Did you know that you only need 3 ingredients to make your own DIY Liquid Hand Soap? It's so easy to make your own, and this non-toxic lemon scented hand soap is sure to become your favorite!
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There are so many amazing hand soaps on the market now, but the truth is, many of them are filled with toxic chemicals that I can't even pronounce. I've been making my own non-toxic home cleaning solutions for years, and this is by far one of the easiest! You only need 3 ingredients to make it, and the great thing about the ingredients for this hand soap recipe is that you can use them to make other household cleaners that can be found HERE on my Cleaning Page. For my hand soap, I wanted a lemon scent, but you can absolutely use different essential oils to change up the scent. Some of my favorite scents are lavender, orange, lemongrass, vanilla, rosemary-mint, and lemon-mint. I'm also working on some fall scent mixtures that I'll be sharing soon. Make sure you sign up for my emails at the end of this post so you don't miss them!
If you are looking for a Homemade Hand Sanitizer Recipe, you can find mine HERE! It only has 3 ingredients and is super easy to make!
How to Make Homemade Hand Soap Video
What's in DIY Liquid Hand Soap?
- ¾ cup of water
- ¼ cup of Castile soap ( Purchase HERE )
- 20 drops of lemon essential oil ( Purchase HERE )
- soap dispenser ( Purchase HERE )
How do you make liquid hand soap?
First, you will need a soap dispenser. You can use a regular hand soap dispenser or a foaming hand soap dispenser. Just rinse out an old soap dispenser to use, or you can purchase some HERE.
Step 1 - Pour ¾ cup of water into the soap dispenser.
Step 2 - Add ¼ cup of Castile soap.
Step 3 - Add 20 drops of essential oils. You can use lemon like I did, which helps remove food odors and is super fresh, or you can experiment with other essential oils and mix and match scents.
Step 4 - Shake well and replace soap dispenser lid.
This easy homemade liquid hand soap is so delicate on skin and is safe for children as well. You could even let your kids mix their own soap...maybe it would encourage them to wash their hands more often ;) This soap also makes a nice gift for friends and family.
If you make your own soap using this recipe, I'd love to hear what scents you use...just comment below!
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Christine K.K.W. says
How is this for removing greasy residue from hands when trimming meats, chicken, etc., or cleaning greasing pans? There is a big difference between (Castile) soap and detergents, but I'd really like to find something less harsh for kitchen hand washing.. I'm new to trying do-it-yourself products, but I am interested in making a change.
Jessica says
I love it! The lemon essential oils have bacteria killing properties and the Castile soap creates a nice lather to help wash your hands well. It's super gentle on skin as well. It isn't as thick as most hand soap, but lathers so nicely. Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any more questions!
Mikayla says
Does this soap need a foaming soap dispenser or not?
Thank You!
Jessica says
If you use a foaming soap dispenser, it will foam, but it isn't necessary to use one. If you use a regular hand soap dispenser, it will still work :)
Ruby says
Would Jonson's shampoo work as an alternative to Castile soap as we don't have it here in the UK.
Jessica says
You could definitely give it a try...or use dish liquid. Both should work well!
Toni says
We do have Castile soap in the U.K. It can be bought on Amazon UK And many other people supply it..
Just google dr bronner they also have a UK site..
Estelle Stone says
Hello. Why do you put water in the mix? Doesn't water introduce bacteria? I was just curious. Thank you.
Cherie says
I’ve seen on other recipes that a tiny bit of salt is added to help emulsify the other 3 ingredients. What are your thoughts?
Jessica says
Some people add some salt to their soap to thicken it like the store bought soaps, and it is totally fine. I prefer to leave it out and don't mind the soap being a little thinner...it still does the job of cleaning. It's totally up to you! xoxo, Jess
Kelly Cofield says
Jessie where do you get your bottles? I have some but it looks like your's holds more Thank You Kelly
Jessica says
Hi, Kelly! I bought the bottles that are in the photos at IKEA for $2 a piece. In the post, I also linked to some that are available on Amazon, where I usually get them. Hope this helps!
Mike says
Can this be used as a body wash
Mike says
Can this be used on dishes or in a dishwasher
Karen says
Hello!! I just made this soap and it’s so great! I used citrus Dr. Bronners Castile Soap and lemon essential oil in one then blood orange essential oil in another. Both are amazing! Thank you!
Debbi Okubo says
What do you use to make vanilla scent?
Thank you for your help?
Sher says
Vanilla essential oil
patricia mcloughlin says
Is this saop good for the Coronavirus.
Thank you
Patti
Debbie says
Yes and no. The CDC is recommending hand sanitizer with no less than 70% alcohol. However, they also say that regular soap and water works great. So if you’re a frequent hand washer In every day household situations,I think it would be fine. I’m making it because lemon is antiviral.
DJ says
Do you use regular water or distilled water
Linda Pietrocola says
I like the hand soap but it's much too thin. I added a pinch of salt but it still didn't thicken it up. Any other suggestions for thickening it like glycerine?? Thanks.
Sher says
I always add a little glycerin.
Darla says
Can I just reuse a plastic handsoap dispenser or will the essential oil break down the plastic?
Jessica says
Reusing a soap dispenser should work just fine :)
gina says
can the receipt be doubled or tripled? I have a big family and we all use the kitchen sink.
thanks, Gina
Lisa says
Jessica, hello my name is QueenKelz and I want to Personally Thank You For Sharing your Recipes, there hasn’t been not 1 of yours that I have Used and didn’t love. And if there’s any1 that has questions do your research on what works best together. Thanks Again Blessings
Kristy Morey says
Does this need a preservative since it has water in it?
Becky says
Will this work in my regular soap dispensers, or does it need to be a foaming dispenser?
Jessica says
For this recipe, a foaming dispenser works best! xoxo, Jess
Tabitha Kipke says
I just made this and I think it’s amazing! I love the light feel and clean, lemon smell. I will definitely make it again, especially as easy as it is to make. Thank you for sharing this!
Nathalie says
Hi, did the soap but find it’s a little too much liquid, is there a way to have the soap a little more thicker. Thanks
Oliver Jane says
The process of making liquid soap from scratch requires a certain item. Potassium hydroxide is the name of this component.
While potassium hydroxide is used to provide the soap the capacity to liquify, especially when coupled with water, sodium hydroxide is employed to make solid soap bars.
https://thesoapco.org/diy-homemade-liquid-hand-soap