Bacteria-Friendly Recipes: Homemade All-Natural Hand Soap

Don’t buy into the hype surrounding antibacterial hand soap, body wash, and other personal care products. While they are heavily promoted for ensuring the health and safety of you and your family, they’re not necessary. Quite the contrary — these antibacterial soaps may actually be harmful in the long run and it may be time to consider using an all-natural hand soap instead.

“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,” warns the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “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.”

These potential harms affect both the beneficial bacteria in your body, and the bacteria in the wider ecosystem:

• Antibacterial handsoap kill all bacteria, including the ones that play important roles in your wellness and immune system
• Antibacterial soap may lead to resistant “super” bacteria that are wreaking havoc in hospitals, schools, and other institutions, leading to increased infections and disease
• Antibacterial soaps may disrupt your endocrine system, negatively impacting your hormones
• Antibacterial soap, when washed down the drain, may harm the soil, rivers, and oceans

Instead of buying commercially made antibacterial hand soap, make your own all-natural hand soap at home! It gently cleanses, nourishes your skin, and supports a balanced bacterial ecosystem in and around you.

How to Make All-Natural Handsoap at Home

This recipe takes just a few minutes to put together, and can be adjusted to your own personal preferences.

In fact, you could even try different formulas, such as a soothing, lavender-scented hand soap in your bedroom bathroom and a minty, energizing all-natural hand soap for your kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup liquid castile soap (unscented or scented with essential oils of your choice)
• 1 tablespoon carrier oil (such as almond oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil)
• 1 tablespoon raw honey or liquid vegetable glycerin
• 10-15 drops of essential oil (optional, for fragrance)
• 1 cup distilled water
• Foaming soap dispenser

Instructions:

1. In a bowl or measuring cup, combine the liquid castile soap, carrier oil, and raw honey (or vegetable glycerin). Stir gently to mix the ingredients.
2. Add 10-15 drops of your preferred essential oil(s) if you desire a scented soap. Popular options include lavender, tea tree, lemon, or peppermint. Stir again to incorporate the essential oil(s).
3. Pour the distilled water into the soap mixture. Stir gently until well combined.
4. Carefully transfer the mixture into a foaming soap dispenser. You can find empty foaming dispensers online or reuse one from a store-bought foaming hand soap.
5. Close the dispenser tightly with the pump and gently shake it to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
6. Your all-natural hand soap is now ready to use. Pump a small amount onto your hands, lather well, and rinse with water.

Remember to shake the dispenser gently before each use, as some separation may occur over time due to the absence of synthetic stabilizers or emulsifiers in the recipe.

This all-natural hand soap is gentle on the skin and can be customized with different essential oils to suit your preferences.