If you're struggling with dry skin, this creamy green tea body wash with hydrating ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, and honey will soothe itchy skin and lock in moisture. Plus, infusing it with green tea heals chapped skin and packs an antioxidant punch to calm inflammation and give your skin some relief. Read on for the recipe!
Hydrating Coconut Oil + Green Tea Body Wash
To make the winter months a little more bearable for my dry, itchy skin, I have recently started making my own moisturizing body products. It all started with this rich honey hand balm and these relaxing herbal mini soaps, but with temperatures continuing to plummet, I've been on the lookout for more more soothing options.
Homemade body wash was my next step! I love using coconut oil, especially when it's infused with green tea.
Why green tea? Well, it's chock full of antioxidants, flavonoids and catechins, plus it can help skin look smoother and counteract the effects of free radical damage from sun exposure and environmental toxins. Studies even show that green tea may help soothe inflammation and protect skin from cancer caused by sunlight.
I combined coconut oil with moisturizing ingredients like shea butter for a body wash that sinks into parched skin and creates a protective barrier against the elements. And because it uses Castile soap as its base, it lathers like a dream without stripping skin of its natural oils—thus leaving your skin even softer than before.
Adding Essential Oils for Dry Skin
For even more healing power, try adding some skin-soothing essential oils. I used a mixture of lemongrass and eucalyptus oils because they smell fantastic and they're nourishing for dry skin.
Just a word of warning—citrus oils like orange and grapefruit have a phototoxic effect, meaning they can make skin more sensitive to the sun. So while they smell fantastic, you might want to avoid putting them in your body wash if you plan on spending any time outdoors.
Lighter Green Tea Body Wash For Summer (No Coconut Oil)
Not everyone loves coconut oil—or at least their skin doesn't as it can clog pores and cause acne. So here's a lighter body wash recipe that still uses green tea but leaves out the heavier ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter.
—½ cup liquid Castile soap
—½ cup brewed green tea, cooled
—2 tablespoons almond oil or olive oil
—10-15 drops of essential oil for your skin type
1. Brew a cup of green tea and let it cool completely.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the liquid Castile soap, brewed green tea, and almond oil (or olive oil).
3. If desired, add 10-15 drops of your preferred essential oil.
4. Stir the mixture gently to combine all the ingredients thoroughly.
5. Transfer the body wash to a clean, empty bottle or container with a pump or flip-top cap.
Using Green Tea Body Wash
To use the body wash, simply apply a small amount to a loofah or washcloth, lather it up, and gently cleanse your body. Rinse off with water afterward.
Even though Castile soap is oil-based, you might notice your body wash starting to separate after sitting for a few hours. Simply give it a gentle shake to mix everything together before using.
And rest assured that even if you don't shake it every time, you can still use it, you may just see less suds than you're used to.
Super Moisturizing Green Tea Body Wash
Equipment
- Liquid pump dispenser
Materials
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons green tea leaves
- 2 tablespoons shea butter
- ½ cup liquid castile soap
- ¼ cup raw honey
- 15 drops essential oil
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil and stir in the tea leaves. Let simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the shea butter and stir until just melted. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
- When the mixture has cooled slightly, add in the remaining ingredients and whisk everything together.
- Pour into a soap dispenser or lidded jar. Shake before each use.
Megan says
Way too oily, not a bubble in sight, has set much too thick, and tea leaves clogged up pump tube! Not sure if your ingredient ratios are out or it was supposed to contain fractionated coconut oil instead of regular or is missing water or something but I was really disappointed by this recipe... and now am not sure what to do/how to fix this unuseable concoction that I have. Please revise the recipe!
Stephanie Gerber says
So sorry you're having issues! If the bodywash is solidifying too much between uses, then hold it under the warm shower water for a 30 seconds or so to liquify and mix all the ingredients together again.
Katharine says
Just to clarify a couple of points - Sweet Orange essential oil is not phototoxic. Grapefruit is, but you would have to use it at a 4% dilution for that effect, which you're not going to get if you use this recipe as written. Also, it's recommended to use eucalyptus (not specific as to type) and lemongrass which is fine, but not if you're going to use this with young children or pregnant women. Check out "Essential Oil Safety" by Robert Tisserand.
Mariya Amreliwala says
What's the shelf life of this recipe? Do we need to add preservative?
Adrienne says
Please I've been looking for bottles like that everywhere can you please tell me where i can get them !? Thankyou :)
Dani says
My first batch fried my green tea. Even with the low heat, my oil/green tea mixture was not able to be salvaged. I tried again using a double boiler and it produced far better results with a pleasant smell.
Dcoconutty1 says
Can you use fractionated coconut oil (or coconut MCT oil)? Just learned about this type of oil that doesn't harden in cooler temps. I prefer to use shower gels and have lather so want to try this recipe soon.
Kristie Stuckey says
Hey I am allergic to shea butter. Can I replace it with something else?
Abby says
I know this is a late reply, but since no one else answered for you thought I would. You can try adding cocoa butter or mango butter. It might give it a slightly different texture and scent so you might need to experiment a bit with the amounts to get something that works for you.
Adrienne says
This looks amazing
Zane says
Hey I am very intrigued by this but I was wondering if I could leave out the honey? Or maybe sub it with something to make it completely vegan? Thanks ;)
Abby says
Since no one has answered your comment, thought I would help. You can definitely leave out the honey and still get a nice body wash. The honey adds some healing and moisturizing properties to the wash but you can add some extra, or specific, essential oils to help out with any problem areas that you want to focus on.
Karen Ward says
I can't wait to try this! Ty for sharing. What is the shelve life on this, I want to make for some of my friends and Family.
Minoo says
Thanks for the great recipe. Was wondering whether could use matcha instead of tea leaves, would that work as well?