DIY FOAMING HAND SOAP

The secret to the perfect foaming hand soap is not actually the recipe itself. Sourcing a reusable "foam-forming" pump bottle is the secret to making your own wonderful foaming soap. I was able to get reusable foam-forming pump bottles easily enough from a local storage supply shop. Foam-forming pumps are THE best for getting the perfect foam with very little ingredients. It has a little spring mechanism it the top of the bottle, to make the soap into foam. This is what you should look for. The thick/wide neck on the pump bottle is usually easy to spot....this type of pump helps get the perfect foam without the "perfect" recipe. The best bit? Reusable, refillable, over and over again! If you can't find the foam forming ones, I was also able to find basic amber hand pump bottles from Target. The amber colour helps protect the ingredients and the amber and black colour combination is so "in" right now. They look super sophisticated for their budget price tag.

DIY foaming hand soap recipe

You'll need:
Liquid castile soap
Essential Oils of choice
Water to dilute
Pyrex
Spoon
Funnel (if desired)
Reusable foaming pump bottle or 'recycled' hand soap bottle

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If you're wanting to make your own liquid soap products, the main thing you need to start with is liquid castile soap. (You can find this easily online in Australia or from your local health food store.) This forms the base for your "soapy" products. It is very versatile, and can be bought in a whopping 20L bottle if you so desire! For most of us though, the 1L will be plenty enough. Place your desired amount, usually I use enough to half fill my container, of liquid soap into a pyrex. Add a few drops of essential oils of your choice. Stir slowly, then sniff... gently.... we dont want bubbles out our nose!  Can you smell your essential oil? If not, you may need to add another drop or two. Now add enough water to the purex to fill the rest of your container.  This is due to the special foaming soap pump bottle, straight liquid castile soap can be a bit thick, so we dilute with water, or even if you'd just like to make it go further. If you like a thicker liquid soap, or if you are not using a foaming pump bottle, use more castile and less water. Stir gently. When your happy with your creation pour or funnel into your container.

I find I can dilute my bottle with half water to liquid castile soap and still get a great foam. You just need to experiment. While you're at it you could also make up a bulk amount and store away from direct sunlight to use throughout the house over a couple of months. This is good if you have multiple bathrooms and sinks. 

As far as essential oil scents go for hand soaps, this too is up to your experimentation and creativity, but I would happily use the Thieves essential oil blend every time in my liquid hand soap! Thieves is perfect for clean hands due to the powerful essential oils in this blend. Citrus scents are also good, as is Lavender.

If you can’t be bothered with all that fuss, here’s some we made earlier! I love this foaming hand soap infused with Thieves essential oil. The cloves and cinnamon really come through, and as a cinnamon lover, this is perfect. Reminds me of the holidays and baking. Mmm, baking. Must put something delicious in the oven! This little foaming bottle is perfect for reusing and refilling, and has the foaming mechanism in-built, so you'll get a great foam every time. Then simply refill with the bulk buy natural hand wash that you can keep on hand under the sink. 
Click the photos below to see more of how you can clean your hands using chemical-free hand wash.

Thieves Foaming Hand Soap 236.5ml

Lavender Foaming Hand Wash

Thieves Foaming Hand Soap Refill 944ml

Do you make your own hand wash? What's your favourite hand soap recipe?