts longer.

Many people prefer washing their hands with foaming soap, too, because of how nicely it lathers and how easily it washes off the hands (which might have something to do with why we use less water when we use foaming soap).

I can customize the smell and beneficial properties using essential oils. 

One of the great things about DIY recipes is that you can customize them the way you want. You can choose the scent, strength, and ingredients to suit your preferences. I love being able to customize my foaming hand soap with essential oils depending on the needs of my family, more about essential oils below.

Reduced exposure to toxic ingredients

I can control the ingredients and choose all-natural non-toxic options to suit my family’s health properties. Making personal care product swaps is one of the easiest ways to avoid gut-destroying chemicals and synthetic fragrances. For some people especially those on the GAPS Diet, rebuilding the body usually includes removing all chemicals that can lead to an overload in the body. Sometimes this means no soap at all and for others, this means DIY natural ingredients only. Remember everybody is different, there is no solution for all.

A quick note on synthetic fragrances, that are found in consumer products such as air fresheners, cleaning products, laundry supplies, and personal care products. Synthetic fragrances can lead to health problems such as migraine headaches, asthma attacks, rashes, dizziness, breathing difficulties, and an overall increased toxic load on the body. ‘Fragrance’ listed as an ingredient in consumer products is typically a chemical mixture of several dozen to several hundred chemicals, but none of these chemicals need to be disclosed to the consumer (source).

Using 3 simple ingredients, you can make foaming liquid hand soap at home in less than 5 minutes.

About the ingredients

Castile Soap – Traditional soap made from olive oil, though now sometimes it is made with hemp, avocado, or coconut oil. Liquid castile soap is non-toxic and biodegradable, and it lathers just like “normal” soap but without all the toxic chemicals making it a great non-toxic cleaner. Castile soap is very concentrated, so a little goes a long way, so make sure you dilute to get the most bang for your buck. One popular brand is unscented Dr Bronner liquid castile soap.

Warm Filtered or Distilled Water – The warm water helps the mixture mix better and using filtered or distilled water is a lower tox option as most city water contains chlorine and fluoride.

Essential Oils to Use -Essential oils can be a great addition to your DIY foaming hand soap, they provide powerful natural antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, smell amazing and clean without all the hidden nasties. When souring your essential oils, do your research and look for essential oils that are unadulterated and third-party tested so you know you are getting 100% pure essential oils with no fillers.

Here are some of my favorite essential oils to include when I make foaming hand soap:

• Wild Orange oil has a sweet and fresh smell and is packed full of antimicrobial and antioxidant germ-fighting properties (source). 

• Lemon Myrtle oil has a sweet lemony refreshing scent and has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It’s my favorite scent!

• Lavender oil has antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, and can be calming to the nervous system (source).

• Tea Tree oil is a powerful natural disinfectant and contains antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties that can kill off bad bacteria (source).

• On Guard is a blend by doTERRA, an essential oil brand I trust, and it contains wild orange, clove, cinnamon, rosemary, and eucalyptus. It is known as the protective blend and can help purify the air as well as support a healthy immune system.

What makes it foam?

It has nothing to do with the ingredients and more to do with the foaming hand soap container and the way it adds air as you press down on the pump. Foaming soap dispensers are available new on Amazon or you may even recycle an empty store-bought dispenser and simply refill it.

How to make DIY Foaming Hand Soap

What you will need

• 500ml foaming soap dispenser
• 1/2 cup (125ml) unscented liquid castile soap
• Warm filtered water or distilled water
• 10-15 drops of essential oil 

Instructions 

1. Add the liquid castile soap to the foaming hand soap dispenser.
2. Add your choice of essential oils (optional).
3. Fill the dispenser with filter water the rest of the way (making sure to leave some head space to reattach the foaming pump).
4. Add the pump top, shake and you are good to go!

Note: When selecting essential oils to add I use different essential oil blends at different times of the year and avoid all citrus oil in the summer months. Citrus oils may increase skin sensitivity to sunlight and where I live in Australia the summer sun is harsh and the UV is high. A good rule of thumb is to avoid sunlight or UV rays for up to 12 hours after using.

Is DIY foaming hand soap effective?

This foaming hand soap recipe is just as effective as store-bought hand soap, with fewer ingredients.

Do I have to add essential oils to my soap? 

Of course not; adding essential oils provides a beautiful scent and useful properties, but unscented soap will clean just as well.

Can I use tap water instead of filtered or distilled water? 

Yes, tap water will work just fine. In some cases, tap water can contain contaminants that could decrease the shelf life and increase the toxic load on the body. 

With just water, castile soap, and essential oils, you can easily make your own natural foaming hand soap to reduce your family’s toxin exposure, reduce water waste, and save some money.

Pin it for later

More DIY Natural Living Recipes

All-Purpose Surface Spray

Dry Shampoo

What is your favorite foaming hand soap recipe? What is your favorite essential oil blend for your soap?

Let me know in the comments!