You may have heard of, and even tried, making face scrubs, hair masks or moisturizers at home with all natural ingredients. But did you know that you can also make body washes right at home? Making your own body wash is not only great for your wallet, it’s also fantastic for the skin. Since it’s made at home with natural ingredients, your skin will be saved from the torture of the many chemicals found in store-bought body washes. Instead of nourishing and hydrating the skin, most soaps contain harsh ingredients that can strip the skin off of its natural oils, leaving it dry and flaky.
Liquid castile soap is used in all of these recipes as it is extremely gentle, natural and creates suds (thus replacing the need for chemical foaming agents). You can use scented or unscented castile soap according to your preference. Here are some easy recipes to make body washes right at home with it.
1. Olive Oil Body Wash
Olive oil was known as “liquid gold” thanks to it’s many benefits from health to beauty. Not only is it a staple in many cuisines, giving flavor and health benefits, but it also contains tons of properties that can benefit the skin and hair. For one, it is rich in vitamin E and K, which are great in preventing aging and protecting the skin against damage. It’s also extremely hydrating, making your skin supple. You can mix olive oil with honey for that extra dash of hydration.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup organic virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup raw honey
- ½ cup liquid castile soap
- Peppermint oil, lavender oil, oregano oil, tea tree oil or any other essential oil of your choice
Directions
1. Mix olive oil with the essential oil of your choice.
2. In a glass bowl add the honey, olive oil, and castile liquid soap.
3. Whisk all the ingredients until they are blended well.
4. Pour the mixed ingredients into an empty jar and your homemade olive oil shower gel is ready.
5. To use, simply take a small amount on a wet sponge and work up a lather.
2. Citrus Body Wash
If you want to feel an extra zing after a shower, nothing beats a good citrus body wash. This body wash is easy to make, will leave you smelling amazing and will give your skin the extra nourishment that only vitamin E provides. Vitamin E protects the skin from being damaged by the sun, dirt, and pollution. If you are on the lookout for soap with anti-aging properties and antioxidant benefits, look no more because the citrus body wash is the ultimate for all your skin woes.
Ingredients
- 8 ounce liquid castile soap
- 40 drops orange essential oil
- 3 droppers of vitamin E oil
- 40 drops grapeseed essential oil
Directions
1. Make sure you use a glass measuring container for this recipe because citrus ingredients tend to react with plastic.
2. Once you pour the liquid soap into the glass container, you add the essential oils and mix thoroughly.
3. Pour the mixed ingredients into an empty glass jar and place in the shower to be used every day.
3. Honey Body Wash
The many benefits of honey for the body (both inside and out) are numerous. For one, honey is extremely helpful to retain moisture and elasticity of the skin.1 If your skin troubles include itchy, dry or damaged skin, honey should definitely be part of your beauty regime. What’s more, the anti-inflammatory qualities of honey make it perfect for skin that’s prone to breakouts.2 If you have blemishes and redness already, using honey will help heal the skin faster. Make sure that you only pick up raw, unfiltered honey.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw honey
- 2 teaspoons sweet almond oil
- 50 drops lavender essential oil
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
- ⅔ cup liquid castile soap
Directions
1. Gather the above ingredients in the quantities mentioned and mix them in a bowl.
2. Once mixed well, pour the mixture into a soap dispenser bottle and it will be ready to be used.
4. Sea Salt Body Wash
If you are looking for a body wash that can also be doubled as a scrub, sea salt body wash is the way to go. Dead sea salt (obtained from the Dead Sea) is the best of the sea salts because it has over 80 minerals (including potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and bromine) which will nourish the skin. Not only does sea salt help get rid of the dead skin cell buildup, leaving your skin feeling nourished, glowing and rejuvenated, but it also improves the blood circulation.
Sea salt also has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties which means that you can say goodbye to itching, infections, and inflammations of the skin. It works great on acne prone skin as it unclogs pores, regulates oil production of the skin, and removes acne-causing bacteria. Using seas salt regularly on the skin will also improve uneven skin tone and helps treat eczema as well.3
As good as sea salt is for the skin, make sure that you avoid getting it on your hair as it can sometimes dry out your hair.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sea salt
- Few drops of essential oil (orange oil, sandalwood oil, cedarwood oil, lemon oil or grapefruit oil for example)
- ¼ cup jojoba oil
- ½ cup castile soap
Directions
1. Get the above-mentioned ingredients in a bowl and blend well.
2. Pour the mixture into a glass jar that you can keep in the shower or in a squeeze top bottle.
5. Aloe Vera Body Wash
For centuries, the Aloe vera plant has been used for its beauty and medicinal properties. It has been proven effective in treating everything from sunburn, wounds, minor skin infections, eczema, dandruff, psoriasis, and skin ulcers. Packed with glycerin, sodium palmate, sodium carbonate, and rich antioxidants, aloe vera works wonders for moisturizing, restoring elasticity, lightening blemishes and reducing fine lines. It is gentle enough to be used even for sensitive skin and skin prone to breakouts or rashes.4
Ingredients
- ¼ cup aloe vera gel
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
- ¾ cup liquid castile soap
- Your choice of essential oil, such as rosemary or peppermint (about 25 drops)
Directions
1. Add the aloe vera gel to your soap base.
2. Add vitamin E oil and essential oil.
3. Mix well and transfer it to an empty jar or a squeeze bottle.
These body washes are so gentle that it can be used on the face as well! You can also use it as a lathering shave soap. That means that if you are on the road, you just need to carry one container for all of these needs.
References
