Semi-Homemade Body Wash

"You make your own body wash? Seriously?"

This is a question I get asked a lot lately, usually in a sarcastic way, and usually by people who would much rather buy something easy and pre-made without knowing or caring what's in it, than actually taking the time to consider what's being lathered onto-- and often times soaking into-- our family's skin. Making your own body wash doesn't have to be complicated or even all that time consuming. In fact it can be pretty easy. It can also save you a ton of money on expensive name brand organic or specialty soups, when someone in your household has sensitive skin or suffers from allergies and eczema.

The recipe I'll be sharing today is a simple, semi-homemade version, which I found over on Andy Bethy's Living, Laughing, Loving, Learning blog, and so far I've made body wash for my kids and daughter with severe skin allergies, my husband, and even myself.

Here's what you need to get started:

Semi-Homemade Body Wash 


8 cups distilled water

1 bar grated soap. (I use Tom's Natural Soap-- which is made from organic vegetable oils rather than animal fat like most others. I like to use the "Sensitive" chamomile for my daughter and the other kids, "Deodorant" sage scented for my husband, and "Moisturizing" for myself. )

2 tablespoon vegetable glycerin (found at most pharmacies and health food stores)

*Optional--
1 to 2 tablespoon jojoba oil (found at most health food stores and online)

1 to 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

10 to 12 drops of essential oil (I add tea tree oil to my husbands for the nice scent and antiseptic properties, and lavender or orange and lemon oil to my own)

5 recycled plastic containers, mason jars, or plastic freezer jars. (I used a recycled ketchup bottle to dispense the kids' soap and these cool plastic freezer jars made by Ball to store the rest, but you can use whatever works best for you.)

Labels and permanent marker (I found nice colorful blue and green label pads with pretty designs on them, made by Scotch at Walmart)

Directions:

Add distilled water to a large pot and begin warming on medium to medium-low heat. Add the grated soup and stir with a wooden spoon until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add the vegetable glycerine, as well as the jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, and essential oils if using. Stir well to combine. Next allow the mixture to cool just long enough to handle without burning yourself, then poor the mixture into your containers, leaving an inch or two space at the top if possible. Allow the containers to cool for 1 hour with the tops off. After an hour, replace the caps and shake each bottle vigorously. Set the bottles aside in an easily accessible place and go about your business, stoping to shake the bottles again every twenty minutes or so. The mixture will thicken dramatically as time goes on. Once the bottle are completely cooled, label and store just as you would any store bought body wash.

Give it a try!