How to Make Foaming Hand Soap

How to Make Foaming Hand Soap with the VERY BEST Smelling Essential Oil Blends for Soap

Choose from 8 foaming hand soap recipes, grab an essential oil printable, and learn how to make foaming hand soap in a flash with the best-smelling essential oil blends for soap!

If you’re looking to learn how to make foaming hand soap so you can stop buying hand soap refills and fill a pretty foaming hand soap dispenser instead – you’re in the right place. And it’s even easier to make than essential oil bath salts or lip scrubs. Which are pretty darn easy to begin with! 

Homemade foaming hand soap is one of those things that are so simple to make yourself. After you make it the first time, you’ll never stop. 

If you’re going to dive into essential oil DIYs, how to make foaming hand soap is a great place to start! Not only is the process easy, but making hand soap refills is definitely cheaper than buying them. Plus, you’ll be doing the environment a favor by reducing waste (think no more plastic bottles) and saving water. Did you know foaming hand soap uses up to 45% less water per wash than regular liquid hand soap? 

So, start here with this easy-to-make foaming hand soap recipe using only the best smelling essential oils blends for soap!

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Which Essential Oils Are Best for Soap?

One of the best things about making your own DIY hand soap is that you can choose the scent! Start with a single essential oil such as eucalyptus, lemongrass, or lavender. Each is one of the best essential oils for soap. 

Or create your very own custom fragrance by blending essential oils. Check out our full-proof method for blending essential oils, and grab a free printable blending wheel from our essential oil library while you’re at it. 

If you are looking for a scent you’ll love all year round; you’ll adore these essential oils blends for soap we created. Not only do they smell fantastic, but we’ve made one for every room in the house with a sink. 

Related: Essential Oil DIY Confetti Soap Recipe

The Best Essential Oils for Soap Recipes

Whether it’s an easy foaming hand soap recipe you are making or a bar of soap like my recipe for fun DIY confetti soap, these are the best smelling essential oil blends for soap!

There’s a blend for everyone and every space you use hand soap in! 

Take, for Example –

Spiced Vanilla and Marshmallow Pumpkin are my go-to’s for the kitchen sink. Gum Drop and Liquid Sunshine are fruity fun blends for the kids’ bathroom.  And Antro Volcano and Renewal add a luxury feel to the hand soap in the guest bath and powder room. While Lavender Cloud and Rain Shower are our favorites for his and her soap dispensers in the master bath. 

Not to mention, it feels so good to swap out a plastic bottle for a gorgeous foaming hand soap dispenser like these! (Find more of our favorite foaming hand soap dispensers in the Look Book.) 

This is the be-all, end-all of essential oils blends for soap!! I know you’ll be reaching for these again and again. 

(P.S. Scroll down to grab a printable list of these essential oil blends to have at your next essential oil make-and-take class or pin them to share online.)

Print out this chart of essential oil blends for soap from the Oily Chic Library or pin for later to use as a quick reference for homemade soap scents. 

What if I don’t have these essential oils?

Here’s the thing, I personally use Young Living essential oils because of their high quality. They control EVERY aspect of the oil, from planting to pesticide-free farming to harvesting to distilling to testing to bottling… I can always trust they are safe for my skin and my family. If you want to join my Young Living family, you can do that right HERE!

But of course, you can easily swap out any essential oil you have on hand that is labeled skin-safe to make foaming hand soap. 

No matter which essential oils you choose, this foaming hand soap recipe will gently cleanse and moisturize your hands. 

How to Make Foaming Hand Soap with Essential Oils 

This DIY hand soap recipe I’m sharing with you is super quick and so simple to make, even if you’re new to essential oil DIYs. Honestly, it’s pour, drop, shake, and done! Even my five-year-old daughter knows how to make this foaming hand soap!! 

We usually gather our supplies and all the empty or low foaming hand soap dispensers in the kitchen. She fills the soap, I add each essential oil blend, and she tops each with water. And just like that, we’re done! 

Nothing to throw away, and no trip to the store means I create less waste, save money, and have more time for fun activities with my daughter. If that’s not a win, I don’t know what is. 

Essential Oil Foaming Hand Soap Instructions: 

1. Start by getting your foaming hand soap dispenser ready. Rinse out the container and the pump. And wipe down the outside of the bottle. You can also create a foaming hand soap bottle using a standard mason jar and lid designed with a pump like these. 

2. With your container ready, add ¼ cup of unscented castile soap. (You may need to use a funnel depending on the size of your soap dispenser. 

3. For a thicker foam and added moisturizer combine 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin with the soap. 

4. Next, add your essential oils. Choose from one of the best smelling essential oil blends for soap above. Or create your own blend by adding up to 25 drops of essential oil in total. 

5. Last, top with filtered or distilled water. Then place the pump back on the bottle and shake gently to mix.

This foaming hand soap recipe always leaves our hands feeling soft and clean. And there’s just something fun about using foaming soap. Don’t you agree? It’s just one of my simple essential oil DIYs that saves me time and money. 

More Essential Oil DIYs

DIY Essential Oil Perfume

How to Make Essential Oil Bath Bombs

Easy Makeup Brush Cleaner Recipe

Fall Favorite DIY Room Sprays

There’s more,

If you already have the supplies on hand, bottle up an extra foaming hand soap and add it to a care package, housewarming gift basket, or as a thoughtful teacher’s gift. I’ll know they’ll love it too! 

Have you made one of these foaming hand soap recipes? Which is your favorite? Tag #oilychic on Instagram to share yours with us. Oh, and don’t forget your essential oil printable above.