Homemade foaming hand wash

Making your own homemade foaming hand wash is quick, easy and inexpensive and a great place to start in ditching the toxins from your home.

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• Instructions
• Why make it yourself

Years ago, when I was on a really really tight budget I used to use cheap kids shampoo in my hand wash dispensers to save money.

It was my version of homemade hand wash - a really cost effective way to do it and much less expensive than buying the refills at the supermarket.

I also thought it would be a gentler product than the harsh antibacterial hand washes being that it was made for children.

It turns out I was wrong.

Then I started down the rabbit hole of researching the toxins in our self care products (even in kids shampoo).

It turns out, the industry is largely un-regulated so even something like kids shampoo can contain quite a few nasties (like 'fragrance').

You might also like DIY dry shampoo.

Having been diagnosed with PCOS in 2013, I'm well-versed on what a lot of the ingredients in good old supermarket shampoo can do to our bodies including disrupting our poor old hormones.

One of the nastiest hidden ingredients is 'fragrance' which can be any combination of up to 800 different chemicals (usually about 8-10 of them).

The reason being, products all have their own unique connection of ingredients. Think of it like the KFC secret seasoning.

They don't have to disclose the ingredients in their secret seasoning (the fragrance) because it's their proprietary information and that's exactly where the harmful ingredients often hide.

What I also know is that the natural, store-bought alternatives are often quite pricey.

I mean they're worth every cent but it's not often in the budget.

That's why I make my own.

These days I make everything from face wash to dishwashing liquid and cleaning sprays to hand wash.

Instructions

Making your own foaming hand wash at home is ridiculously simple and budget-friendly.

It costs just a fraction of the price of the store-bought alternative (even the toxin-laden stuff).

Using 100% pure essential oils in it (I use and recommend doTERRA) adds the antibacterial cleaning power without the nasties (and the lovely scent too).

Plus you can customise it - a little lavender for calming, peppermint for uplifting, lemongrass & lime to feel like you're holidaying on a tropical island.

I use On Guard (the immunity blend) for immune support then add whichever oil I'd like the smell of (lime is a favourite at the moment).

Why make it yourself

Super inexpensive

As I've mentioned above, it costs just a fraction of the price of store bought to make your own foaming hand wash. It does depend on where you source your ingredients but mine works out at about $0.17AU per 500ml bottle.

Lasts months

I am assuming this is because it foams so a little goes a long way but mine lasts at least two months a batch (unless one of the boys get to it and empty the whole bottle down the sink).

Mess-free for kids

Because it's foaming, it doesn't run off kids hands like other liquid soap so it's a lot easier for them to use. It's also a lot more fun!

Toxin free

I may have mentioned it already - making your own foaming hand wash means you know exactly what is in it and that it doesn't contain any nasties.

Smells amazing

If you use your own pure essential oils, you can make the most amazing scented foaming hand wash - not fake sea breeze or rich botanicals.

Really quick to make

Making a bottle of foaming hand wash literally takes less than 20 seconds (and that can probably include the time getting all the ingredients out if you're quick).

You can purchase empty foaming handwash bottles pretty much to suit any decor you like.

You could also use an empty foaming hand wash from the supermarket (just give it a good wash then fill with water and pump until there's no foam left).