Instead of buying more, try refilling your foaming hand soap dispenser with non-toxic ingredients. Making your own liquid hand soap is quick and easy to do. This recycling project is good for your wallet, and the planet. Know exactly what you are putting on your body and get a chemical-free clean!
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I love foaming hand soap!
Foaming soap allows you to lather up without wasting too much water, or soap, in the washing process. I used to stock up every time Bath & Body Works (B&BW) would have a sale, but it got costly and when I started looking into the ingredients list, yikes!
So instead, I saved my bottles and did a little experimentation with recipes until I found a winning combination to make my own foaming hand soap!
I still get the fluffy cleanser I love, but at a fraction of the cost and with the peace of mind that what I am using is not harmful to my skin, or the environment.
This 4 ingredient, homemade foaming hand soap recipe can easily be customized, so make it your own!
Materials Needed for DIY Foaming Soap Refill
- Foaming soap dispenser (new or clean, used ones are fine)
- Measuring spoon (tablespoon)
- Pipette
I saved and cleaned a few old B&BW foaming soap dispensers for this project, they hold 8.75 ounces each. I also purchased some larger foaming soap dispensers off of Amazon that hold 15 ounces- both work great! The tablespoon is for measuring castile soap and carrier oil, while the pipette is for transferring essential oils.
I poured the ingredients right into my foaming soap dispenser bottle and mixed it by swirling so I wouldn’t have extra equipment to clean.
Ingredients for DIY Foaming Soap Refill of 8.75-Ounce B&BW Bottle
(amounts needed for a 15-ounce bottle are italicized and in parentheses)
- 4 Tbsp. castile soap (7 Tbsp.)
- 2 Tbsp. olive, sweet almond, or other carrier oil (3.5 Tbsp.)
- 25 drops essential oils (40 drops)
- Distilled water
Castile soap is plant-based and biodegradable. It does not contain colorants, irritating surfactants, or detergents. It is a gentle cleanser for skin- as long as it is properly diluted. I use extra virgin olive oil as a carrier. It helps dilute and disperse the essential oils and has a moisturizing effect on the hands during washing.
Lavender, lemon, orange, cedarwood, and eucalyptus are some of my favorite essential oils to use in foaming hand soap. I always add vanilla too! You can use whatever combination of oils you prefer. I have also tried using fragrance oils, instead of essential oils (I have some from soap-making) and they work great too.
I use distilled water instead of tap water to prolong the shelf life and to help ensure that mineral content doesn’t compromise the performance of my homemade, DIY foaming soap refill.
Directions for Making DIY Foaming Soap Refill
- Measure your castile soap and pour it into a clean, empty foaming soap dispenser
- Measure your carrier oil and pour it into the foaming soap dispenser (on top of the castile soap)
- With a pipette, transfer the desired number of drops of essential oil into the soap dispenser bottle
- Add enough distilled water to fill the bottle, leaving 1 inch of air space at the top
- Screw the top onto the foaming soap dispenser
- Gently swirl the bottle to mix the ingredients
- Wash your hands!
Mother, farmer, author, and teacher by trade… She loves tending to things and watching them grow!