Homemade Men's Body Wash

    Do a simple google search for "homemade body wash" or "homemade liquid soap" and you'll find several entries. Most seem to follow a simple recipe: shred bar of soap, “melt” shredded soap, allow soap to “gel”, blend “gel” into “body wash”.  So with that in mind I embarked on my own quest to make a simple homemade body wash... well, at least sort of homemade (I did not mill the soap myself).


     Here are the ingredients and equipment required for the project:
Stock Pot with a Lid
Measuring Cups/Spoons
Hand or Box Grater
1 Cup of Shredded Soap (I grated a bar of Castile Soap)
Stick Blender (A standard blender could do in a pinch)
9-10 Cups of Water (or 4.5-5 Pints)
   * Thanks Diana!

     Optional:
* 1 Tablespoon of Men's Aftershave or Body Wash
* 1 Tablespoon of Almond or Olive Oil
* 2 Tablespoons of Glycerin, Aloe, or Xanthan Gum (as a Thickening Agent)
* A few Drops of Essential Oil

* WARNING *
BE VERY CAREFUL WHILE SHREDDING SOAP!!!
(I have shredded a fingertip and a fingernail during a moment of inattention.)

This is NOT a bag of illicit substances!  It is simply a collection of shredded soap.
Now on to the instructions:

1) Grate the bar of soap (I pass the time by shredding a bar of soap for the project while half-watching a television show.  Often I shred a few bars at a time to cut down on the time requirement for the next batch.)





2) Add the shredded soap and water to the stock pot, cover and cook over Medium-Low heat.  Remove the lid and stir occasionally.  Always check to make sure that it does NOT boil over or spill.  (I check on the body wash during television commercial break.)




3) After 25-30 minutes remove the stock pot from the heat.  Allow the soap slurry to cool.  Remove the lid and allow the mixture to "gel" overnight.  (It is important to REMOVE THE LID; I forgot to do that once and the mixture did not solidify for 3 days!)



4) After the mixture resembles a gelatin mold, add any of the optional ingredients, then blend until your heart is content.  (I used one tablespoon each of almond oil and some body wash from a cologne gift set I received for Christmas.)


There you have it!  Men's Body Wash, made simple(-ish).  In a follow-up to this article I will go over the pros and cons of this project and look at some variations to the recipe.  Thanks for checking out "Doin' Sh*t With Pat"~


Next Episode: Breakfast Protein Shake

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for the heads up! I updated the recipe... it's 9-10 cups or 4.5-5 pints of water. I usually use Glycerin or Aloe to help thicken the mixture, but lately I've been using 2 Tbsp of Xanthan Gum.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Was shocked to see your answer! Thanks so much! I have a spouse who is skeptical but willing to try this. He spends 3.50 an 18 oz bottle or more for bath soap. Kills me :-) So I am hoping to come up with a good alternative!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alrighty - I am in the middle of melting my castille soap bar & water (I also use Kirk's) - hubs asked me this morning if I would make him some body wash. Yay! I've been making my own 'stuff' since February, and I like to tweak most recipes to suit our specific needs. Hence, I have added shea butter (about 2T) and a few spoonfuls of coconut oil (unrefined). He wants the tea tree oil, and I am going to add orange essential oil as well, for a zesty smell, haha and maybe it will be a combination I will enjoy as well (less clutter in the shower)....wish me luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm curious how did it turn out? Did he like the smell? I'm looking for a good men's body wash recipe. Did you add in cologne/aftershave/pre-made body wash for smell or just the e.o.'s?

      Delete
    2. Missi, I used the aftershave and essestial oils simply for the smell. Usually I'll get down to the end of bottle of cologne and the nozzle will not reach the last few drops, so I'll crack it open and add it to a batch of Body Wash.

      Tamster may be able to speak to your other questions.


      Thanks for commenting!

      Delete