You won’t believe how easy it is to make DIY body wash! This recipe only has 3 ingredients that will cost you pennies on the dollar when compared to potentially toxic store brands.
Skin is the body’s biggest organ, so I tend to be extra cautious with what I slather on it. This is especially true for my children—I prefer to use products such as homemade body wash to clean their sensitive skin.
Thankfully not only is this project effective, but it’s also simple to do too! Learn how to make DIY body wash that the entire family can use
Essential Oil Body Wash
To keep this body wash as natural as possible, I opted to add essential oils. You can, of course, omit them and keep the wash scent-free. However, I like them for their aromatherapy benefits, and many have excellent benefits for your skin too.
For this DIY body wash, I chose lavender and peppermint essential oils, but you can modify this recipe to use your favorite essential oils and blends. (More on that below.)
How to Make this DIY Body Wash
Let’s jump into the DIY! Making homemade body wash is as simple as measuring, pouring, and shaking.
What You’ll Need to Make Homemade Body Wash:
- 1 1/2 cup Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap
- 4 tsp Organic Vegetable Glycerin (optional but recommended…see why below)
- Lavender essential oil
- Peppermint essential oil
- 16oz empty plastic container to hold the body wash. I used an old shampoo bottle, but you can purchase your own empty bottles over here.
(optional but recommended…see why below)
.
How to Make the Homemade Body Wash
First of all, make sure your bottle is clean and dry.
Then, start by pouring 1 and 1/2 cups of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap into your empty 16 oz. bottle. I filled my 3/4 measuring cup and poured twice, that way I only dirtied one measuring cup.
The soap won’t quite reach the top of the bottle – which is what you want. You need just a bit of room left in the bottle for the remaining ingredients.
Why I Recommend Glycerin
Next, add 4 teaspoons of organic vegetable glycerin. The glycerin is what will make this homemade body wash sudsy! Castile soap is a gentle cleanser, but the glycerin will give you the lather you will be looking for in a smooth body wash.
That being said, if you prefer, you can leave the glycerin out. Your body wash will still work beautifully and smell amazing, but it won’t produce suds.
Essential Oil Body Wash
Now you will add the essential oils of your choosing. As I mentioned earlier, I chose lavender and peppermint. Lavender is soothing for your skin and is calming. I also chose peppermint because of its cooling effect on the skin.
Here are a few more essential oil combinations I recommend for homemade body wash:
- geranium may help support mood
- Ylang Ylang can help you feel calmer
- Melissa can be soothing
- Hyssop may aid in relaxing while also improving clarity
- Jasmine can help you relax
- Cucumber Seed is excellent for skin
I added about 30 drops total of essential oils to my homemade body wash.
*Note – if you want a citrus blend of body wash, I recommend you getting a glass bottle
to store your body wash in as the citrus oils may corrode plastic containers.
Now that you have your three ingredients in your bottle, give your body wash a good shake to get the glycerin and Castile to mix well together.
Next time you jump in the shower, be sure to have your body wash pouf, as this body wash will suds up amazingly well and will be soothing on your skin!
DIY Body Wash: Final Thoughts
After using this homemade body wash, I have no desire to ever use any commercial body wash product again. Just smelling the bottle of my old body wash was overbearing and harsh to me. Plus, as I gradually swap to more natural and often homemade bath, beauty, and home products, I always prefer them to the chemicals.
This body wash is not the only homemade DIY bath product you will find in my shower! I also have these that you should make and try too!
Just pin it below to find the recipe later!
Luvin says
This did not suds whatsoever, at all…..I still used though, just mixed with a sudsing bodywash I had left……
Maura says
Luvin – How much glycerin did you use? I’ve even used this as a shampoo and it suds’s great on my hair!
Sharon B Gilbert says
Just wondered why I got more than 8ozs? Did I read something wrong? 1 1/2 cups equal 12ozs. Thanks
Maura says
oops – yes that was a typo. It should be a 16 oz bottle. Sorry – I made changes in the post!
Roselyn Jackson says
Could I use a different oil like coconut oil or almond oil instead of vegetable glycerin?
Cheyenne says
Kind of related to this post: I’m hesitatnt to make this recipe because, to me, Castile soap smells like bile (stomach acid) after I rinse it off. It makes me gag. Does anyone else experience this?
Connie says
It looks expensive, compared to a pack of bar soap.
Ive been searching for a cheaper soap.
Erika says
Hi Connie, if you’re comparing this to a cheap bar soap, then yes this homemade body wash is more money. But when compared to an all-natural body wash from the store or online, this is a more economical option. I hope you find the soap you want. 🙂
Rikki says
I often use honey in my soap recipe. Can that be substituted for the glycerin? Honey is a sudsy agent.
Terry Raymond says
Hobby Lobby has scentless shower gel soap. Just add the essential oils. It’s 7.99 and you can get a 40% off coupon to buy it with. You could make several 8 ounce bottles. They have scentless lotion too. I haven’t tried it yet but plan to
Jenny says
On the label is says to use 3 to 1 ratio with water. Will it be fine without water or will it be too strong?