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Making your own homemade body wash is easier than you think. With this simple 4 ingredient recipe, I will show you how to make a natural body wash that is moisturizing for the skin and cost-effective.
Some of the products that we are using to keep our bodies clean can actually cause our bodies more harm than good. Have you revamped your daily grooming routine yet?
When I decided to “clean up” (pun 100% intended) my routine, I noticed that making my own natural body wash was going to be much cheaper than buying natural options from the store.
I guarantee you that DIYing your own body wash, homemade natural shampoo, and homemade natural conditioner is much easier than you are expecting. And the best part is that they require a lot of the same ingredients, so once you make one, you might as well make them all.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cost-effective: I already mentioned that making your own body wash is much cheaper than buying a natural body wash at the store, but it is worth saying again! I’ve saved so much money by DIYing my bath and beauty products. Once you buy the ingredients, they last for several batches.
- Moisturizing: When I’m choosing a body wash or homemade soap bar to use, one of my top priorities is how hydrating it is for my skin. I often struggle with dry skin and what I use in the shower can make all the difference. This body wash uses ingredients that will leave your skin soft, smooth, and well-moisturized.
- Gentle ingredients: I love that this recipe uses natural ingredients that I feel good about my whole family using! This body wash is gentle enough for all of my kids, even those with sensitive skin.
Materials Needed
- A foaming soap container: I purchase them online to use for body wash and foaming hand soap.
- Castile soap: Made with all-natural plant oils, castile soap is a moisturizing and effective cleaner. It’s also very gentle for sensitive skin, which is why I use it in my homemade baby wash and this recipe. You can buy it scented or unscented; I prefer unscented so I can add my own essential oils.
- Honey: Honey has antibacterial properties, making it great for natural skincare. Raw honey can help with blemishes and skin conditions and may even offer anti-aging properties, according to Medical News Today. When possible, find local, raw honey.
- Carrier oil: You can use any liquid carrier oil that you prefer. I like fractionated coconut oil, but it’s a good idea to try a few and find what works best on your skin. Check out my post on the top 10 best carrier oils for further reading.
- Vegetable glycerin: Glycerin is a vegetable-based, odorless, clear liquid. It will add thickness to the body wash and help it to lather more. Glycerin is a natural moisturizer and will help your skin to stay smooth and soft.
- Essential oils: You can use any of your favorite essential oils in this recipe! A few of my favorite oils to add are lavender, frankincense, tea tree, wild orange, and sandalwood.
- Water
How to Make Natural Body Wash
Step 1. Pour the castile soap, honey, carrier oil, and vegetable glycerin into the foaming soap container.
Step 2. Add your essential oils of choice to the bottle.
Step 3. Fill the foaming soap container to the top with water.
Step 4. Secure the lid and give it a gentle shake to mix the ingredients. The body wash is ready to use!
Expert Tips
- It’s a good idea to use warm water so the honey dissolves into the body wash more effectively.
- This natural body wash will last up to 3 months in a cool, dark place.
- Be sure to use a liquid carrier oil. Using cold-pressed coconut oil will not work as it can clog up your soap dispenser.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. The ingredients in this natural body wash are gentle enough for your face. However, you may prefer a soap that is specifically formulated for the face. If so, try my homemade face cleanser gel or DIY face wash recipes.
You can use any essential oils that you like! If you aren’t sure where to start, I like to add anti-aging essential oils or essential oils for clear skin when I am making any skincare product.
It is always best to use pure essential oils that are not made with any added fillers. Because the FDA doesn’t regulate essential oils, you really have to do your own research. I use doTERRA essential oils in my home and find them to be very effective and pure. Learn more about why I choose doTERRA essential oils.
More DIY Bath Recipes
- DIY Shaving Cream Recipe
- Cold-Process Shampoo Bar Recipe
- How to Make Homemade Conditioner
- DIY Shower Oil
- How to Make Rose Bath Salts
If you tried this Natural Body Wash Recipe or any other tutorial on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
How to Make Natural Body Wash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.6 oz liquid castile soap, ⅓ cup
- 3.5 oz honey, ⅓ cup preferably local and raw
- 2.6 oz carrier oil, ⅓ cup I use fractionated coconut oil
- 0.5 oz vegetable glycerin, 1 tbsp
- 20-30 drops essential oils, optional
Instructions
- Pour all of the ingredients directly into the foaming soap container.
- Fill the foaming soap container to the top with water.
- Secure the lid and give it a gentle shake to mix the ingredients.
Video
Notes
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- This natural body wash will last up to 3 months in a cool, dark place.
- It’s a good idea to use warm water so the honey dissolves into the body wash better.
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- Be sure to use a liquid carrier oil. Using regular coconut oil will not work and it will clog up your soap dispenser.
Can you put a preservative in it like optiphen plus?
I haven’t tried this, but it will last up to 3 months without it.
I have tried this recipe twice and I am not a fan of it. Even when using a foaming dispenser I find it has very little lather. It has a nice moisturising feel but I would not recommend this recipe.
Hello! Do you need to add a preservative to this? And do you know if you need to add a preservative to melted Castile soap bars?
Hey can’t wait to try this recipe!
I notice you started talking about toxic ingredients found in everyday product and I noticed a lot of my makeup products have titanium dioxide, and iron oxide! I know titanium dioxide is terrible to consume but do you know if it’s also awful on skin.
I prefer to make my own makeups to avoid those types of ingredients. The skin is your largest organ and everything you put on it will absorb into the body.
Hello! I have been working on formulating body wash recipes. But I am finding that the raw honey gives the body wash a weird odor–it almost stinks!–and the essential oils don’t mask the smell. Have you found this to be true? I made your recipe also, and got the same result. Any suggestions? Or is there a reason for this odor?
You can omit the honey if you prefer. It has amazing benefits for the skin so I love adding it in! One thing to consider, when you switch to homemade and natural products you will not get the same scent as conventional ones as they use artificial fragrances.