I used to buy foaming hand soap but once I discovered how to make it this incredibly easy way for a whole lot less money, I was thrilled. This recipe is so easy you will be mad you haven’t made your own before. This homemade foaming hand soap has only three ingredients and one is readily available from your faucet!
You can add whatever scent you prefer for each room because this recipe is for small batches.
Easy Homemade Foaming Hand Soap
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Liquid castile soap
- 2/3 cup filtered water (where to get a water filter)
- 1/8 tsp essential oil (I use lavender, Thieves, peppermint, or lemon)
Equipment You’ll Need
These 8 oz. square mason jars. Why? I love them because they are cute and retro looking but also modern and they also have handy 1/3 cup measuring lines on them.
You can find a lot of different foaming pumps that fit mason jars and your decor here.
Directions
Pour the Castile soap and the essential oil into the jar and stir to combine. Fill the jar the rest of the way up with water. Screw on the lid and pump away!
Now wasn’t that easy peasy? I make these with different scents for each jar. I like lavender, Thieves, or peppermint in our bathrooms and use lemon in the kitchen.
Further Reading from Around the Web
- Attend one of my Essential Oils 101 classes here!
- Would You Eat Your Soap?
- Soap nuts: Making Laundry Even Easier (And Greener!)
- How To Buy Therapeutic Essential Oils
- Why and How To Take A Detox Bath
More Essential Oil recipes here!
- Homemade Liquid Hand Soap (2 Ways)
- Homemade Foaming Face Wash for Radiant Skin
- Cooling Peppermint Toner
- Homemade Hand Sanitizer
Pin it here!
Could you use a ceramic soap dispenser with this instead of the glass? And does it have to be a “foaming” dispenser, or would a standard pump dispenser work just as well? That may sound like a silly question, but I didn’t know if it would be too strong if using just a typical pump dispenser instead of one that foams. Thank you.
I have been making my own hand soap like this for quite some time. A regular soap dispenser works just fine. If you find you prefer it a bit thicker just add a little more castile soap.
Putting soap you buy into a different container is not “making” soap. It is repackaging soap. And if you add water – making a toxic bacteria soup which can cause serious injury, illness – even death in the case of flesh eating bacteria or MRSA.
Dawn is right on if you’re worried about contamination. I’ve “repackaged” soap for years. Still kickin’!
But honestly, no offense but what is the point of repackaging soap?
Do you have evidence of this ever happening? Ever?
Mostly, it is a cost savings effort. You pay $3-4+ for foaming soap in the store but use maybe 30-40 cents worth of soap at a stretch doing it yourself, and the store bought stuff is often full of other chemicals and what not.
Doing it this way you make a bottle of liquid soap last a good ten times or more longer in a foaming dispenser. Plus, you also get to scent it however you like. 🙂
Yes–I think a ceramic dispenser would be fine. As for a non-foaming pump – I haven’t tested that. You could test it and let us know. My gut is telling me it wouldn’t work because it would be too ‘wet’. It would probably shoot out and catch you on your clothes! 🙂
Would anyone know where to but just the foaming pump? I have lots of mason jars. Thanks
Did you click on the etsy link above? There are lots of pump options there.
What “etsy” link?
You could make your own foaming pump for a mason jar by re-using a foaming pump off of an old bottle of foaming soap or just refill the old soap bottle.
I would also like to know where to buy the pumps that fit the mason jars? small qty. tks
That is exactly what my Dr. Bronner soap to water recipe (1:3) does! I guess I didn’t know my recycled container was a non-foaming pump… you have to warn people when they use your bathroom! Thanks for the info!
Haha – squirt alert! Yes – the foaming pump works best for this recipe!
Where did you get the lid for the jar? I’d love to get my hands (clean) on a couple of those. 😉
The one pictured is one I got on etsy a while back. I couldn’t find it anymore but included a link to what is available on etsy now in the post above.
I don’t know how I missed that. Thanks!
That place I think sells the bottle with the lid and I have the jars. Wish I could just find the lids.
You can make them too! Use the top from an old, empty foaming cleanser, cut a hole in a mason jar lid, use a hot glue gun to adhere. On top and underneath to cover any cut edges so it won’t rust.
Thanks for linking to my etsy site! I use the same ratio of castile soap to water in the mason jar soap dispensers I made to use for myself 🙂 It works like a dream to keep the soap from getting gunky and clogged.
Nice! Hi Laura – it seems folks want a pump only option – can you do that for them?!
Hi Lindsey! Since this recipe has water in it, is there a need for a preservative? I’m new to making my own natural products, although already in love, and am trying to get a handle on when preservatives are required! Thanks for your wonderful site, recipes, and intentions for helping others and making the world a healthier place 🙂
I haven’t seen the need for it! It is soap after all.
“I haven’t seen the need for it! It is soap after all.” Seriously? Soap washes away dirt – why in the WORLD would you think that simply because it is “soap” it would not grow bacteria – potentially TOXIC and life threatening bacteria!
Just relax and add a couple drops of grapefruit seed extract or an essential oil that kills bacteria.
ALL liquid soaps have the potential to be contaminated by bacteria, especially the “pink soap” used in public bathrooms everywhere, doctors offices and restaurants. In fact the pink soap gets contaminated more than any other type because of all those hands touching the dispenser. This is well studied and documented.
But no one is shouting from the rooftops to ban pink soap or ban liquid soap in public restrooms. That’s because the actual incidence of sickness is extremely low.
Why do you follow the site if you don’t believe what she post? It is fine and if you are that stressed about soap there are more important issues here :/ just sayin
Why are you so angry? Geez…..lighten up, Greenie.
You sound like you may have had a bad experience or know someone who has. What would you suggest to us readers to make a safe, non-toxic soap?
Is there a reason you used unscented castile? I just bought some scented castile this past weekend with intentions of finding a recipe just like this., but want to be sure I’m not missing anything using scented castile and no essential oils. Thanks!
I wanted to use essential oils. I have not tried the scented castile soap.
I’m sure scented soap is fine. You just wouldn’t need to add essential oil for scent, unless you want to.
I used a scented Dr. Bronners soap and added about half the essential oil, and it came out great. I personally don’t think the scent would be strong enough without adding some essential oils, because you are watering it down so much. Love this recipe!
found the pump only here http://factorydirectcraft.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=dispenser+pump&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&gclid=CKqdrvTVprgCFVCf4AodezIABA
This link is awesome! I have been looking every where for a reasonable price pump. Thank you for posting!!
Those don’t look like foaming soap pumps.
Awww…just tried the link, says it isn’t available any longer 🙁 Oh well…I’m still havin way too much fun! Sittin here with honey all over my face and learnin to make soap…YAY!
Bonner’s Castile soap scented with peppermint seems to use essential oil since it really calms my itchy skin, so I would say you would not need as much oil when you make the soap or maybe none at all.
Found these DIY: http://www.fineandfeathered.com/blog/2012/10/mason-jar-soap-dispenser-fix.html and http://lifewithlaura.com/mason-jar-foaming-soap-pump/
Hi Homemademommy,
I take your point, Ok. hi every one! i love cappuccinos and the nearest place that makes good cappucinos not that mcdonalds crap. is like an hour away. and me and my family dont visit that often. so i need to learn how to make cappucinno foam.i already no about coffee so u can skip that..
ps i dont have any blenders, electronic mixers or any of those fancy stuff so im saying i want to make them by hand. thank u
Thx.
As soon as you add water to a product like soap – it starts to grow potentially hazardous – even life threatening – bacteria. Properly made soaps are formulated to be safe “as is” – either because they contain preservatives or because of their level of salt (soap is chemically salt) or pH or because of the other ingredients such as essential oils. The FDA required them to be tested for safety – but when you craft with them like this all the chemistry is off and they become dangerous unless you also add ingredients most of us using natural products want to avoid – like preservatives.
I am not a germophobe. This is why I eat fermented foods. I have been using this soap for 6 months and have never contracted any of these dangerous bacteria you speak of. I am not drinking it after all. 🙂
GreenMom is looking for the government to tell her that her soap is safe. lol. While your at it…ask the FDA why they allow GMO’s in our food. Hmmmmm.
Add 1tsp of citric acid or some potassium sorbate to your water and will keep your water preserved longer or as mentioned above by others.
Castile is a preservative in itself so add filtered or purified water to your mix. If mixing with water you can just do max 50/50 ratio and keep it for max 1month without the preservative.
Some r so worried about bacteria and such. You drink your water don’t you?? There is so much chlorination in water today,how could it possibly grow anything. Plus what about the bars of soap we used to use, there was no such thing as Mesa than. Don’t live in a bubble, life is too short.
Green Mom your voice is worth listening to, just ease up on the obnoxious factor and have a productive conversation.
I do basically the same thing, but much less castile soap works for me, so it goes even further! About a tablespoon or one big squirt and then filling the rest with water. I leave out the additional oils to save money, but it would certainly be luxurious.
I used to make my own baby wipes solution, and I remember reading that tea tree oil has natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties and was recommended to be used. That would solve the problem…
I soak lemon peel in water for a week or so and then add Castile soap to that.
nice idea, I currently have orange peels soaking in vinegar for cleaning.
That Castile soap on Amazon is pretty expensive. How long does it usually last you?
I’ve had the larger bottle of Dr. Bronner’s and it’s lasted about 6 months so far…you need far less than you think.
(Not the gallon size)
Jenn…I saw a slightly different recipe for this using the castile bar soap. It says to grate it and melt it in simmering water, then let it sit overnight. A bar of the unscented castile soap is $1.82 at WalMart 🙂
If anyone is concerned about contaminating their soap, do you think using boiled water would help? Or the high pH water (ie. Kangan)?
It would be interesting to see some documentation on that.
My husband works for a soap manufacturer and he said they sell soap in several forms, one is a concentrate you can mix with water…he says you have to use purified water (or another pure form of water), not out of the garden hose etc.
For the hand soap dispensers in public restrooms they highly suggest using the closed “pouch” system. He also said that soap by its very nature is resistant to bacteria if properly handled.
So, if you’re making a foaming soap at home, use clean containers, clean pure water, and wash your hands! Ha ha.
Great article btw.
I just made my own Mason Jar foaming soap bottle, as well as some soap using Dr. Bronner’s liquid peppermint soap. I poured filtered water into a pyrex glass measuring cup and boiled the water in the microwave for several minutes. I let it cool a bit, then mixed the soap and water inside the madon jar. I let it cool a bit further before closing it up and putting it on the sink.
I have one question though…should I add any glycerin to give it a little moisturization? My hands feel a little dry after 2 uses already. Thanks!
I wanted to make these for Christmas this coming year to put with other homemade items in a basket. How long will these last if I were to make them ahead of time? Should I make them very close to Christmas and tell folks that they need to use them within a certain amount of time? And they same goes with the homemade sanitizer and disinfectant.
Thanks you.
I would make it right before you give it and then you are golden!
We should really depend on when it comes to skin care. Commercial soaps are full of chemicals and don’t even compare when to comes to natural soap.
I “make” this soap and I love it! I boil my water with oats in them, then drain the water. The water then has the soothing effect from the oats. I use lavender essential oil and it makes a lovely smell.
How much vitamin E would you add to this recipe? I love the idea of a little extra moisturizer.
I tried this recipe for foaming handsoap. My essential oils are not mixing with the water. I expected this to happen since oils dont mix with water. Now I have a clear foaming bottle with essential oil floating on top. Any suggestions???
I dump the castile soap in first, then the EOs…then the water. This works just fine for me.
Thanks, Lindsey. 🙂
Thank you so much for including the Etsy shop with the foaming soap dispensers! This was EXACTLY what I was looking for!
Is it ok to use this in a plastic container? (I know, plastics can be toxic.) Just looking for something that won’t break with little boys in the house. Thanks! Keep the great ideas coming!
Yes!
I am couple reader of your blog…This post is awesome….easy home-made preparation….Thanks for these tips ……helpful blog…I like it….