2016 Note: This post was first published back in 2013 as I was just learning how to DIY in my bathroom. Since that time I’ve learned a lot about making homemade products, including the safety side of ingredients. While this recipe is extremely gentle and luxurious, and many folks have loved this body wash, it must be used very, very quickly due to the coconut milk. This is a fun DIY to make and freeze, and pull out in a small batches to use “in the moment.” You can find my current body wash recipe over here.
Being a mom is dirty business.
Literally.
Within a few hours minutes I can go from fresh, clean and smelling fabulous to, “When’s the last time she bathed?” How is it that every piece of dirt, marker, food crumb, and well, you know what else, ends up being worn by mom? I truly cherish the dirt and whatever else happens to find its way onto my skin, clothes, and hair, each day. Let me rephrase that. I truly cherish the little people who lovingly adorn me with such well-earned souvenirs. This OCD (or is it CDO?) woman is truly learning to embrace the dirt that comes with the role of mommy-hood.
While I truly am learning to love this stage of dirtiness and fun, I am all for a good scrub down. You’re welcome, honey.
This past year I have been challenged to “clean-up” the non-food items in our home. I’m talking about the products we use on our bodies: soaps, toothpastes, lotions, deodorants, and make-up. Anything that comes in contact with our skin and within seconds our bloodstream.
Nothing like a super clean system filled with pastured, organic meats and good fats, organic fruits, and veggies, soaked organic whole grains, fermented and proboitic goodies and then adding in a large dose of daily toxins.
As I have shared in the past, I have fallen in love with developing my own recipes for toothpaste, lotion, lip balm, and laundry soap. I’ve even ventured down the road of making my own make-up. I’ve also found a local lady who makes wonderfully nourishing homemade soaps. Life has been good.
My beloved soap lady went on vacation last month. I intended to order lots of back-ups, but life got the best
of me, and I forgot. After a few days of grieving and wondering how I would survive a month, inspiration came knocking on my natural door. I decided to try making my own soap, more of a body wash to be exact.
I have a great love for Dr. Bronner’s Soap. If you haven’t tried Dr. Bronner’s you really must. No toxic ingredients and a thousand and one uses (okay, maybe more like ten) for just one bottle of soap. This body wash uses Dr. Bronner’s as well as coconut milk as the main ingredients. Please buy real coconut milk , usually found in a can, not the coconut beverage sold in cartons.
This soap is gentle enough I have also been using it on my children. The lavender is perfect for a nighttime bath!
Nourishing Homemade Body Wash
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk canned
- 2/3 cup castile soap I prefer the lavender or Baby Mild
- 3 tsp vitamin E oil
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 2 tsp vegetable glycerin optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bottle. Shake and use on a washcloth.
- This body wash has a very short lifespan since it lacks preservatives and contains coconut milk, so it's best to keep this body wash in the fridge and use it within a week. If you don't think you'll use this body wash quickly, reduce the recipe, or freeze the extra in an ice cube tray to defrost in small batches. See the 2016 note below. The glycerin may be left out if you don't have any on hand. As an alternative, you can use a nourishing oil, like jojoba, almond, or olive oil.
Notes
*This recipe needs to be used quickly due to the coconut milk. If you’re looking for a body wash that can be stored at room temperature with a longer shelf-life, I recommend use this recipe.
2016 Note: This post was first published back in 2013 as I was just learning how to DIY in my bathroom. Since that time I’ve learned a lot about making homemade products, including the safety side of ingredients. While this recipe is extremely gentle and luxurious, and many folks have loved this body wash, it must be used very, very quickly due to the coconut milk. This is a fun DIY to make and freeze, and pull out in a small batches to use “in the moment.” You can find my current body wash recipe over here.
With the cleaning power of Dr. Bronner’s and the antibacterial properties and hydrating moisture of coconut milk mixed with the antioxidant powers of Vitamin E and Essential Oil, this body soap is a perfect combo for both fighting the dirt and helping this mom relax at the end of a fun, messy day.
More DIYs You May Like:
Homemade Honey and Aloe Facial Cleanser
DIY Homemade Facial Cleansing Wipes
Hi there! I just saw this recipe on your site and am pumped to try it out! I was reading through the comments though and saw that some of the men aren’t a fan of this wash. Do you have a recipe that is man friendly? I’m trying to slowly but surely get my husband onto the natural side of hygiene products. It’s a process but if you have any recommendations I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
Hey Holly, I think the “man issue” 😉 comes from the scent. Most men aren’t too fond of lavender. You could leave out an essential oil (and scent) or try something like patchouli.
Also, my husband uses the Almond scent of Dr. Bronner’s and likes it just fine (although we use it straight currently, will be trying the wash). If you’re lucky enough to live near a Whole Foods, New Seasons, or other health food store, you can smell the different scents Bronner’s carries to see if there is one he likes (I believe the common scents available are unscented, almond, citrus, lavender, rose, and peppermint).
Hi,
Just wondering about the can of coconut milk. Do you shake and use the milk after shaking, or do you let the can get cold, then scoop away the solids? I never really get the best way to use coconut milk in recipes, especially because of how it separates.
Thanks again….oh, and so glad your website got back up and running after the internet killed it for a bit 🙂
Hey Lynda,
Unless a recipe calls for coconut cream (which means you’ll want scoop just the top thick stuff from the can), shake the can first. For this recipe you’ll want both the milk (on the bottom) and the cream (on the top), so shake the can first and then open it. Hope that helps :).
I’m so glad the site is back up too!
I have all these ingredients for my shampoo that I use except the glycerin. Is it necessary? Do you think it will be sudsy enough with out it?
Hey April, You can leave the glycerin out of the recipe. The suds won’t be similar to store-bought body wash, but the body wash will still clean wonderfully. Enjoy!
Thank you! 😀
Just made this today. I have VERY hard water so I tweaked it some. I kept washing my hands after each ‘tweak’ to see how it felt lol. Anyway, I ended up using the whole can of milk, doubled the glycerin and added about 1/3 cup of Avocado oil (that’s what I had on hand). I also used the unscented Dr Dronners and then added my own essential oils for fragrance. I used a few drops each of Lavander and Bergamont. Since I’ve made so much I’ll just smell it each day to make sure it hasn’t ‘gone bad’ 😀
Love love love your recipes so far! I have been making my own deoderant and laundry soap for a little over a year and am excited to add more DIY recipes to my every day living!
Thank you and keep up the awesome work!
Hey Sue, Your body wash creation sounds awesome! Thank you for sharing how you adapted the recipe. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes :)!
Hi Kristin– I tried this and ended up smelling very clinical and soapy afterwards and not the oils that I added in to it. I used Plant Therapy’s Lemon and Lavender EO’s. Any suggestions?
I use Dr brohners for my foaming hand soap. I tried using it as a body wash, but it leaves a film so I am literally squeaky. Will the coconut milk and/or other ingredients help that not happen?
Hi there, thank you for the post – sounds lovely. I am just wondering if the coconut oil will block the shower drain pipes?
Hi Tamzyn, I’ve never tried using coconut oil. I would suggest using the coconut milk in the recipe (from a can, not carton). Enjoy!
How many ounces does this make?
Hi Lindy, it makes about 1 1/4 cups of body wash. I’m not sure how many ounces.
I’m 17, and have started getting really health-concious(sp?), and I absolutely LOVE this body wash. I put some in my little brothers and sisters bathrooms, and they LOVE it! Thank you so much, these products have really helped to save my family monrey, and be healthier. You are a total life-saver!
Hey Olivia, Thank you for sharing! I’m so happy you love the body wash and can share with your family! Keep up the great work.
Do you know if the Dr. B soap contains a preservative ?? With this being sold to the public I would assume so….??
Hey Vee, There aren’t any toxic preservatives in Dr. Bronner’s. The soaps are simply a mixture of oils. Vitamin E, “natural” preservative, may be used.
I have tried many concoctions of Dr. Bronner’s and this one is fabulous! Plenty of suds and also husband approved! I’m going to use it in a mason jar with a flip top cap! Thank you!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Erin. I’m so glad both you and hubby like it.
I absolutely love this body wash! I have tried many others and they are mostly oil based and leave me and my tub very greasy. Not good for the skin or the plumbing. And they have really irritated my skin. This one is perfect! The only question I have is what do you do with the rest of the can of coconut milk? I do not use it in any recipes. I initially put it in a Tupperware shaker to blend it and then put it in the fridge. Unfortunately by the time I need to make more body wash it is bad. I have seen suggestions to freeze it but they also say that it will change the consistency. Any suggestions?
Hey Loraine, Thank you for the wonderful feedback! I’m so happy to hear you love this body wash. I recommend freezing the coconut milk. When thawed, the consistency will be a bit different (much like freezing animal milk), but you can place it (thawed) in the blender and blend for a few seconds, then use. Also, coconut milk is delicious in smoothies…I highly recommend it!
For those wondering about oils to put in this body wash if you don’t have vitamin E(Dr. Bronner’s also already has it in there I think)and the like, I use 1 tsp. of jojoba oil. I also add 2 tbsp. of aloe vera(as pure as you can get or find). I think the aloe vera helps balance the ph as I’ve also heard about the alkalinity issue of Dr. Bronners. I’ve found that this combination works very well and stores for 1 month in the shower. No skin issues with me, my hubby, and my kiddos whatsoever! Hope this helps!
Hi Sarah, Thank you for sharing. Great recommendations and tips. Glad you enjoy the body wash. 🙂
This seems like a perfect body wash to nourish yourself from the inside out for radiant skin, hair and nails. Thanks for sharing…
I’m about to try this…but I don’t have veg. glycerin tho…is it necessary? or could i use something else as a substitute? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Jennifer, It’s not necessary for the body wash. It simply adds suds to the wash, making it more like store-bought body wash. The Dr. Bronner’s will add a very small amount of suds by itself, so the vegetable glycerin can be skipped if you don’t have it on hand.
I was going to ask something similar, since I have most everything except the Vit E oil and veg. glycerin and I think I could probably afford one but not the other until our big shopping day next month. I know that when I fill up my foaming handwash container with Bronners, I just add a bit of water to help with the “foaming” action, so I was curious if you could do that too! I’m going to head down and pick up some Vit E oil today; we use Dr. Bronner’s (straight) for our body wash but especially in the fall/winter months my skin feels really dry and itchy and so I use Weleda’s Rose Oil post shower, but I think the coconut milk and oils will do the trick! Thank you and looking forward to trying this!
Hey Rosalea, I do the same with adding water to Dr. Bronner’s for hand soap.
You can leave out the glycerin and still create a wonderful body wash (it will foam, but not as much as a store-bought soap.) The vitamin E is more important in my opinion, if you’re choosing between the two ingredients.
Thanks for the great man tip! Many readers wonder how to make this wash more masculine.
Hey I love anything diy! I was wondering though since I have hard water would the Castile soap react and leave a film?
We have hard water and I haven’t noticed excessive film, but I’ve heard it’s possible when using Castile soap.
Hi Kristin,
I’m really enjoying your site! I’m trying out many of your recipes, and loving them! 🙂
I don’t have vitamin e oil or almond oil on hand, and wanted to know if any other oils (olive, maybe?) can be substituted in this recipe. Thanks!
Hi Beth, So glad you are enjoying the blog. If you have tea tree oil you could use that or just skip the oil. Vitamin e oil does act as a preservative in this recipe along with added nourishment, so it may only last a week or two. You could always store the majority in the fridge and pull out a bit for a few days.
I know this will sound crazy…but I’m a breastfeeding mom and have a child with eczema. I have heard that applying breast milk directly on the eczema would help to relieve it. Now since your recipe has a form of milk in it…do you think I could add my milk to it (for personal use only of course) and it would keep as long? Should I refrigerate it?
Hi Amber, I think it could work. I might freeze it and keep a little defrosted for when you need it.
Hi, I saw this recipe some where else listed as a shampoo. I tried it but it was way too oily! So now I use it as a body wash also.
Hi Sara, I’ve tried to use this recipe as shampoo or conditioner, but was left with super greasy hair. Yuck! As a body wash, I absolutely love it!!
As far as Dr. Bronners, I find that the only one that doesn’t leave hair oily is their Sal Suds. I started using this every time a recipe calls for dr bronners. It cleans and degreases like no other with no film! Can I use sal suds in place of the lavender Dr Bronners? If so, this could possible make a great shampoo because sal suds will not give you oily hair! 😉
Thank you for sharing, Stephanie! I’ve never tried Sal Suds on my hair, but I’m going to. Sal Suds would work great in this recipe.
Simply love it! I wish I have all the ingredients to do this. I live in Germany and just trying to get them will take me for ever.
So glad you like it :). Hope you are able to find the ingredients or play around with the ones available.