Everyone has upped their handwashing game amid the current health crisis (I mean you should be washing your hands anyway though). So I thought I would share a recipe for making your own DIY handwash and hand cream to moisturise your digits from all the handwashing.

So, this post will be split into the two DIY handwash and hand cream recipes. Both are really easy to make, with the hand cream taking just that little bit longer than the handwash.

Now, why should you wash your hands? This is pretty self- explanatory but washing your hands can help reduce the number of germs on your hands. Therefore there are fewer germs that can be spread through hand to hand contact. This is especially important in today’s current climate amid the outbreak of Covid-19. I know it might sound like I am jumping on the bandwagon of the Coronavirus, but I have been wanting to make liquid soap for some time now, and I thought it was quite fitting with the times.

To go along with handwashing is a recipe for a hand cream. With excessive handwashing and using hand sanitizer, your hands will become dry. Take it from me who has to maintain good hand hygiene during my working life. To protect those hands adding a bit of hand cream can make all the difference.

So, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get on with the first DIY.

DIY Handwash

Now, this hand wash only has a few ingredients and has the main ingredient of Castile soap. Castile soap is a non-toxic, biodegradable soap that is completely natural. It was originally made from olive oil deriving from the Castile region of Spain, where it gets its name. Nowadays it is made from various other oils like coconut oil. You can get it in bar form and liquid form, this DIY is using the latter. Castile soap should be diluted to use safely.

This recipe also calls for other oils; such as almond oil and essential oils to scent. The essential oils are optional if you want a simple unscented version of this. Because of the ingredients used in this DIY, you may (will) find that this DIY handwash is a lot runnier than that of liquid handwash you will find in the stores. I don’t mind the thinness of the soap, but Soap Queen has a fab post on how to thicken your soap base.
Now, it should also be noted that adding water to your handmade products can increase the likelihood of bacteria growing in your products. There are preservatives to use; however, I am not fully up to speed with which one would work best in this product. All other recipes I have seen for Castile handwash add water without preservatives.

What you will need:

With that said; here is what you will need to make this handwash:
*Items marked with (*) are affiliate links, which mean if you make a purchase of the product using the link I may receive a small amount of commission. This is at no extra cost to you.

• 3/4 cup Liquid Castile Soap*
• 3/4 cup Distilled water or cooled boiled water
• 1 Tbs Vitamin E oil*
• 1 Tbs Almond oil*
• 10 – 20 drops each of Lavender and Grapefruit essential oils
• Soap Dispenser*

Step 1 – Add Water to your soap dispenser:

First, you want to prep your soap dispenser. I bought mine from Amazon, and although they are new, they still need a clean and sterilising. Then you want to take you distilled water (ideally) or cooled boiled water (which is what I use) and fill the dispenser halfway. This will equal about 3/4 measuring cups.

Step 2 – Add Castile soap:

Now, it is time to add in your Castile soap. You want to add the same amount as water so 3/4 cup. Add this in carefully so that it does not begin to bubble and foam. If you add the Castile soap before the water, you run the chance of a huge bubbly mess before you have added all the water into your dispenser.

Step 3 – Add in oils

Next, you want to add in your vitamin E oil and almond oil into the mix. Then, grab your essential oils and add these into the soap dispenser too. I found that the essential oils seem to become stronger in scent the longer the soap is left. Also, you want to be careful with the amount you are adding; as you want the concentrations to be safe on your skin. Add between 10-20 drops of each essential oil. The almond oil will act as a bit of carrier oil to the essential oils, as well as a moisturising element to the soap.

Step 4 – Shake and use:

Place on your dispenser spout, making sure this is securely fastened to the bottle. Then, give the mixture a bit of a shake to combine all the ingredients together. You will see the soap foam a little in the bottle. Also when using the soap, you will need to give it a little shake regularly when you are using it, usually just before you use it. You may also notice the mixture split with the oils sitting on the top, a quick shake will help disperse the ingredients.

Then you are ready to wash your hands until your heart is content. Now, as I said before the liquid will appear quite thin when using, but it will still lather perfectly and clean your hands.

DIY Hand Cream

So now that your hands are drying out from all the handwashing, it is time to moisturise them back up with DIY hand cream. Now, I am calling this a hand cream, but it is more like a thick body butter consistency. Packed full of nourishing oils to replace all the moisture being stripped from your hands and leaves a lovely smell with the essential oils used.

What you need:

This recipe fills one of the larger Lush pots. I like to re-use my Lush pots for my handmade goodies, but you could use any jar to store your hand cream in.
*Items marked with (*) are affiliate links, which mean if you make a purchase of the product using the link I may receive a small amount of commission. This is at no extra cost to you.

• 85g Coconut Oil
• 50g Shea Butter*
• 28g Olive Oil
• 3.5g Grated Beeswax*
• 1.6ml Essential Oil – Lavender & Rose Geranium*

Step 1 – Melt Oils, Butter and Wax:

To start, you want to place a small bowl over a small pan of hot water, bain-Marie style. Then place in your beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil and olive oil. Allow these to melt completely. You may find that the beeswax takes a bit longer to melt, so always place this in first before the other ingredients.

Step 2 – Add essential oils:

Once everything has melted down, you want to remove it from the heat. Set aside and allow it to cool slightly. Then add in your essential oils. I chose to add lavender and rose geranium essential oils; as I love the smell of them. Because the rose geranium is slightly stronger in scent than the lavender; I added less of this. Use a pipette to measure out the oil; I added 1ml of lavender and 0.6ml of rose geranium.
Make sure that you don’t add more essential oil than 1% of the total weight of all the ingredients. This makes it safe for your skin, any higher and you could damage your skin.

Mix the melted mixture thoroughly to combine the oils together. Then set aside and allow to cool completely and so that the mixture is semi-set. This can take a few hours if left on the side; so you can cover the bowl and place it in the fridge or freezer to speed up the process. Make sure you don’t allow it to completely set; as you will have to melt it back down a little to get the right consistency.

Step 3 – Whisk mixture

When you have got the right set mixture, it is time to whip it up. Use an electric mixer to do this, just ensure that it is only used for your beauty DIYs and not cakes. You really don’t want to contaminate your cakes with the scents of essential oils!

Mix up your mixture so that it resembles soft peaks and whipped cream. Try not to over whip it; as it will become very stiff and more difficult to spread onto your skin.

When you re happy with the consistency of the cream, place it into your waiting container. Make sure that this has been sterilised beforehand. I use 99% rubbing alcohol to do this.
Then your DIY hand cream is ready to use and moisturise those hands!

So, there you have how to make your own DIY handwash and hand cream.

What do you think? Will you be giving these a go? What scent would you put into yours? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY Handwash and Hand Cream Video:

Here is the video version of this post. Be sure to check out my Youtube Channel for other DIYS, crafts and travel antics!

Pin it:

• 

• 

• 

If you would like to see some more soap recipes why not check out Layered Soap with Embeds and Sushi Soap?

Until next time,