A few days ago, I wrote about making and using do it yourself (DIY) hand soap. I talked briefly about the chemicals found in our soap products and about the benefits of castile soap and other natural ingredients. After I finished my experience with the hand soap, I thought to myself, "why not take it a step further? Sure, you're letting less toxins in through the skin of your hands, but what about the rest of your body?"
I knew it was time to try body wash.
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Our skin is the largest living and absorbing organism we have! Imagine what might happen long term if we eliminated these harsh chemicals, or imagine if we continued using them...
Here's a little recap from my post about hand soap:
Triclosan (and even small amounts of it) is the most discouraged additive to soaps and hand sanitizers. Not only is it bad for humans (even low levels can lead to thyroid issues, etc.), but once it gets into the environment (waste water treatments can't remove all of it), it is harmful to aquatic life.
Avoid fragrance. FDA laws allow the word "fragrance" on our labels to include whatever the product makers want. I don't even want to know the kinds of toxins that are included under that umbrella.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. There it is again. We talked about this in my toothpaste post, but apparently it's common in shampoos and soaps - basically anything that foams. It's the active ingredient in industrial strength soaps and garage cleaners. I would write more, but there's lots to say - I really read a lot about it. One helpful article I found was here.
I didn't want to take any chances, so I went ahead and made my own body wash too! Nothing wrong with that, right? Honestly, I made fun of myself a little bit, but it was a good time.
Again, it was worth the cost and took less time than driving to the store to get some.
Another shout out to J for modelling! How talented is he?!
I decided on a glass mason jar and pump attachment to avoid having to open and close a container every time. It was easy to use. Just one pump onto a loofah, lather it up, and you're good to go!
After using the body wash, I found the same thing to be true of my skin as I did with the hand wash - I felt moisturized and clean. I would also like to add that I smelled good post shower. :)
I can't wait to experiment more!
What you need:
1 cup Castile Soap (I use this Castile Soap brand from Amazon)
1 cup Distilled Water
4 TBSP Sweet Almond Oil
2 tsp Vitmin E Oil
20-30 drops Essential Oil of Your Choice*
*I used peppermint. If you use a citrus oil, be careful of the sun - I read that citrus oils could increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun
What to do:
1) Combine all the ingredients in a container (I use a large glass mason jar) and shake gently to mix.
2) To use, add a pump to a bath sponge or loofah.
I'll be sure to update you if I find something that works even better, but I am completely satisfied with what I conjured up here!
Did you try the hand soap? Do you think you'll try this too?
