How to Make Non-Toxic Foaming Hand Soap

I find myself looking around the house to figure out which toxic product I can get rid of next and to replace with environmentally friendly, non-toxic, kid-safe products.

My first project was laundry detergent which you can read more about here. This time around I decided to get rid of store-bought hand soap.

Guys, just take a second to look at the research. 

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The Guardian states that, “US Food and Drug Administration ruling this month bans the use of triclosan, triclocarban and 17 other antiseptics from household soaps because they have not been shown to be safe or even have any benefit.

About 40% of soaps use at least one of these chemicals, and the chemicals are also found in toothpaste, baby pacifiers, laundry detergents and clothing. It is in some lip glosses, deodorants and pet shampoos.”

PACIFIERS? TOOTHPASTE? PET SHAMPOO? 

Seriously, that is horrifying. 

RELATED POST: MY TOP 5 ESSENTIAL OILS

You can read more about triclosan here. Let me just tell you there are words thrown around like eczema, immune system weakening, altering hormone regulation and so much more.

So, I decided this would be a great swap for me. Buh-bye triclosan, buh-bye triclocarban, and buh-bye to the 17 other antiseptics that don’t do anything for us.

Comparisons:

I did some research on EWG.org to compare other “non-toxic” hand soaps with the one we are making now. Brace yourself, you may be surprised.

1. Home Made Simple, Lavender – Concerns for environment, skin irritation, aquatic toxicity, effects on the respiratory system,
2. J.R. Watkins – High concerns for irritation and allergies as well as some concern for organ system toxicity,
3. Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Soap  – Has high concerns for allergies and immunotoxicity. It also has concerns for respiratory issues, developmental issues, etc. 

I know, Mrs. Meyer’s was a shock to me too. Just because the product says it’s all-natural doesn’t mean it is! Read more about it here.

These are just a few of the hundreds out there and the reason I am switching to making my own.

Supplies and Ingredients for Non-Toxic Foaming Hand Soap

SOAP DISPENSERS:

First, you need dispensers. You can either use the dispensers from the Thieves foaming soap you get with your Young Living orders or you can purchase some from Amazon here which is what I did.

These dispensers are environmentally friendly and BPA free.

PURE CASTILE SOAP:

The next step is to get pure castile soap which is the cleaning agent. I like Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap (another Amazon purchase) because the liquid soap is fully biodegradable, all-natural, and cruelty-free. There are also no synthetic fillers or foaming agents.

I chose unscented because I wanted to add my own oil combos.

Keep in mind, pure castile soap is incredibly concentrated and a little bit of the liquid soap goes a long way!

VITAMIN E OIL OR ALOE VERA:

Since the castile soap can be quite drying, it’s nice to add either Vitamin E Oil or Aloe Vera. I went with Vitamin E Oil which you can get here.

 

ESSENTIAL OILS:

Now, for the fun part… picking out your scent! My favorite scent so far is lavender, peppermint, and lemon. I also use this for my room spray.

Below are just some of the many combos you can do! 

Hand Soap Blends

Lemongrass + Eucalyptus

Frankincense + Lavender

Lemon + Purification 

Rosemary + Peppermint

Purification + Lemon + Grapefruit

Thieves + Lemon

 

DISTILLED WATER:

I use distilled water as the final ingredients for my foaming hand soap. Distilled water doesn’t contain impurities (calcium, magnesium, and other minerals). You can also boil tap water to create distilled water.

Once you have all the supplies and ingredients, it’s time to get started!

How to Make Non-Toxic Foaming Hand Soap

1. Pour 2-3 TBSP of Castile Soap into one of the dispensers.
2. Add your oils. I did 4 drops of lavender, 3 drops of peppermint and 3 drops of lemon. I recommend anywhere from 10-12 drops of oils.
3. Add 2 TBSP of Vitamin E oil or Aloe Vera
4. Pour distilled water into the dispenser – slowly so you do not cause anything to bubble over
5. Slowly swirl around

Such an easy project you can do (even with your kiddos). Besides, what kid doesn’t love foaming hand soap?

Shop Ingredients Here:

Soap Dispenser

Castile Soap

Essential Oils – Contact Me Here

Vitamin E Oil

Aloe Vera