DIY Hand Soap with Castile Soap

Learn how to make your own diy hand soap with Castile soap, for less than three dollars using just 2 natural ingredients. This diy Castile hand soap is one of the easiest natural swaps you can make for your home, plus it’s simple and quick to make!

Hand soap is a great place to start reducing harmful chemicals in your home. It’s simple and quick to make, plus it requires very little upfront costs.  

In fact, this hand soap takes less than 5 minutes to make 1 dispenser or more if you have multiple to fill up around your home. I have been using this soap for over a year now, and it’s saved me so much money. Not to mention reducing my plastic usage by reducing the need for refillable hand soap bottles. 

If you enjoy the scent of your hand soap don’t worry you can add natural essential oils to your homemade version (check out my suggestions below). These are better for our health and well-being than harsh fake chemical scents. You also have the option to keep your diy hand soap unscented if you prefer. That’s the beauty of making your own! 

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DIY Hand Soap with Castile Soap

When I discovered Castile soap, it was an exciting day. I’ve slowly been making natural swaps in my home, and this DIY Castile hand soap is one of my best. 

As a lifelong battler of dermatitis, I prioritise using natural products on my skin. Making the swap from harsh store-bought hand soaps to homemade Castile hand soap has been a real game changer for my skin. No more dry, irritated skin!

I find Dr Bronner’s tea tree or lavender Castile soaps lovely to use as they already have essential oils in them. The perfect option if you don’t have any on hand to reduce upfront costs. If you want to invest in essential oils, I would recommend investing in an essential starter kit.

What is Castile Soap?

Castile soap is a natural, versatile soap made from organic vegetable oils like coconut oil, olive oil and jojoba oil. This soap can be used for washing, cleaning, and even brushing your teeth! Since it’s all-natural, it’s great for people with sensitive skin, like myself. 

My personal favourite is Dr Bronner’s Castile soap range, which is available in a variety of different scents. Dr Bronner’s are well known for producing ethically and environmentally responsible products that are fair trade and organic. All scents are made from essential oils, not fake chemicals. 

For this DIY Castile hand soap, I used the tea tree scent to help with the healing of the skin. Lavender rose and peppermint is great options too. 

You can find unscented Castile soap if you would prefer to keep yours unscented or to make your own essential oil blend.

Is Castile Soap Antibacterial?

Castile soap is not antibacterial. It works by repelling oils away from the skin. Germs and bacteria are coated in a lipid layer, which is an oil. Soap will attach to these germs or bacteria and repel them away when washed with water (Source). Add beneficial essential oils like tea tree, eucalyptus or peppermint to help make your solution antibacterial. 

Note: Always check what essential oils you are going to use, as some are toxic to pets.  

Why Is My Diy Hand Soap Separating? 

No need to worry. This happens to my hand soap all the time. The water tends to sit on top of the Castile soap after a few days. To fix this give the soap dispenser a few good shakes to recombine everything back together. 

DIY Hand Soap With Castile Soap Ingredients

The full printable recipe card with measurements is down below.

• Castile soap
• Filtered water
• Essential oils (optional if using unscented Castile soap)  
• Glass soap dispenser (or recycle one you already have)

Tip: Add 2 tablespoons of olive or jojoba oil for moistening! 

DIY Castile Hand Soap Recipe 

1. Add Castile soap and filtered water to a measuring jug. 
2. Add in the essential oils of your choice. 
3. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. 
4. Pour into a soap dispenser. 

Note: You could use a foaming soap dispenser, but I have been using my standard dispenser for over a year and had no trouble. If you prefer a foaming soap, I recommend using a soap dispenser like this one. 

Ready-Made Hand Soap Vs Castile Hand Soap

Ready-made hand soap pros: It is readily available from your local supermarket or pharmacy. There are lots of scents and types to choose from, like coconut scented or peppermint. It is usually affordable. 

Cons: Typically filled with chemicals that dry out our skin. They don’t provide the health benefits that come with using essential oils. 

Ready-made hand soap pros: Affordable to make many batches from very few natural ingredients, and takes less than 5 minutes to make. Includes the use of essential oils that can benefit our health. Handmade soap can be poured into a reusable glass soap dispenser. 

If your wanting to reduce chemical use in your household and add extra health benefits by using essential oils in your home, making your own hand soap is the way to go. 

Best Essential Oils for Hand Soap

• Lavender – Lavender is calming, with a clean and fresh scent. It promotes healing and regeneration of the skin, especially dry, inflamed or cracked skin. Plus, it has antibacterial properties and can help strengthen our immune systems. 
• Tea Tree – Tea Tree is fresh, purifying and antiseptic, making it a great essential oil to add to your hand soap. It blends well with lemon and lavender. 
• Lemon – Uplifting, refreshing, and energising; lemon essential oils are perfect for your hand soap. Not only that, it is antiseptic as well.
• Eucalyptus – Eucalyptus oil has a fresh, sweet scent and will kill germs. This is my favourite oil to add to my homemade hand soap. It blends well with lavender and tea tree. 
• Peppermint – Fresh, relaxing, and invigorating. Peppermint essential oil is excellent for removing grease or grime. It’s perfect for helping heal minor cuts and scrapes.  

More Homemade Natural Recipes:

• Coffee Sugar Scrub
• Lip Sugar Scrub
• 29 Uses for Distilled White Vinegar
• DIY Natural Shampoo with Castile Soap
• Homemade Shower Scrub Cleaner with Essential Oils