One of my goals is to use less plastic in our home in 2019. And one of the biggest forms of waste we create is with our pump shampoo & soap bottles. We literally have a 32 oz dispenser sitting at every sink, shower and tub. It’s a great product, but the large plastic containers hit me with guilt every time we have to replace one. So now I have many recycled pump bottles that have been begging to be repurposed, and I am someone who happens to be highly motivated by the promise of assuaged guilt.
As an urban homesteading enthusiast, I began making bar soap a couple of years ago, and I wanted to expand my knowledge to include a decent shampoo and body wash.
Today I made both. And each took 5 minutes to put together. In this post I’ll share with you the Lavender Honey Body Wash recipe, which turned out fantastic, and next week I’ll give you a shampoo recipe I am trialing in the interim.
DIY Lavender Honey Body Wash
Here’s what you’ll need to make around around 4 oz.
- A recycled pump soap dispenser
- 1/3 cup Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Castile Soap
- 1/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil or Jojoba Oil (or a combination of them – I did part EVOO and part Avocado)
- 1/3 cup of raw honey
- Bowl
- Whisk
Whisk the ingredients together in a bowl until well-combined.
It will look french toast batter when it’s ready.
Pour into your bottle with a funnel. I didn’t have a funnel but was able to make a homemade one by poking a hole in the bottom of a paper cup.
Because this recipe does NOT have water added to it, it should have a shelf life of approximately one year. FYI: recipes that have water added to castile soap can grow bacteria in a relatively short timespan.
This soap feels so lovely and creates really nice suds! And I love that 10 minutes of my time allowed me to more closely align with my desire to create less plastic waste for our planet.
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Why DIY?
So why make stuff that is often easier and cheaper to buy? I like to do homestead projects because, for me, making stuff is just plain fun – at times it’s even meditative. But equally as important to me is the fact that there are often far fewer chemicals, waste and plastics involved with things that are homemade. I also tend to appreciate the things I take time to bring to life by hand more than anything I quickly purchase on impulse.
I believe humans are wired to create. I find it interesting that when I take time to “make”, I am always more deeply satisfied at the end of the day. Additionally I love the bonus of community-building that can occur when I share or trade the things I make with others.
Try making something this week, however simple, and see if it doesn’t enrich your life too!
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If you’d like support creating your own rituals, yardsteading and nature connection practices, check out The Handmade Life! There I offer nature-based coaching sessions, share herbal traditions, handcrafted goods, DIY workshops and herbal consultations.