Homemade Body Wash: A Natural DIY Body Wash Recipe (2024)

A homemade body wash that is moisturizing and natural is simple to make. Also, DIY body wash saves money and is great for gift-giving.

I always crack up at those chewing gum commercials that ask, “Feeling dirty?” And their answer to cleaning up is to pop a piece of gum in your mouth. Sparkling teeth, yes. But do I want a sparkling clean body? No, not so much.

So how about getting an all-over clean feeling with a little homemade body wash? I swear it’s simple, not nearly as simple as popping in a piece of gum, but the results will surely make you more presentable.

If you have simplified your personal products, you’re probably wondering why a bar of soap won’t cut it. It will. But some of us just like a little something we can squirt on a washrag or a bath pouf to scrub a-dub-dub with. Furthermore, and it takes only a few minutes to make this liquid DIY body wash. In contrast, a batch ofhomemade bar soaptakes much more time to make!

With this combination of ingredients, this moisturizing homemade body wash is gentle enough to use on your face, and also makes a rich lathering shave soap. Because of this, on a recent camping trip, I used it as a facial cleanser, body wash, and shaving foam. So, it really cut down on the number of toiletries I had to pack!

Homemade Body Wash Ingredients

Honey

Honey is the secret ingredient in this recipe. Even more, we recently published an article about honey’s amazing benefits for the body, inside and out. In it, we note that honey helps your skin retain moisture and elasticity without drying it out. Which makes honey perfect for mature, dry, itchy, or damaged skin. Also, it can help speed the healing of blemished skin. Instead of making the homemade body wash sticky, honey just makes it nice and smooth. Lastly, be sure to use raw, unfiltered honey. (find raw honey here)

Liquid Castile Soap

Using a pure liquid castile soap will ensure your DIY body wash is sudsy, without the addition of chemical foaming agents. But feel free to use scented or unscented castile soap. Moreover, if using scented castile soap you can omit the essential oils, or keep them in for their added therapeutic benefits. (Note: Peppermint castile soap can be a little uncomfortably tingly on sensitive areas for some.)(find it here)

Carrier Oil

Adding an oil that is easily absorbed by the skin makes this body wash extra moisturizing. To list, two of my favorites are Jojoba and grapeseed oil. Because of the oil in this homemade body wash, you may find you don’t need to apply additional moisturizer afterward.(find it here)

Vitamin E Oil

First of all, vitamin E is a repairing and moisturizing oil. Further, it is also an antioxidant that helps elongate the shelf life of this homemade body wash, and any other homemade personal care products.Perfect as an addition to products during the summer or winter months when our skin may be more stressed by extreme temperatures and weather.(find it here)

Essential Oils

Many essential oils are perfect for troublesome skin conditions. For example, some of them soothe, repair, heal, disinfect, or deodorize skin.With this in mind, we included a list of beneficial essential oils to use in your DIY body wash at the end of this article.(find 100% pure essential oils here)

Essential Oils in Homemade Body Wash

When making your DIY body wash, keep your particular skin type in mind, and find a scent you enjoy.

If you’re using this body wash for your baby, you may want to omit the essential oils altogether, or just add a few drops of chamomile or lavender essential oil. Also, if children will be using homemade body wash, use half the suggested amount of essential oils.

To illustrate, my current favorite scent combination is 45drops of lavender and 15 drops of geranium essential oil. So, this creates a sweet floral DIY body wash that reminds me of summer flower beds. Use a single essential oil or have fun blending a few. Here are some suggestions:

Chamomile (German and Roman)

Great for dry and sensitive skin, acne, eczema, and dermatitis.

Geranium

Great for oily complexions, acne, mature skin, eczema, dermatitis, and other problematic skin conditions. It also brightens and revitalizes dull skin. A great addition to your homemade body wash.

Grapefruit

This essential oiltones the skin and is extremely cleansing for oily skin. If using the amount suggested in the above recipe, there is no phototoxic concern.

Lavender

Very gentle and good for all skin types, including very sensitive skin. Perfect for mature skin, acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Effective at soothing itchy skin.

Palmarosa

Stimulates new cell growth, moisturizes skin, and regulates oil production. This makes it a valuable essential oil for use in this homemade body wash or any DIY skin product.

Patchouli

Antimicrobial, astringent, fungicidal, and deodorant. Great for acne, cracked and chapped skin, eczema, oily skin, and mature skin.

Peppermint

Since peppermint is very strong, use only half the amount of essential oil called for in this homemade body wash recipe (or less). Cooling, refreshing, and stimulating. Has astringent properties, making it perfect for acneic skin. (Note: Avoid during the first 4 months of pregnancy.)

Rosemary

Rosemary is stimulating and restorative. Useful for acne, eczema, and dermatitis.(Note: Avoid during pregnancy. Do not use it if you are epileptic or have high blood pressure.)

Sandalwood

Useful for acne, dry, cracked, and chapped skin. Also great for wrinkles and mature skin.

Sweet Orange

One of the only citrus essential oils that arenotphototoxic, sweet orange is helpful for dull or oily skin. And how doesn’t love the smell of citrus in their homemade body wash?

Tea Tree

This antibacterial oil can be nicely blended with others like lavender and peppermint. Can be useful for acne, oily skin, rashes, and inflamed skin. Using too much may actually create a drying effect so you may need to experiment a little to find the right amount for your skin.

Ylang Ylang

Great for general skin care, irritated skin, oily skin, or acne. Since this oil is a strong scent, add a few drops at a time until the desired aroma is achieved. (You will need much less than the amount suggested in the above recipe.)

Make This Recipe Your Own

Don’t limit yourself to the essential oils or ingredients recommended in this recipe.Experiment with your favorite ingredients, and let us know how it turns out!

Have you ever made homemade body wash, what’s your favorite recipe?

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