Natural Hand Soap

We’re hearing a lot these days about washing our hands. Per the CDC, “keeping hands clean is one of the most important things we can do to stop the spread of germs and stay healthy.” They have great tips on their website for how and when to wash your hands and include the scientific reason handwashing prevents the spread of germs.

A hand soap typically contains soap or surfactants, and needs to be mild. They can exist in many forms but a viscous, flowable liquid tends to be the more popular choice. Learn more about thickening and surfactants here. Foam is a nice signal that your hand soap is working but it’s not absolutely necessary. But people like to see it foam- including me. With all this talk about handwashing, I thought that I’d share how you can easily make your own natural hand soap at home. I used an unscented soap base so that I could incorporate one of my favorite essential oil blends- Thieves Oil. It smells like Fall which makes me happy. Feel free to substitute your favorite scent or color in this formulation.

SUPPLIES:

Ingredients:

8 oz. Carolina Castile Soap- Unscented

20 drops Young Living Vitality Thieves Essential Oil

1 drop Blue Green Coloring (optional)

Salt

Distilled Water

Tools:

Beaker or Mixing Bowl

Spatula

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Pour Castile Soap Base into beaker. Warm to 40°C for 45 seconds in the microwave or on a hot plate.

STEP 2: Add Thieves Essential Oil and Coloring. Mix gently to combine.

STEP 3: Mix 1.5 tsp of salt into 4.5 tsp of warm distilled water. 

STEP 4: Add salt solution to soap base and mix. Warm for 10-15 seconds to dissolve any soap particles.

STEP 5: If the mixture is too thin, add a slurry of 0.5 tsp of salt mixed into 1.5 tsp of warm distilled water. Mix until thick and uniform.

STEP 6: Pour into desired containers and enjoy!

How to Use: Apply to wet hands and rub hands together for 20-30 seconds. Rinse thoroughly.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide*, Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter**, Aleurites Moluccana (Kukui Nut) Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Sodium Chloride, Eugenia caryophyllus† (Clove) bud oil, Citrus limon† (Lemon) peel oil, Cinnamomum zeylanicum† (Cinnamon) bark oil, Eucalyptus radiata† leaf oil, Rosmarinus officinalis† (Rosemary) leaf oil

*Per liquid soap base manufacturer, “None remains after saponifying oils into glycerin (retained) and soap. **Certified Fair Trade Ingredient”
†100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oil (per Thieves Oil manufacturer)

*Disclaimer: All opinions and reviews are strictly my own. These formulations are designed for educational and experimental use only. User assumes all risks.