DIY Foaming Hand Soap

I was given one of those containers of foaming hand soap for Christmas.  I loved it and the container is now empty.  I want more of that soap, but I refused to just chuck this perfectly fine container, to buy another one.  Then I came across this blog:  http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-to-make-your-own-natural-bodywash.html, which used Kirk's Castile Soap to make body wash.  I am very familiar with this wonderful soap, and the body wash idea was a good one, but her final note at the end the blog is what made me excited.  She said that if you took this liquid soap and watered it down even more, it would work in your foaming hand soap dispensers.  PERFECT!  Got out a bar of soap and made my own foaming soap for my foaming soap dispenser.  Make 6 cups, the soap costs $1.39 a bar, and this will fill the dispenser 12 times or 12¢ a pop, while a new dispenser and its soap runs $4-6 a container.  The container itself is recyclable, and the soap itself is all natural and has no drying residue when rinsed off.  YES! Let’s get started.

Step 1:

Supplies:
1 – 4 oz. (113 g) Bar Kirk’s Original Coco Castile Soap
6 cups water
2.5 quart sauce pan with lid
Empty foaming hand soap dispenser
Grater
Wooden spoon
Clean lidded containers (to store the liquid soap until needed)

Step 2:

Place the pan with the 6 cups water on the stove, with the lid on and set it to boil.

Step 3:

While the water is heating, grate the bar of soap into a pile of shavings.

Step 4:

Once the water is boiling, remove it from the heat and dump in the soap. 

Step 5:

Stir.  It only takes a couple of minutes for the soap to completely dissolve.  Let it set until cool.

Step 6:

My foaming soap dispenser holds 8oz. (226g) so; I poured 4 oz. (113g) of the liquid soap into the clean dispenser. 

Step 7:

Then I added 4 oz. of water.  

Step 8:

Inserted the pump

Step 9:

and then pushed down on the pump top and out came foamy soap. http://youtu.be/lbTkWrnVyPE

Step 10:

I washed my hands and they came out clean.  The rest of the soap went into glass containers with lids and labeled them for future reference. I also added some essential oils for fragrance.  I am so psyched.   I hope you ENJOY, because I will.

Comments

[jevenstulie]

I made this with an expensive bar soap and it set up thicker than hand lotion. Not sure what to do. How much can you dilute it and still get your hands clean? Thank you.

[loony1]

Another method for this is to use dish soap. Our dispenser holds right at 200ml finished product. We've been mixing ~about 30ml Dawn soap (antibacterial) in with tap water; ours is rural water that is softened by reverse osmosis. The color of the mixture is typically the same as whatever is in the bought container though I'm sure one could dye it further to match accordingly, but that kind of defeats the simple process.

[craftknowitall]

Great idea! Thanks!

[PURRFECTKATY23]

This really works!

[SophiaB7]

Thanks! I tried it yesterday and it worked! It moisturized my hands :) GREAT JOB!

[bonnie.figard]

i been making this for years, and some of the other home made things that on here, but it still nice to check it out in case you miss some thing, thank for sharing.

[RummagingAround]

I just get liquid hand soap and dilute it before putting it in my foamer.

[AmosLightnin]

This is great! I use Dr. Bronners diluted about 1:8 with the same dispenser, and it works great too.

[ErraticChromatic]

That's great! Thanks for mentioning- I love Dr. Bronners.

[ErraticChromatic]

This is rad. I always wondered what the secret was behind foam soap. Thanks for posting and doing the math!

[Childlike]

Great idea and thank you for posting it here!

[craftknowitall]

Thanks for sharing that info. I will be looking for other alteratives. Love the foam soap!