In case you haven’t noticed, I kind of love making my own spa products. It feels like I’m beating the system by just saying no to industrial skincare. Plus I figure that if I care about what I put in my body (and I do) then how can I not care what I put on my body. Your skin is your largest organ and what you put on you you put in you so maybe it’s time to start reading the labels on products from the drugstore as well as products from the grocery store.
Since there are a lot of dubious ingredients in even the most expensive skin-care products it seems easier, cheaper and healthier to make my own. One of my favorites is all-natural body wash. I’m pretty sure once you try it, you’ll agree.
Grating the castile soap was really easy and only took a few minutes. Beware that it looks exactly like grated mozzarella cheese and one of your kids might be tempted to snatch a little bit. Good news is he’ll only do it once and the next time your cooking maybe he’ll ask first if he can have a taste. Or ask if it’s even food. Lesson learned farm kid #1.
A lot of body wash recipes use liquid castile soap. Don’t get me wrong, I love the stuff but it is kind of spendy and with the amount of soap we go through around here I had to find an alternative. Fortunately castile soap also comes in bar form and it is cheaper than the liquid. I bought this bar at my local grocery store for around $3.50.
Now you need to cover it with paper towel and put it somewhere it won’t get disturbed for 24 hours. This is important people! If you mess with it during this time it will get all goopy and weird. Just set it and forget it.
When you come back to this project the next day it’s going look a little weird with strange floaters and stringy things hanging from the surface. Don’t freak out on me because it’s all gonna work out okay. You just need to blend it, so whisk it first and then either use a stick blender like I did or pour the whole thing into your counter-top blender. You’ll need to blend it for a minute or two and you’ll see the mixture turn all white and silky before your eyes. You just made body wash, baby. Whew!
You can split the batch in half before adding the essential oils and that way you can make different fragrances just like that store in the mall. Making your own body wash is so cool I dare you not to be impressed with yourself.5 1/2 cups distilled water
I bar castile soap, grated
2 tbsp. vegetable glycerine
2 capsules vitamin E (1000 I.U. each)
30 drops essential oil
The next day remove paper towel from pot and add remaining 1/2 cup of water. Stir vigorously with a whisk. Use an immersion blender (or transfer to a counter-top blender) and blend on medium for about 30 seconds . Mixture will turn white and become smooth. Pour mixture into a glass or plastic container with a pump lid. For example, this 8 oz. glass pump bottle. Label and place in shower. Store excess in a mason jar.
Yield: about 6 cups or 48 oz.
Awesome idea, you are fabulous!!!!!
Thanks Deb! You’re pretty fabulous yourself.
–Leah
I have wanted to jump into making my own bath products for quite a while now. This recipe seems easy enough that I just may do it soon! How is it on dry skin..do you know? I have the worst problem with dry skin in the winter.
Hi Tammy–thanks for stopping by. I truly believe all-natural is better especially when combating problems like really dry skin. Because castile soap is a true soap not a detergent like most soaps from the store, it should not have a drying effect on the skin and I certainly haven’t noticed one. Hope that helps.
–Leah
Can you substitute liquid soap? If so, what would be the measurements? I was given some liquid Castile soap. Love your website. TIA
Hi Sharon! That’s a good question but the answer is no. Basically with this recipe you are making your own liquid castile soap by using the much cheaper castile bar soap and then customizing the scent with essential oils. Check my site for lots of recipes using liquid castile soap and you’ll use it up in no time. Thanks for stopping by!
–Leah
I have been looking for a body wash that’s made without all of the chemicals because I have so many allergies and also a skin disease. I can’t use Castile soap on my skin as it itches like crazy. Is there any substitute for Castile soap for a body wash? All of the recipes I’ve seen online use Castile soap and I’m looking for an alternative. Thanks.
Hi Chris–thanks for your question. I have only made this body wash with bars of castille soap so please note that I am only making an educated guess here. I would try this recipe with an all-natural handmade soap. You might be able to find someone local who makes soap or you can find them online at etsy.com. Perhaps a goats milk soap or olive oil soap would be easier for your sensitive skin to handle. It will take some experimenting on your part, and while son’t make homemade soap myself, I know there are lots of options that might be worth trying. Good luck and I hope that helps.
–Leah
Thank you for this recipe – I’m pinning it now!
You’re so welcome Heather. Enjoy!
–Leah
Love this idea! I’ve tried this with just the soap and water but it always turned out a goopy mess. It never occurred to me to add the glycerin to it. I can’t wait to try it! So glad I stumbled upon you on the blog hop! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the nice compliment Brenda. Stop by anytime and have a fabulous week!
–Leah
That you for the tutorial! I like making my own products too-it’s fun and you get to personalize! Thanks for sharing this morning at #SITSBlogging!
You welcome Emily! I love that I can customize because generally the men in my familly don’t appreciate the same scents in their body products I do. Or so I’ve been told. LOL! Have a fabulous day!
–Leah
I love this post and I love the purpose of your blog! So glad I found you via #SITSsharefest!
Wow, thanks Tiffany–that is high praise indeed! So glad yo stopped by and you really made my week.
–Leah
I usually use bar soap or Dr. Bronner’s soap. This looks pretty easy and fun to make.
Thanks so much for stopping by. I think you’re really going to like it, especially since you can customize your own scent. Enjoy!
–Leah
I’ve never made my own body wash but I’m excited to try! Thanks for sharing
p.s. stopping by from SITS
You’re very welcome Giselle!
–Leah
Found you from SITS. Love this! I’ve been thinking I need to go a different route for my skincare since I’m going organic with what I eat. This is just what I needed and I’m going to try it out! Thanks so much.
Hi Lori–thanks for stopping by! I too started with cleaning up my family’s eating habits and that led to getting rid of toxic cleaning products which led to me taking a hard look at our beauty/skincare products. It just takes small, simple changes to make a big difference in reducing toxic load. Good job and enjoy the journey!
–Leah
What a great idea!! I hate how much good quality body wash costs… then to find one that smells good for cheap is almost impossible! I will definitely be trying this soon… Thank you 🙂
I couldn’t agree more, Sydney! I love that this body wash is all natural but I love that I can make any fragrance I want even more. Enjoy!
–Leah
What did I do wrong? It’s been 24 hours and it still looks the same as it did when I took it off the stove after melting the soap. I didn’t bring it to a boil, could that be the problem?
Hi Kay–sorry you’re having a problem. Did you do the final steps of whisking the mixture and then blending it with and immersion blender or sticking it in a regular blender? After 24 hours it will look the same as it sis when you first made it until you do the blending step. That will turn it white and creamy. As long as you got all of the grated soap melted, it shouldn’t matter that you didn’t boil it. If you missed the blending step then go ahead and do it now. It should come together just fine. Hope that helps!
–Leah
mine is very slimy. Do I need to blend it?
Hi DeEtte–thanks for stopping by. After you have let it sit for 24 hours you need to whisk it together and then blend it in your blender or use a stick blender like I show in the picture. Blend it until it is white and foamy, about 30 seconds to a minute. If you already did the blending step and you’re still having a problem, try blending it again for another 30-60 seconds. Hope that helps.
–Leah
I just did another recipe that called for 12 cups of water and no essential oils. It is resting now. ..wish I would have seen this first!
I wish you had too Carol! But if you’re like me you’ll use the stuff you just made anyway because you don’t want to waste it. When you run out come back and make mine but in the meantime you should be able to add essential oils to the recipe you made even after it’s finished. Have a fabulous week and come back soon!
–Leah
Could you put this in a foaming dispenser? I happen to have an extra one, but I don’t have any pump ones on hand.
Hi Laurie–thanks for your question. This particular recipe will not work in a foaming dispenser, only a regular one. But you have given me the idea to come up with a recipe that works in a foaming dispenser since my kids love them. Stay tuned!
–Leah
Do you have to use distilled water? I have spring water?? :-/
Spring water will work just fine, Rebecca. Thanks for stopping by!
–Leah
Leah…thanks for the reply. I went out and bought distilled water just to be safe. I followed the recipe to a “t” and it did come together creamy. It was not really thick though? Is that right?? Also, after about an hour of sitting, it separated? Should that happen? Seems like nice wash, made nice bubbles when I used it at the sink. Thanks for the info!
Hi Rebecca–sorry you are having trouble. The body wash should be thick but not super thick. To me it’s the consistency of liquid soap. It shouldn’t separate although every time I use it in the shower I do shake it a bit just for good measure. Since you say you followed the recipe exactly (often when people tell me it’s gone wrong it is because they forgot something like the glycerin) then my guess is it need to be blended more. Put in in your blender and blend it for 30+ seconds on low and then 10+ seconds on high. You can also put the mixture in a large bowl and use a stick blender. Put it back in you soap dispenser and shake it up occasionally. I have made this recipe lots of times and it’s always turned out so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that re-blending it will solve the problem. Good luck!
–Leah
How long is the shelf life. Going to make it for Christmas gifts.
Hi Jamie–thanks for your question. There is nothing in this soap that should go bad. Vitamin E is a mild preservative and the essential oils are anti-bacterial. I would put a shelf life on it of a year at least. Love that you’re giving it as Christmas gifts and I recommend you experiment with different scents just for fun. Have a great day!
–Leah
I have a question. I would love to use Lemon EO as you do, but I am worried about it being phototoxic? It seems even though you rince it off, it still may leave traces on your skin?
Hi Kelly–thanks for stopping by. The citrus oils will make your skin photo-sensitive if they are applied directly. The lemon is so diluted in this body wash that is isn’t a problem, especially since you are washing it off. In the recipe example I gave it is only 4 drops of lemon in a cup of body wash and even if you used all lemon it would only be 5 drops per cup. Nobody is more photo-sensitive than me (I burn just thinking about going outside. LOL!) and I have been using lemon EO in this recipe for over a year. Hope that helps!
–Leah
Thank you for the reply. Just finished the whisking and blending process add lavender essential oil. Smells wonderful.do I need to let it sit before I use it.
That’s so exciting Jamie. Lavender is my favorite smell so good choice on that one. No need to let it sit at this point. Just use a funnel and get it into your containers. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!
–Leah
This is something I have always wanted to learn. Thank you so much! Found you via #sitsblogging today
You’re very welcome, Susie! It’s really wonderful having one less thing in your house filled with nasty chemicals. I highly recommend you try it and have fun customizing your own scents. Have a great week!
–Leah
I tried this and had fun doing it but had a slight problem. Once I blended it the whole thing turned entirely to foam. I had to store it in a huge pitcher. Once the foam went down, I was left with very little body wash. Suggestions?
Hi Cheryl–I’m sorry you’re having problems and I’m more than a little stumped. You should have ended up with about 6 cups of body wash, Are you sure you measured everything correctly? If you used 5 1/2 cups of water, 2 tbsp. of glycerin and a whole bar of soap, you would have to end up with 6 cups of liquid after the foam subsides. The only thing that would explain coming up with less than that would be if you didn’t use enough water. You could try adding water to your mix until you get to 6 cups and then throwing it all back into the blender. Not sure if that will work but it’s worth a try. Hope that helps.
–Leah
Great idea – this looks so easy to make!
What a cool idea, I love this and am going to try it! I didn’t know you can buy castile in a bar either. I’m on the lookout now. Thank you! Visiting from the Sitsgirls Sharefest!
How much vitamin E would you use if using liquid? Thanks!
Not sure if I understand your question Karolyn. Do you mean if you use liquid castile soap? You have to use bar castile soap in this recipe or it won’t work. The above recipe calls for 2 vitamin E capsules (1000 IU) or about 1/2 tsp. hope that helps.
–Leah
This recipe sounds great! I’ve been looking for a simple base recipe for body wash that I can scent however I want. My question is, do you think I can add color to this? If so, what would you recommend?
Do you think you could add some honey to this recipe?
Is this safe for babies/young children? I would like to make my own cleanser for my little one.
Hi Keana–thanks for your question. Yes this body wash is mild enough for babies. I commend you for wanting to make your own baby wash as the store bought versions have some very questionable ingredients. Have a great day!
–Leah
I made the All Natural Body Wash. It is a little thick and is stringy when dispensing from pump bottle. Suggestions to remedy this,please. Thank you!
I am giving this recipe a try again with my immersion blender. Does it matter the size of the bar of soap?? I see you used kirk’s and I have that but I have other vegetable based soap that I want to use up. Have you used other soaps with this recipe and does it work? If I leave out the essential oils, will that effect the recipe much? I hope I can get it to go this time…..my kids go thru body wash like it is free! LOL Thanks!
Hi Leah,
I’ve tried this a couple of times now and it just isn’t working for me. Which is soooo sad because I was so optimistic and hopeful to find a creamy homemade body wash instead of the liquidy ones I’ve seen. I seem to be the one person who can’t do this right because I’ve followed the recipe Exactly and each time my mixture just ends up separating.(foamy suds on top and watery liquid on bottom) This last time I even measured my water twice and double checked my glycerin amounts to make sure I hadn’t forgotten something. I used the exact same Kirks soap b/c that’s what I use for my laundry. I made sure my grated soap had completely dissolved in my distilled water(5 cups) which didn’t take long(it never really even reached a boil) then let it cool 10-15 minutes and added the glycerin(2 TBSP). I then put it aside “Untouched” for 24 hours. When coming back to it the next day I did not have any stringy things floating, it looked exactly the same as the day before, clear liquid. I added the 1/2 cup water and whisked very well. Poured it into my blender and blended the crap out of it several times. But each time I put it into a jar it still just separates. Bummer.
Hi Leah,
I just wanted to follow up after my last frustrating attempt at body wash. First of all, thank you so much for posting this recipe. I tried the body wash again, this time making a few alterations and I now have a creamy thick body wash to use. Hurray! Instead of using the Kirk’s bar soap I used Dr. Bronners. I had read on several other posts ppl having similar problems with the Kirk’s setting up. Since the Dr. Bronners bars are a little bigger I used 8 cups of water with the 2 TBS Vegetable glycerine. Within 12 hrs it had started to cloud up and within 24 hrs the entire batch had become cloudy and thick. I just used my hand blender to break up the chunks and it became smooth. Also no problems with it separating. Thanks again! I’m learning that each person may have to experiment a little to make the recipe work for them. I appreciate the time you put in to share these awesome ideas!
Could you add food coloring to make it look nicer in clear containers?
I don’t see why not, Keana. It would be nice to do a color that matches the fragrance. thanks for stopping by!
–Leah
So far do good, I only made half the recipe, and then halved it again to experiment with different combinations: sweet orange/rosemary (to use as handsoap) and lavender, Clary-sage, thyme, and geranium (as bodywash). Can’t wait to actually try it!
That’s awesome Christina! I may have to steal some of your fragrance ideas. Have a great day!
–Leah
Hi
Thanks for the recipe!
Have given it a go.
Stood for 24 hours, then blended
Went white and foamy
Then separated.
How many grams are in your bar of soap?
I’m thinking this may be the problem.
Thanks!
Deb
Been looking for a great body wash recipe. Thank you!
Quick question, how long would you say the 6 cups last for a family of 4 with 1 shower a day? Also, do you have to use distilled water or can you use filtered or boiled water?
Thanks!
$1.50 for a bar of Dr. Bronner’s?!? Wow. I don’t think I’ve seen it below $4.
P.S. I have that same grater. It’s awesome 🙂
Great minds think alike Marie! Yay, Ikea!
Oh heck, that was a typo! Thanks for catching it Marie, I pay $3.50 at my local grocery store, not $1.50. I changed it in the post. 🙂
–Leah
Hello
I am wanting to try this recipe. I am having a hard time trying to find Vitamin E capsules, all I am finding are softgels. Can you help?
Thank you
Donna
Hi Donna–Softgels are exactly what you want. Mine are 1000 IU. Sorry if the word capsules was confusing.Have a great day!
–Leah
This recipe was easy.. but I did run into an issue.. I believe I blended it to long! My mixture has turned into “whipping cream” I have divided it into 4 pint size mason jars, and I haven’t added the EO’s yet. I am hoping when I add the oils and blend them in gently that it will “relax”?
Has anyone else blended for to long and turned it into a whipped cream? If so, once is sits, what happens?
Thanks!
I’ve never had that happen Tamara but I’m not sure how long you blended it. I imagine it will settle down but if not could you use it as a cream soap? Let me know what happens.
–Leah
I used Kir’s Original Castile Bar, 4 oz size and it got nice & creamy in the blender but once poured in the containers, it separated to a cloudy liquid. Definitely not giftable 🙁
So sorry that happened Jo but I think I know why. You have to use Dr. Bronner’s soap for this recipe. I have tried Kirk’s brand and found that it sometimes separated. Not every time but often enough that Dr. Bronner’s soap was worth the extra money. You could try blending your soap again for a longer period of time and see if that helps.
–Leah
I used Kirk’s also. Immediately after blending, it started separating. What was left was water on the bottom and almost a sponge substance on top. I let it sit for over an hour, and went back to it, determined to somehow make it work. I whisked it and blended it again, and it came together very nicely. A little bit runny for shower “gel” but still usable. I’m letting it sit again for a bit and am going to go back and see if it will thicken on next blend. If not, it’s still fine by me, and if I make it again, I’ll still use the Kirk’s. No sense in wasting it! Thanks for the potion! 🙂
Way to make it work Ree! I also hate wasting things so definitely use it. Blending it again should help and definitely shake it well before each use. Let me know how it goes.
–Leah
Hi,
Can I get your EO ratio? Lemon and Rosemary? Cheers
Sure Melanie–it’s basically 1 drop of rosemary for every 3 drops of lemon. Rosemary is a very potent oil so you need about 3 times the amount of lemon to balance it out. It’s an estimation though and you can adjust to your preferences. Thanks for stopping by!
–Leah
Hi! Thank You for this recipe! I have a question – how long can I store this homemade body wash? Can it get spoiled within 2-3 weeks?
Thank You! ^-^
Hi Nadya–thanks for your question. I’ve never had this body wash spoil and for us it lasts for months and months before it’s gone. It can sometimes separate a bit but I recommend shaking it up before each use so it’s usually not a problem. Hope that helps!
–Leah
I tried this recipe and it did come out quite thick. I’m going to try re-blending it. I also used the 30 drops of EO’s but it doesn’t have any smell to it. I’m wondering if the amount of EO’s could be increased?
Hi Shannon–Some essential oils have a stronger fragrance profile than others so depending on what combo of EOs you use, you could end up with a lighter fragrance. But no smell seems weird so I’m wondering if it’s the brand you used. All brands of essential oils are not created equal. You can definitely increase the amount of oils to get the desired level of fragrance but since this is going on your skin I recommend using the highest quality of EOs you can get your hands on. Thanks for stopping by!
–Leah
Hi what is the glycerin for? And can I omit it?
Hi Claudia–gycerin helps your skin retain moisture, pulls oxygen to the skin and has a cooling effect. It also helps the soap to be smooth and gel up. I haven’t tried leaving it out so I can’t say if that would affect it. Let me know what happens. 🙂
–Leah
I have been looking for an easy recipe for an all natural body wash, because I hate running out and having to run to the store again. (Yes, I’m notorious for not noticing that I’m about to run out of things as well as forgetting things already on my grocery list.) I love making many of my own things at home from bread to cheese to lotion to stained glass, etc., so this just fits right into my already frugal and natural/homemade lifestyle. Thank you for this recipe! It was super simple and worked like a charm. Also, having the freedom to pick and choose my own fragrances makes this a hugely satisfying project for me! I love mixing EO’s and finding combinations that wouldn’t immediately come to mind, (like grapefruit, sweet orange, peppermint, rosemary and vanilla) and the only thing I love more is changing it up every time I make a new batch. I already do this with lotion. I love this body wash and it’s all I’m going to use from now on! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
You’re so welcome Micki! Glad you like it and I agree that the fun part is coming up with new fragrance combinations. Thanks for stopping by!
–Leah
Does this soap get sudsy when you use it? Also if I’m using liquid vitamin E, how many drops?
I tried this recipe with Kirks Castile Bar Soap. It really didn’t thicken up very much, although it didn’t separate like some of the other commenters had said. I am going to try it again with less water (hoping that less water will make the difference before I go out and invest in a more expensive bar of soap). Some questions, as I go along… the directions state to cover it with a paper towel–does that mean that you lay a paper towel over the surface of the mixture as it sits? Or is it just meant to cover the container? Also, my glycerin is VERY old, and I am wondering if the lack of thickening has anything to do with the age of the glycerin?