Since lavender lends itself so well to natural beauty, I thought I'd channel my inner perfumier and try my hand at making lavender liquid hand soap. After all, while I may not be able to gaze out my kitchen window and see the rolling hills of Provence, I'm a firm believer that the scent of my kitchen can take me there.
Since we're lucky enough to live close to a few lavender farms, I make a point to visit during their blooming season from June to September. While I wistfully await the day when I can purchase that plane ticket to the south of France, I'll be making every lavender DIY project I can get my hands on.
If you're like me, and you often run out of hand soap at the most inopportune times—say when the guests arrive, or you've just come in from the garden—then you'll want to pin this homemade liquid hand soap recipe for later.
Scroll down for the recipe!
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Ingredients
From a practical point of view, one of the things I like best about this recipe is its simplicity. Four ingredients are all you need for DIY hand soap, most of which you probably already have at home.
Castile Soap (we used Dr. Bronner's Lavender Castile Soap): Liquid Castile soap serves as the base of this homemade liquid hand soap. It's non-toxic, gentle on the skin, and an effective cleanser that won't dry out your hands.
Filtered Water: Water helps dilute the Castile soap, allowing you to achieve the desired consistency for hand soap. We recommend using filtered or distilled water to extend your soap's shelf life.
Lavender Essential Oil: Did you know that lavender oil has antimicrobial properties [source]? Not only does lavender essential oil add a delightful scent to the soap but it also kills germs, giving your homemade hand soap a little boost.
Sweet Almond Oil: When used in homemade hand soap, almond oil helps to counteract the potential drying effects of the soap, leaving the skin feeling softer and smoother.
How To Make Hand Soap
Step 1 | Dilute Castile
Measure out your Castile soap and mix it with water in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture into your soap dispenser.
Step 2 | Add essential oil
Add lavender essential oil and sweet almond oil to then gently swirl to combine. Pump into your hand and wash.
Hint: You may need to adjust the amount of water used in the recipe depending on the kind of soap dispenser you're using. For a traditional soap dispenser, you'll want to use less water (giving you a higher concentration of Castile soap). And for a foaming soap dispenser, you can get away with using more water.
Substitutions
Soap: If you don't have Castile soap, you can make foaming hand soap using dish soap (a ratio of 2 ounces of dish soap to 6 ounces of water should do the trick). Because this is going to come in contact with your skin, I would recommend sticking with a non-toxic brand, such as Seventh Generation or Ecover. Adding more carrier oil can help cut down on dryness and irritation that may crop up.
Water: In place of filtered water, try using rose water, floral hydrosol, or even just boiled tap water.
Essential oil: Any essential oil will work in this recipe, but antibacterial and/or skin-soothing oils are especially helpful. Some good options are tea tree, peppermint, and chamomile.
Carrier oil: Any liquid-at-room-temperature carrier oil can be used in place of sweet almond oil. Olive oil is a great option because it's so easy to find. But you can also try jojoba, avocado, or argan oil.
Variations
Lavender dish soap — With the addition of a few easy-to-find ingredients, such as soap flakes and washing soda, you can easily turn our lavender hand soap recipe into a super-effective dish soap.
Lavender bar laundry soap — We love this lavender and lemon laundry soap for its cleansing power and comforting abilities. Not to mention, it makes a ton of soap (12 bars, to be exact!).
How To Make Liquid Hand Soap - 4 Variations
If you're concerned that too much hand washing will dry out your hands, opt for one of these DIY liquid hand soaps. They will change your life!
These recipes are moisturizing, smell good, and can even be a fun option for kids (hello, foaming soap!). Not to mention they're easy to mix and much more affordable in the long term.
1. DIY Coconut Oil Antibacterial Foaming Hand Soap
Cold weather is hard on the skin, especially our hands. That's why a non-drying, homemade liquid hand soap is a must in the bathroom and kitchen. This one is made with germ-fighting Castile soap, moisturizing coconut oil, and freshly scented essential oils such as peppermint and eucalyptus.
2. Castile Honey Homemade Hand Soap
Honey is a natural antimicrobial and humectant [source], attracting moisture from the air, and the almond oil nicely counteracts the drying effects of soap. Combining them results in a wonderful foaming hand soap, which makes hand washing more fun (yes, and that includes the kids!)
3. Green Tea, Lemongrass + Ginger Liquid Hand Soap
A germ-fighting hand soap is the first step toward keeping colds and the flu at a distance. One of the best hand soap recipes for fall, this soap is packed with antiseptic essential oils! The lemongrass and ginger essential oils smell lovely and fresh, and the sweet almond oil prevents your skin from drying out with the winter chill.
4. Charcoal Hand Soap
Since it's an excellent exfoliant that removes dead skin cells along with extracting dirt and grime, charcoal hand soap can also be used to treat skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. Opt for this recipe if you have sensitive skin but are also looking for homemade hand wash to keep germs at bay during the flu season.
Top tip
If you have sensitive skin and you use homemade hand soap frequently, you may want to consider the pH of your soap. Skin-friendly soaps usually have a pH somewhere between 4.7-5.75 (close to that of the skin).
Testing strips can help you determine a baseline pH. And from there you can adjust it by adding small amounts of baking soda to raise the pH or citric acid to lower the pH.
FAQ
Try this dish soap recipe that uses salt to add texture. Or adjust the consistency of your soap by using more or less water.
If you plan to put your soap in a traditional soap dispenser, you can use less water and more Castile soap. If you're using a foaming soap dispenser, then more water and less Castile soap should do the trick.
Yes, any kind of liquid Castile soap should work. But if you're sensitive to fragrances or plan to add essential oils, use an unscented version.
Yes! Making liquid hand soap can be cheaper, especially when buying ingredients in bulk. Foaming hand soap is the most cost-effective option since it only requires a little bit of Castile soap.
Yes, you can turn a bar of soap into liquid soap. Just grate the soap into small pieces, melt it in approximately 16 ounces of hot water, and then let it cool to form a liquid consistency. If the soap is too thick to work in your soap dispenser, you can reheat it and add more water.
More Castile Soap Recipes
Looking for other recipes using Castile soap? Try these:
DIY Lavender Liquid Hand Soap Recipe
Equipment
- Medium-sized bowl
- Refillable soap dispenser
Materials
- 1 cup Castile soap (we used Dr. Bronner's Lavender Castile Soap)
- 2 tablespoons filtered water
- 25 drops lavender essential oil
- 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
- 2-4 tablespoons aloe vera gel optional for thickening your hand soap
Instructions
- Measure out your Castile soap and mix with water (and aloe vera gel, if using) in a medium bowl.
- Pour the mixture into your soap dispenser and add lavender essential oil.
- Add sweet almond oil to the mixture, and gently shake to combine. Enjoy!
Notes
This post was medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Haley, a board-certified dermatologist with extensive experience in medical, cosmetic, and surgical dermatology. Learn more about Hello Glow’s medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice, and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
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