If you want to reduce the amount of toxins you’re exposed to everyday, one great way to start is by making your own body wash. Since washing our bodies is something we do everyday using store-bought body wash or bar soap that is filled with artificial ingredients and dangerous chemicals like cancer-causing parabens, think of how many toxins are entering your body at a daily basis!
Making your own body wash might seem intimidating…you might already be having countless questions running through your mind like, will it actually work? will get me clean? how long will it last? I can’t answer for other homemade body washes out there but what I can tell you is that this refreshing peppermint body wash does work very well – it gets you squeaky clean, smelling fresh and feeling energized especially when you use it right in the morning before work!
How to Make Your Own Body Wash with Essential Oils
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unscented liquid castile soap (where to get it)
- ¼ cup vegetable glycerine (where to get it)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (where to get it)
- ½ – 1 tsp guar gum (where to get it)
- 20 – 25 drops of peppermint essential oil (where to get it)
What Each of the Ingredients Does
» Liquid Castile Soap – A gentle cleansing liquid that’s purely plant based, liquid castile soap is very gentle and thoroughly purifies skin. It’s safe to use for sensitive skin types and for babies’ skin as well.
» Vegetable Glycerine – It makes the body wash lather better and gives it a silkier, thicker and creamier consistency.
» Coconut Oil – Rich in medium chain fatty acids, coconut oil is very moisturizing and penetrates deep into the skin, keeping it soft, smooth and supple. It also has a nice coco-nutty scent that goes well with peppermint.
» Guar Gum – It binds the ingredients together and makes the body wash solution thicker.
» Peppermint Essential Oil – A refreshing and invigorating essential oil, peppermint is a good option for a body wash, especially when you use it in your morning shower. It alerts your mind and awakens your senses. Peppermint cools & freshens the body and also helps with any breathing problems. Since it’s a powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial agent, peppermint essential oil also acts as a preservative in this body wash recipe!
Directions
- Get a large heatproof bowl and add the coconut oil in it. Put a pot containing ¼ cup of water on the stove top. Now rest the bowl over the pot. Heat the pot over a medium low flame until the coconut oil melts down.
- When it’s melting, add the vegetable glycerine and guar gum. Stir all the ingredients with a whisk until well-combined then turn off the flame.
- Remove the glass bowl from the pot and rest it on the kitchen counter.
- Slowly pour the unscented liquid castile soap into the bowl and give it a quick stir with the whisk.
- Now pull out your immersion blender and blend the ingredients until all the ingredients are well-incorporated into a foamy white mixture.
- Add the peppermint essential oil drops and blend again. Your whole workstation will fill up with the minty fresh scent of peppermint!
- Transfer your newly made all-natural body wash into a clean soap dispenser using a funnel.
- To use, pump a little on a bath sponge or loofah and lather up! Shake before each use.
Notes
- Play around with different essential oil scents. I chose to use peppermint essential oil because it’s invigorating, awakens your senses on groggy mornings and freshens skin. Feel free to use citrus oils to boost your mood and uplift your spirits, floral oils for a feminine scent or woody oils for a masculine scent. You can also create blends using different essential oils – both floral & woody oils mix beautifully with citrus oils.
- Want to reduce the amount of essential oil you use? You can purchase peppermint scented liquid castile soap to reduce the amount of peppermint essential oil to add to your body wash.
- Vegetable glycerine substitute. Instead of vegetable glycerine, you could try using aloe vera gel, which would work as a good substitute.
- Using another oil instead of coconut. I suggest using shea butter if you don’t have coconut oil on hand. You can also try a liquid oil like jojoba oil or even olive oil (this might make the body wash separate but as long as you shake it well before use, then it’s no bother).
- Shelf-life of this body wash. Since this body wash contains no water, is stored in a soap dispenser (hence keeping out contaminants like tap water) and has peppermint essential oil that prevents the rest of the ingredients from going bad, it’ll last a good long while – over 3 months in your bathroom. If you’re making a larger batch, then you can store the excess in the refrigerator.
Hope you’ve learned how to make your own body wash with essential oils! Leave a comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.