E is for Essential Oils: Lavender Grapefruit Foaming Handsoap
My preschooler is obsessed with foaming handsoap. She loves to pump the bottle and wash her hands. She also likes to give her dolls “bubble baths” in the bathroom sink when I am not paying attention. In the haze of potty training, I suppose a child who loves to wash her hands isn’t the worst problem to have; however, we have been going through an amazing amount of handsoap lately!
I have always loved to have great smelling foaming handsoap in my bathroom and have considered them a bit of a luxury as they are certainly more expensive than a run of the mill bottle of handsoap. I recently started thinking that there must be a way to make my own soap that could be put in a foaming soap dispenser at a fraction of the cost of the fancy stuff. I love my essential oils so I knew just how to add the fragrance. After a bit of research and some trial and error, here is my recipe for DIY lavender grapefruit foaming handsoap:
Supplies
Foaming handsoap dispenser
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Pure Castile Soap – 2 oz
Vitamin E oil – 2 teaspoons
Purified water – 8 oz
Lavender Essential Oil* – 12-15 drops
Grapefruit Essential Oil* – 6-8 drops
*There are many choices for essential oils these days. Be sure to look for a pure, therapeutic grade essential oil from a reputable company. Some oils are not truly essential oil and can have unwanted additives. I buy my oils here: http://mydoterra.com/mybalancedlife. This is an affiliate link meaning I will make a small commission if you purchase products using this link.
Directions
Start with a clean, dry foaming handsoap dispenser. I recycled one that I had left over from store bought foaming handsoap and it worked just perfectly. You can also buy your own more permanent foaming handsoap dispenser if you prefer.
Carefully measure out 2 ounces of Castile soap and pour it into the bottle of your dispenser. I originally used only 1 ounce of Castile soap but it was not “soapy” enough for my taste.
Next add two teaspoons of vitamin E oil to boost the moisturizing properties of the soap. You can either use vitamin E oil from a bottle or by breaking open a few capsules.
Now it is time to add the essential oils. I liked using a little more lavender than grapefruit, but play around with it to find the right balance for you. I intentionally purchase unscented Castile soap so that I can use it for many purposes and can add what ever fragrance I want. You can also buy lavender Castile soap in which case you would need to use less lavender essential oil.
Gently swirl the ingredients together in the bottom of the bottle to mix them. Slowly pour 8 ounces of purified water into the bottle. Add the pump and tighten the cap. Give your dispenser a good shake to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Pump the bottle several times until the foaming soap starts to dispense. Your homemade soap is now ready to use! Easy peasey!
That is all there is to it! Great smelling foaming soap at a fraction of the cost of the store bought kind. Now my little one can foam away until her heart is content and it won’t break the bank. What do you think? Will you give it a try? I would love to hear what combinations of essential oils you come up with to try. I hope that you love this DIY foaming handsoap recipe as much as I do.
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