Making your own Foaming hand soap is not only fun, but you can customize the scent based on season, personal preference or germ fighting power! It’s also and easy & economical way to keep your hands clean!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Foaming pump dispenser
- Castile Soap
- water**
- Essential oils – I really like Citrus Burst in the summer
Here’s what you’ll do:
- Add water about 2/3 full
- Combine 3 tbsp castile soap
- Add essential oils, about 30 – 40 drops total
- Replace cap, shake well
**If you choose not to use a preservative you will need to store it in the fridge. Optiphen plus is a preservative which reduces the instance of bacterial growth in water-based products. We recommend that a preservative is used in any water-based products that you make at home. This is a great choice since it contains no parabens, no formaldehyde, and are not formaldehyde contributors.
A few soap “recipes” to get you started:
- HOLIDAY: Combine Orange Sweet, Clove Bud and Cinnamon Leaf
- SUMMER FRESH: Combine any citrus (Lime, Lemon, Grapefruit Pink, or Orange Sweet) with Peppermint or Spearmint
- KITCHEN: Lavender and Spruce
- GERM FIGHTING: Use Germ Destroyer Synergy or Germ Fighter Synergy
- IMMUNE BOOSTING: Use Immune Boom or Immune Aid Synergy
- SOFT & SWEET: Chamomile Roman and Lavender
Enjoy your foaming hand soap. I love knowing that I am providing a healthy environment even through my cleaning products. Using this hand soap is a gentle yet effective way to ensure that proper hygiene is happening at my house! My kids love to choose their scents and it helps encourage them to wash their hands!
Would using one of the fall blends for the essential oil be okay for this recipe?
Absolutely!
Can i replace Optiphen plus with Polysorbate 20?
No, these are two different products that serve two different purposes. Optiphen is a preservative, while Polysorbate is an emulsifier.
I have bronners Castile soap and I guess it’s an almond scented one – If I use it to make this foaming soap will my essential oils hopefully overpower the almond scent?
Hi Annie, since our Castile Soap is unscented, we couldn’t say if the almond aroma in yours will be covered up by the essential oils or not. But if you try it out, be sure to let us know how it goes! And you could always choose oils that would smell nice with almonds, just in case.
How much preservative would be needed in this recipe?
Karen, It would depend on the preservative. For Optiphen Plus, it’s 0.7-1.5% of the recipe
I love making homemade foaming soap. It’s so simple and not a lot of unneeded ingredients. I need to get a preservative otherwise I make sure we use it up within a week or two. Thanks for the recipes they all sound great.
I love the PT blog! So many great recipes here, and very easy to follow instructions. I use this foaming hand soap recipe all the time. I like to use germ destroyer in mine, or Honeybell. 🙂
Honeybell is amazing. I have not tried it in this recipe, though. I’ll have to note that.
For the essential oils, Can I use half germ fighter and half immune aid?
Hi Jessie, we would recommend using one or other. Combining both synergies utilizes a lot of essential oils and often isn’t necessary.
I know this is old, but hoping someone can help. I read another recipe that called for vegetable glycerin, but noticed this one doesn’t include that. My question is, what is the reason for the glycerine? Does it add some other quality to the soap? Thanks.
Vegetable glycerine is humectant (draws moisture to itself) and is often used in skin care products for that reason.
In your picture it looks like the oils are sitting on the top. I would not expect people to shake soap before using it. I do not like this recipe. The Bronner’s soap with water is the perfect recipe for the soap in the foaming bottle. I realize the oils are on the top so will not be sucked into the pump to hurt someone so what’s the reason for them if they are just sitting there?
I have a favorite liquid plant derived hand soap that has a great fragrance, can I use it in place of the castile soap?
I think you could – let us know how it works!
I followed your recipe less the essential oils, my soap had essentials in it. It turned out great, making this recipe will make my hand soap last a lot longer…Thanks Christina!!
Do you have an alternative to Castile soap? We military can’t use anything with hemp.
Not all castille soaps have hemp. We use one without!
Do you have a brand? The one in your photo uses hemp. I am thinking I might have to make castille from scratch (I found a couple hemp free recipes) until I retire from the military.
I believe Dr. Bronner’s is made from olive oil – most castile soaps are made with olive oil, but check your labels.
I contacted the company and they all have hemp. But, I found a recipe for liquid Castile soap and so I made my own. So, it all worked out.
So what was the recipe to make the castile soap?
The castile soap is something that is purchased at a local grocery or big box store 🙂
This is awesome, going to give it try. Thank you!
I have heard citrus oils shouldn’t be in plastic is this true?
Using PET labeled plastic is acceptable!
Where do you get these bottles ?
You can find them online, at retailers such as Amazon. Search “foaming hand soap bottle” to find them! 🙂
I think the recipe is good for a 6-8oz size bottle. 🙂
What size bottle is this for?
Do you need to shake it each time you use it to evenly distribute the ingredients?
I haven’t had any issues with the oils not staying mixed in, but if you find they do not give it a quick shake.
I’ve found that also adding a tiny bit of oil (like an 1/8t) seems to keep the pump working longer before it stops.
Does this need to be shaken every time you use it, or will the EOs stay blended. I already make my own with Castile soap and water and was always afraid to use EOs because I wasn’t sue about that…and know my kids will not remember to shake it up!
No – the oils stay mixed in pretty well. If you do notice them at the top – you can give it a quick shake!