I like to make my own liquid hand soaps because I can not only avoid chemicals that don’t do me any good, but I can also customize the scent, and other elements. Moreover, packaging these soaps creatively makes for a wonderful hostess gift.
To be clear, in this recipe, I am not making soap from scratch – I am using a base of a natural, unscented Castile soap. Castile soap got its name from the region in Spain where is was first created at the turn of the Century. Up until that time, soap was created using animal tallow. I purchase my liquid Castile soap from Dr.Bronner’s or Mountain Rose Herbs.
I have added two wonderful hydrating ingredients to my soap: Aloe Vera gel and vegetable glycerin. I have also added a blend of pure essential oils. I get my oils from Now Foods or Mountain Rose Herbs.
I found my pump bottles at Bed Bath & Beyond. They are glass with metal hardware because I wanted an antique feel for these soaps, but you can go with a more simple and less expensive bottle if you want.
Ingredients:
For a 16-ounce bottle of soap, you will need:
- 16 ounces of unscented liquid Castile soap
- 1 tsp Aloe Vera Gel
- 1 tsp vegetable glycerin
- 1/4 tsp each of the 2 oils you choose to blend into your soap: I made a refreshing blend with peppermint and lemon, and a sensual floral/earthy blend with geranium and sandalwood. If you want an antibacterial blend, use Lavender and Tea Tree oil.
Instructions:
Mix your ingredients in a glass measuring jug, and use a funnel to pour into your bottle.
I made this and I don\’t know if it is the oils or the aloe vera gel, but there is something that is not mixing well. I followed the recipe and mixed it well. the aloe vera gel I have is very thick; and no matter what I did it just looks like shavings of soap at the bottom of my bottle. I used Liquid Castile soap. Is this common in this soap recipe?