DIY Skincare
HOW TO MAKE A NOURISHING HOMEMADE BODY WASH
LEARN HOW TO MAKE A FOAMY, HOMEMADE BODY WASH TO NOURISH SKIN. THIS SIMPLE RECIPE USES HONEY AND ALOE VERA FOR AN ADDED BOOST OF MOISTURE.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
WHY HOMEMADE BODY WASH?
There are many reasons to make homemade body wash. Some folks make their own body wash to save money, others to avoid chemicals, perhaps to be more eco-friendly and the list goes on and on.
Store bought body washes can get pricey! Many of them are loaded with strange (and unhealthy) ingredients, and come in less than eco-friendly packaging. We are a family with sensitive skin, so it is important for us to stay away from heavily fragranced products that could be irritating to the skin.
ABOUT THIS BODY WASH
This post was inspired by all of those reasons listed above, plus one more. We were driving to school when my four year old started wiggling like crazy in his car seat. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me his skin was itchy. Now, this is my side-kick in the kitchen, he helps me make everything (food or beauty related). This little man is not a fan of lotion, and I can only lure him in with batches of homemade body butter occasionally (even when he makes them himself).
So, my little man with his dry skin got me thinking. I needed to come up with a way to moisturize and nourish his skin while he was in the bath tub, and not leave a residue on his skin after the tub.
After a lot of research and experimentation, this recipe was born.
LET’S TALK ABOUT INGREDIENTS
Homemade body wash is made using only the good stuff. Simple ingredients that are toxin free make up this easy and moisturizing recipe.
Many of us are aware of all of the chemicals lurking in our skincare and household products. In fact, there are more chemicals in the stuff than you might think. To learn more about making conscious choices against harmful products, check out this post.
My skincare recipes are always all natural, and this homemade body wash was no exception. This wash was made with my babies in mind, so it had to be safe and soothing.
ABOUT HOMEMADE BODY WASH INGREDIENTS
Castile Soap: For the base of this body wash, I chose to use unscented liquid castile soap. We love castile soap because of its versatility, and ability to be used on even the most sensitive skin.
Fractionated Coconut Oil: If you’re scratching your head on this one, don’t feel bad. Fractionated coconut oil is a more processed version of coconut oil that does not solidify when chilled. This type of coconut oil is more easily absorbed into our skin, making this body wash ultra moisturizing. We decided to use fractionated rather than virgin coconut oil due to the varying temperatures in our home. We wanted this recipe to remain liquid.
Aloe Vera: There’s nothing quite as soothing as aloe vera, plus it is known for its moisturizing abilities.
Jojoba Oil: This ingredient is very easily absorbed into the skin, and helps to lock in moisture much like the fractionated coconut oil. I am pretty new to the world of jojoba oil, and this ingredient is quickly working it’s way to the top of my favorites list!
Honey: Totally feels weird to dump honey into a bowl of soap and oils, but trust me on this. Antibacterial and antiseptic, honey is naturally incredible for skin. This star ingredient also helps to lock moisture into the skin.
TIPS FOR MOISTURIZED SKIN
There are so many variables that contribute to our skin drying out. Between the environment, weather, our diets and water intake it can feel overwhelming to try to tackle dry skin.
Here are some of our tips to reclaim a little moisture into dry skin:
- Drink water: Our skin can become dehydrated just like we can! Hydrating our bodies works wonders for our health, inside and out.
- Not too hot: Be sure the water you are bathing with or washing your hands in isn’t too hot. Remember that the water should be warm, not as hot as you can tolerate.
- Put some moisture back in: This can be done through using a moisturizing body wash, applying some lotion after bathing or before bed, or even applying a little bit of jojoba oil to the face before sleeping.
- Pat dry: After stepping out of the shower or tub, apply moisturizer (lotion bars work great for this). Then, rather than rub the towel against the skin to dry off, simply pat the skin dry. This allows the lotion to lock in moisture a little better.
HOW TO USE HOMEMADE BODY WASH
Homemade body wash can be used just as you would use a typical body wash. For ultra moisturizing benefits, I like to squirt a few pumps of this into the tub as it is filling (before the kids get in). Then I allow the kids to play in the body wash water to really allow their skin to absorb all of the benefits of the ingredients used.
This body wash recipe lathers up nicely on a cloth, and the kids have fun scrubbing up with it! After the tub, we pat dry and are good to go.
This body wash is also great for the shower, and isn’t just for kids!
TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE HOMEMADE BODY WASH
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring Cup
- Spoon (or something to mix with)
- 3/4C – 1C Unscented Liquid Castile Soap
- 1/2 C Fractionated Coconut Oil
- 2 TBSP Honey
- 1-2 TBSP Jojoba Oil (sweet almond oil, sunflower oil or vitamin E oil would work as well)
- 1 TBSP Aloe Vera
- Essential Oils (optional)
- Soap dispenser: foaming or regular will work well. For this recipe, I repurposed an old foaming hand soap bottle!
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BODY WASH (IN 5 MINUTES)
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly together, but mix slowly as not to bubble too much!
If your honey has crystalized, set it inside a bowl of hot water to warm up. The honey will come back to it’s typical consistency when warmed.
Fill up your dispenser and top off with castile soap or distilled water. I used about 3/4 C castile soap for this recipe, and then topped off the dispenser with about another 1/4 C castile soap until the dispenser was full.
Optional: you may add some essential oils. For this recipe, I added 10 drops of lavender as it has soothing skin benefits.
Give it a good shake before use!
PRINTABLE / PINNABLE RECIPE CARD
HOMEMADE BODY WASH
INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 – 1 C Unscented Liquid Castile Soap
- 1/2 C Fractionated Coconut Oil
- 2 TBSP Honey
- 1-2 TBSP Jojoba Oil (sweet almond oil, sunflower oil or Vitamin E oil would work as well)
- 1 TBSP Aloe Vera
- Essential Oils (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly together, but mix slowly as not to bubble too much!
If your honey has crystalized, set it inside a bowl of hot water to warm up. The honey will come back to it’s typical consistency when warmed.
Fill up your dispenser and top off with castile soap or distilled water. I used about 3/4 C castile soap for this recipe, and then topped off the dispenser with about another 1/4 C castile soap until the dispenser was full.
Optional: you may add some essential oils. For this recipe, I added 10 drops of lavender as it has soothing skin benefits.
Give it a good shake before use!
STORAGE OF HOMEMADE BODY WASH
Store this homemade body wash in it’s dispenser just as you would a store bought wash. Ours is kept in the cupboard in the bathroom, or on the side of the bath tub. We like to dump a good amount into each tub (as we’re battling winter itchy skin), so it will get used up fairly quickly.
PIN IT FOR LATER
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