This Foaming Body Wash recipe was born after I tried a popular mainstream brand of shower wash that makes ‘natural’ claims. It feels and smells lovely, but has a price tag of about $8 per bottle and contains quite a few ingredients, some of which I am suspicious of:
PEGs, for example, enhance the penetration effect of a cosmetic, may contain impurities, and should not be used on damaged skin.
Phenoxyethanol is irritating to the skin and “has shown effects on sensory organs even at low doses, and brain and nervous systems at moderate doses in animals, and causes cell mutation” and is another ingredient I prefer to avoid.
I believe simplicity is best when our bodies are concerned, especially when new research is emerging all of the time on chemicals ‘they’ once thought was safe. A perfect example is triclosan in antibacterial hand washes and the recent news that big Australian manufacturers will be removing it from their products by the end of 2017. Remember to make your own decisions and do your own research though; your body, your choice.
So, back to the recipe… A variation on my standard foaming wash, it’s easy to change up the essential oils to suit your intended purpose or mood… So simple!
Foaming Body Wash
Makes: 200 g | 7.1 oz Prep time: < 5 min.
Ingredients
65 g | 2.3 oz liquid castile soap
15-20 drops of essential oils
135 g | 4.8 oz water (see recipe notes)
My choice of essential oils…
My favourite essential oils in this recipe are peppermint and orange, but don’t be limited by my suggestions. Use oils that fit your budget, or those that you already have in your collection. Read here for more information.
Special container required…
Foaming Pump Bottle
Method
1. Add castile soap and essential oils to a bowl and mix until combined.
2. Wait a few minutes (this gives the essential oils time to disperse within the castile soap), add water and mix until combined.
3. Transfer into foaming pump bottle.
To Use
Massage 1-2 pumps of foam over body. Rinse with warm water.
Recipe Notes
Water should be distilled, purified or pre-boiled and cooled to extend shelf life.
You might find it easier to add ingredients directly into your soap dispenser (a foaming pump bottle must be used for this recipe).
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Krissy Ballinger
Author, Advocate & Founder
Krissy wants to see a world where people make conscious, educated decisions that honour both humans and habitat. With a background in education and health promotion, she devotes her time to passionately increase awareness on common and avoidable toxins, in everyday items like washing powder and deodorant, and to educate individuals on how they can easily reduce their daily exposure, through simple and realistic do-it-yourself ideas and recipes.
Krissy has sold over 40,000 copies of her natural DIY recipe books, including her award-winning book, Naturally Inspired - Simple DIY Recipes for Body Care and Cleaning, and her newly-released kids book, Make & Play - Natural DIY Recipes for Kids. She offers honest and gentle guidance, education and 100+ natural DIY recipes on her website The Inspired Little Pot.
Hi Krissy, I’m planning on making this body wash but need to ask, (probably silly question) do you use the peppermint and orange oils together or is it one or the other? Thank you.
There are honestly no ‘rules’. I use them together, but either on their own is fine too!
I’ve always heard glycerin should be added to this recipe so your skin doesn’t dry out. What are your thoughts? Thank you.
Go for it if you like, I find no need personally 🙂
Hi Is there a particular foaming pump bottle you recommend? As I’ve read it’s best to use glass bottles with essential oils but don’t want to use glass in the shower.
Thankyou
Essential oils in the ratios that I use are fine in plastic containers. When we are told not to store in plastic, it is referring to undiluted or potent ratio’s. Think about the products sold by major essential oil companies, such as shampoo and cleaning concentrates – they’re often in plastic packaging. The type of plastic matters also, and PET (no.1) and HDPE are the safest. While I always prefer glass, sometimes it isn’t the most practical. Krissy x