DIY Foaming Hand Soap (with essential oils)
Do you want to reduce you and your family's exposure to toxic chemicals? Yeah, I'm right there with you.
I spend a lot of effort to buy organic groceries, cook healthy meals from scratch so I know what the ingredients are, drink out of stainless steel or glass water containers, use fragrance-free laundry detergent, and the list goes on...
But did you know that we are inundated with chemicals from seemingly everywhere?? According to The Environmental Working Group (EWG.org), "The average woman uses 12 products containing 168 unique ingredients every day."
There is no way to completely eradicate your exposure to chemicals in your daily life, but you CAN reduce your daily exposure, and I have one super-easy way to help you out with that.
But shouldn't I buy anti-bacterial soap?
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there isn’t enough science to show that over-the-counter (OTC) antibacterial soaps are better at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water. To date, the benefits of using antibacterial hand soap haven’t been proven. In addition, the wide use of these products over a long time has raised the question of potential negative effects on your health.
Some short-term animal studies have shown that exposure to high doses of triclosan is associated with a decrease in the levels of some thyroid hormones. Other studies have raised the possibility that exposure to triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Good thing triclosan was banned in 2017!
“Following simple handwashing practices is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness at home, at school and elsewhere,” says Theresa M. Michele, MD, of the FDA’s Division of Nonprescription Drug Products. “We can’t advise this enough. It’s simple, and it works.”
There is more than just triclosan to avoid in store-bought soaps
The soaps you can find commonly in grocery stores, pharmacies, and even health stores often contain Fragrances, Parabens, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Methylisothiazolinone & Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Cocamidopropyl betaine, and more.
Considering that your skin is your largest organ—22 square feet on average—and 60 percent of the substances you put on it are eventually absorbed into the bloodstream, we should definitely be paying attention to what chemicals we are lathering on our skin. These chemicals have been shown to disrupt our hormones, promote allergies, lead to reproductive issues, increase the risk of some cancers, and more.
I'll pass, thanks.
The solution: DIY Foaming Hand Soap
You might be thinking by now that there is no hope and we shall all either live with dirty hands or suffer the consequences of a potential barrage of chemicals.
Fear not! This blog is all about making healthy easy! I have an easy, cost-effective, and non-toxic solution for you...
Watch this 5-minute video to learn how you can easily make a DIY foaming hand soap with essential oils. Plus, I bet it takes you a total of 30 seconds once you've assembled the ingredients.
How to make a DIY Foaming Hand Soap (with essential oils)
GET YOUR SUPPLIES:
8-10oz glass foaming soap dispenser
1/4 cup Castille soap
1 Tbsp Almond oil (for beauty and skincare)
25 drops doTERRA On Guard essential oil (or other essential oil/combination of essential oils)
6oz water
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER:
Add the water to the glass container first. (To prevent creating a lot of bubbles!)
Then slowly and carefully add the Castille soap and almond oil.
Finally, add the essential oils and gently swirl to mix.
That's it! Seriously, I told you it would be fast.
Spread the smells
This soap not only cleans your hands well, but it smells amazing! You will actually look forward to washing your hands. No joke!
Put one of these DIY foaming hand soaps in every bathroom, next to the kitchen sink, and anywhere else you wash your hands.
With the refillable glass bottles, you will soon see financial savings from DIY-ing your hand cleansing options instead of buying hand soap from the store.
So, we have reduced you and your family's exposure to toxic chemicals, saved you money, and lifted your mood with great smells coming from the bathroom! My job here is done.
Cheers,
⬇︎
