If you are like so many of my friends you are trying to move away from using commercial bath products due to the chemicals and toxins and their possible connections to cancer and other health concerns. The David Suzuki Foundation reports that,
Some of the ingredients in beauty products aren't that pretty. U.S. researchers report that one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, and hormone disruptors. Many products include plasticizers (chemicals that keep concrete soft), degreasers (used to get grime off auto parts), and surfactants (they reduce surface tension in water, like in paint and inks). Imagine what that does to your skin, and to the environment.
I am amazed at how easy the move and transformation has been for me. I started with changing my usual body lotion to my "Total Skin Repair", then some very easy and healing bath soaps, later I changed up my deodorant, and now working on shampoo, body wash, and hand soap. See them here.
Honestly this hand soap is so easy you'll wonder why you never made it before (I know I did). Its also antibiotic and has a nice refreshing fragrance. I really like this hand soap for several reasons. First, its versatile, by just changing the essential oils you can change the fragrance and the beneficial properties. Second, its not watery or slimy. Third, it cleans very well.
It only has 4 ingredients.... and you will need a pump type container to put it in.
Castile Soap
: Ever wonder what Castile Soap is? Well for one thing, its a type of soap not a brand name. Castile Soap is made from vegetable oils and contains no tallow or animal products. It produces a nice lather without synthetic detergents. Many Castile Soaps have fragrance added such as lavender or peppermint but I prefer getting the unscented type and adding my own scents using essential oils. However, today all I had was peppermint so I just left out the peppermint essential oil.Water: Distilled water is best but if you don't have it you can boil your tap water for 20 minutes and then let it cool.
Xanthan Gum
: This is the only natural gum that is allowed in registered organic products. It is used to stabilize water and oil mixtures and it keeps particles suspended. It also has a high viscosity so a little goes a long way. Because it also helps with the foaming action is is wonderful to used to thicken natural shampoos, liquid soaps and body bash. It is used as a gluten free thickening agent in cooking and can often be found in the baking supplies in grocery stores. It is a bit pricey, usually around $15.00 for 8 ounces but a little goes a long way. You could substitute Guar Gum
which costs less but to me it makes the mixture more slimy (snotty is the way some describe it, lol)Essential Oils: This is where it gets fun! Use any of these for their antibacterial properties or pick your own. Lemon, Geranium, Lavender, Grapefruit, Bergamont, Melaleuca, Rosemary, Basil, Lime. I prefer the high quality essential oils and accessories at Spark Naturals. As an affiliate I can offer you the discount code ENJOY to use on your orders. You will receive a 10% discount and I will receive a monetary compensation.
Like I said, this is a very basic formula. You can step it up a notch by doing any of these:
- For extra moisturizing add about 2 teaspoons Vegetable Glycerine
to each cup water.
- For skin repair and moisture add Liquid Vitamin E Oil
, try to make sure you get the natural type and not the synthetic. Look for d-alpha instead of the dl prefix on the supplement label.
- If you don't have Xanthan Gum you can use Guar Gum
to thicken. Use the same amount of Guar Gum but you will need quite a bit more Arrowroot Powder.
- Gently warm mixture with a little Shea Butter till melted and mix well for extra awesomeness. (Just make sure the Xanthan Gum is mixed into cold or cool water)
- You can leave out the thickener entirely. I have seen many homemade hand soap recieps without it but your mixture will be very watery.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup room temperature or cool distilled water
- 1/4 cup Unscented Castile Soap (or if you use scented just adjust your essential oils)
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
- 10 drops each Peppermint & Lemon Essential Oils (or others as you choose)
Instructions:
- Mix the water and Xanthan Gum in a bowl till the Gum is dissolved. Add the soap and the essential oils and transfer to your container.
Could it get any easier than that?
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| This was long after I shook the bottle, the bubbles just stayed there! |
AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER
As an affiliate with Spark Naturals I am able to offer you a 10% discount by using my code ENJOY on your entire order (does not apply to Oil of the Month) and I will receive a small compensation.
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MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
I am not a doctor and the statements on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult your doctor or health care practitioner before using herbs, essential oils or other natural remedies.
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