How to Make DIY Natural Foaming Hand Soap

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In a world full of germs, dirt and grime it’s all too important to have a quality hand soap that will get your hands clean without the use of harsh chemicals. One of my favorite ways to do this is by making this homemade natural foaming hand soap. Making your own soap with just a few simple ingredients saves so much money, and you can control the quality of ingredients.

Has a winter full of washing hands with regular soap and dry air caught up with you? Do you have chapped, dry skin? The easiest thing to do to help is switch to this natural foaming hand soap to gently cleanse your skin. The soap foams beautifully and has a great lather that will take care of all of the grime.

Skin Microbiome

The skin is your body’s largest organ and is full of microorganisms, like bacteria, fungus and viruses. This microbiome plays a vital role in protecting you from the outside world. Now before you ask if you’re in science class, let me tell you why any of this matters and how it applies when making a foaming hand soap.

Keeping the microbiome that’s present on your skin balanced helps you to stay healthy. Not only is this microbiome slightly acidic, which germs don’t like, but it also acts like a warning flare to your immune system, alerting when there’s a harmful bacteria or virus. When finding products to use on our skin, we want to use something that won’t destroy that microbiome.

How Does Soap Work?

When I was little, I was told that soap kills germs. Upon further research, I’ve found soap plays a different role. Soap acts as a surfactant to lessens the surface tension of water and break down molecular barriers. Because of this, it makes germs and dirt harder to stick to your skin. The germ’s bond with soap is stronger than the bond with your skin, so as you wash the soap off with water, you’re also washing away the germs.

As great as soap is, it can’t clean your hands all by itself, the duration you scrub also matters. Scrubbing your hands for 15 seconds removes 90% of the germs, while an additional 15 seconds will remove 99.9% of germs. Those few extra seconds of hand washing can make a difference, especially during flu season.

What is Castile Soap?

Castile soap originated from the Castile region in Spain. Originally it was made of pure olive oil, although today you can find it mixed with other vegetable oils. Castile soap is highly regarded because it is a true, natural soap, made from the reaction of natural oils and fats with sodium or potassium hydroxide. Most of the cleansers we use today are actually detergents made of synthetic surfactants and not true soap. Read here if you’re interested in learning how to make your own bar of soap.

I always keep a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s castile soap on hand. It’s so versatile and I love that it doesn’t contain any toxic ingredients. If you are wanting to add your own essential oils, then use the unscented castile soap. My favorite scent is eucalyptus and peppermint.

Supplies to Make DIY Foaming Hand Soap

• Foaming soap dispenser– you can also use a glass mason jar with a foaming soap pump.
• Liquid castile soap is my favorite liquid soap because its gentle and natural, but any regular liquid soap will work.
• 12-24 drops of your favorite essential oils (optional)
• Vitamin E oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, olive oil or fractionated coconut oil
• Room temperature water

Directions

These directions are for a 16-ounce foaming hand soap dispenser, adjust according if your dispenser is a different size.

1. Fill foaming dispenser 3/4 full of tap water, leaving enough room for the foaming pump mechanism.
2. Add 2 T of liquid castile soap and 1/4 tsp of jojoba oil.
3. Add a few drops of essential oils of your choice.
4. Place dispenser top on and gently swirl the dispenser to combine the soap and water without causing too many suds.

Benefits of Making Your Own Foaming Hand Soap

1. It’s cost effective! When I started to learn more about natural personal care products, I knew I needed to find a better solution than traditional store-bought hand soap. At first, I used bar soap, but with 4 littles it was just too messy for my liking. So I started to learn how to make my own DIY products.
2. The scent of your homemade foaming soap is customizable. Use different essential oil blends for a variety of benefits, including aromatherapy and cleaning benefits. Just remember to use essential oils that are safe for kids.
3. You know exactly what is in your product. There aren’t any harsh chemicals that will harm your skin’s natural microbiome or disrupt your endocrine system like store-bought soaps with synthetic fragrances can.
4. Because using a foaming dispenser uses less liquid soap, it’s an easy way to save money with dish soap and body wash too.

I’d love to hear about your DIY Foaming Hand Soap! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag #LockremHomestead in pictures of your hand soap over on Instagram!