How To Make Foaming Hand Soap To Save Money
Updated on January 23, 2026
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What if you could get a rich lather and delightful scent without the price tag? Learn how to make your own DIY foaming hand soap for cheap!
Table of Contents
Every autumn, when the air cools and my family starts to move indoors, I get excited to make our home feel warm and cozy. When we were living on a dual income, one of the ways I liked to embrace the season change was with scented foaming hand soap from Bath & Body Works. While they do have some great sales, I just can’t justify spending the money on soap while on a single income. For 2 years, we’ve just continued on with normal Equate liquid hand soap from Walmart, but this year I decided to dig in and learn to make my own foaming hand soap for less!
How To Make Foaming Hand Soap
The key difference between liquid hand soap and foaming hand soap is the dispenser and water content. You can actually make foaming soap from any liquid soap by mixing it with a 3:1 ratio of water to soap. Foaming hand soap also requires a foaming dispenser. These dispensers mix air with the soapy liquid to make a foam when you pump.
Castile Soap
The cheapest way to make DIY hand soap is to use a large, generic brand soap refill mixed with water. However, I chose to use castile soap because it’s concentrated, non-toxic, and can also be used to make many other cleaners. I bought this Dr. Bronner’s unscented soap so I could add my own scent, but the company also makes many pre-scented soaps for the same price.
Ingredients
- Water (I used distilled because I have hard water. The distilled water keeps it from becoming cloudy)
- Castile Soap
- Essential Oil (Optional)
- Foaming Hand Soap Pump
Instructions
- Fill your dispenser with 6oz of water.
- Optional: Heat 2 oz castile soap on low for 5 minutes in a small saucepan, then mix the essential oil into the soap. Once cool, pour the mixture into the water in the dispenser. Shake well. Heating will avoid the separation of ingredients. You do not need to do this step if you don’t add essential oils.
- If you skipped step 2, go ahead and pour 2oz of castile soap into the dispenser. If you want to add your own scent with essential oils, pour in 10 drops of the scent of your choice and shake well. The ingredients do separate, so you will need to shake each time before use.
DIY Scented Foaming Hand Soap
Equipment
- 1 Foaming Hand Soap Dispenser
- 1 Small Saucepan (optional)
Materials
- 2 ounces Castile Soap
- 6 ounces Water Use distilled water to avoid a cloudy look
- 10 drops Essential Oil of Choice
Instructions
- In a small saucepan heat the castile soap on low for 5 min.
- Remove from heat and add in essential oil drops. Mix well.
- Once cooled, mix scented soap into water into the foaming hand soap dispenser. Shake well.
Notes
Using DIY Foaming Hand Soap
I added cinnamon essential oil to my hand soap, and I’m loving the cozy, warm scent for the fall season! The soap has been a huge hit with my kids and has gotten them excited about washing their hands. Perfect for the start of cold and flu season! I think foaming hand soap is an easy way to “level up” a bathroom experience, and this recipe makes it easy to afford even on a tight budget!
It’s important to note that this hand soap does have an expiration date. Each bottle you make lasts 3-4 weeks because the soap (and the preservatives in it) are diluted. I actually bought a 12-oz dispenser to start, but learned my family only goes through 8oz in the timeframe, so I would recommend starting with a small batch.
While You’ll Love DIY Foaming Hand Soap
- This soap is non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and plant-based.
- It’s affordable! Using this recipe, I was able to make my own soap for $1.06 per 8-oz bottle.
- Foaming hand soap elevates your bathroom experience, and seasonal scents give a cozy feel!
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