Make your own uplifting, moisturizing orange and honey body wash with just 6 easy ingredients!
Homemade Body Wash
Never in my wildest dreams would I ever picture myself making my own body wash. In the past, I have been a loyal user of big brand body washes. But last weekend, it looked like a hippy and a mad scientist invaded my kitchen. And it was pretty amazing. At the end of the day, this bubbly beautifully fragrant body wash was bottled and ready for my early morning shower.
Once I made this body wash I also realized it would make a great gift. Whip some up and package with a candle (click here for how to gift wrap candles) and you have a spa-day gift that's easy and affordable!
Supplies
- ⅔ cup castille soap - I use Dr. Brommer's unscented Baby-Mild castille soap
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons oil (jojoba, sweet almond) - I used sweet almond oil
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E
- 2 teaspoons vegetable glycerin
- 40 - 50 drops of Young Living Orange Essential Oil
- glass jar or bottle to store
Update for 2020: I created printable labels for gifting this fun body wash, click here to download the homemade body wash labels!
Let's talk ingredients ... there are only 6! And I can pronounce them all!
Castille soap, jojoba oil, vitamin E and glycerin can be found at your local pharmacy, grocery store or health food store.
- Castille soap is an organic, gentle base for our body wash.
- Vitamin E and sweet almond oil moisturize and nourish skin.
- Glycerin provides the bubbles - what is body wash if it doesn't foam and bubble, right?!
- I picked up Florida honey to support our local community. After a little research, I learned that honey is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It accelerates healing and has historically been used to treat skin conditions. {I swish it in my mouth when I get a canker sore and it is gone in a day or two!} So, honey is a perfect additive for this body wash.
- Orange essential oil (I use Young Living) is cold pressed from the orange rind. The smell is distinctly orange without being too sweet.
So, "Does it lather?" YES! It really, really does!
And "Does it rinse clean?" Yep, it sure does.
But "Does it smell good?" It smells like orange and honey ... if you like orange and honey, then the answer again, YES!
Step by step
Stir or gently whisk together all six ingredients. Since I will not be ingesting any of this mixture and this recipe doesn't make a huge batch, I am comfortable storing this in a plastic pump bottle in my shower.
More Essential Oils DIYs you might like: Uplifting Lemon Mint Sugar Scrub, Relaxing Lavender Bath Salts, DIY Mason Jar Gel Air Fresheners
Wendy Hogue says
Great post daughter! Loving my Orange Honey body wash! Keep the creative juices flowing!!
Kristi V says
Did you use raw honey? If how did you get it to mix? Thanks!
Jessi @ Practically Functional says
Ooh I love it! Definitely pinning this to try later, thanks for the recipe!
Laura Beth says
This looks like it smells sooo good! Great job!
Elisa says
Hi Keri! This sounds heavenly...I love the smell of Orange essential oil! I cant wait to give it a try!
Vanessa says
I bet this smells AMAZING!
Carrie This Home says
Waking up to this scent would be wonderful! I might have to make this for myself soon!
Andrea @ This Pug Life says
I LOVE the smell of honey (as well as the taste). I am just imagining how good this stuff smells!
Sherri@The Well Floured Kitchen says
I've never bought orange essential oil, I bet it would make this smell amazing. Great tip about the honey and cankers. Pinned!
Linda @ Mixed Kreations says
I want to try making some of this. I bet it smells wonderful! I think I have everything to make it too, except the Castile soap. Pinning so I can try later! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Mandi says
This looks so easy to make on your own. I will SO be trying this out! Thanks for sharing!
Natasha in Oz says
I can almost smell it from here! Seriously though, that looks like such a healthy alternative to normal shower gels and so inexpensive too. Thanks for sharing you 'recipe'.
I would be thrilled if you could share this post at my weekly Say G’day Saturday linky party. It has just started and this would be a brilliant addition.
Best wishes for a great weekend,
Natasha in Oz
Rachel @ BubblyNatureCreations.com says
I really need to buy some castile soap! I can't wait to try this!
Tanya says
This sounds divine Keri!! Pinning & sharing on FB today 🙂
xo, Tanya
Rachel says
Love this recipe! How big of a bottle did you use?
gisel says
Your orange shower gel for how many ounces is? thanks a lot!
donna says
The one thing I see you did not mention is that orange and all other citrus oils can make your skin more vulnerable to the sun! While this may smell absolutely amazing, readers should know the risk of citrus oils, too. I, too, have used this recipe for months - nearly a year now, and won't go back to commercial body wash. I opt for ylang ylang, or use a synergy essential oil blend for psoriasis.
Dawn says
Question - what size bottle and like foaming hand soap, do I fill the rest of the way with distilled water or something? And thank you for letting us know about the sun and citrus oils. I was going to make today but work out in my yard lots.
Melissa Riker says
I believe my bottle was about 9 ounces and I didn't add any water to it, just used it by itself!
Jennifer says
Does the honey make it feel sticky??
lachele58 says
I just made this and it is amazing! It makes you feel super clean and the scent is awesome.
Thank you for this diy.
Sam says
Thanks for the awesome recipe! Can't wait to try it. Orange Essential Oil makes you more susceptible to UV rays, and as an Australian I don't need that!! So I'm looking forward to trying this and mixing up the flavours a bit, I love messing around with all my essential oils.
Love the awesome articles!
Karla says
Just made and tried this. It smells great and feels wonderful on your skin. Thank you! 🙂
Lesley says
lol, your introduction speaking OF your kitchen counter top really made me Laugh OUT LOUD!
It's just soooo like me! Ohhh what a mess I can make! But OH! Out of those messes come a wealth of
"OH! I can't wait to get in the shower and try this !"
Yes, I can totally relate!
To the point I was getting to, I made the Coconut Lavender Body Wash and NOW I want to shower like 3 times a day lol!!! Seriously, it's awesome ! I did have to cut down on the cStille however as I was out of it! (I have a OCD thing going on that makes me more looney, can't seal with being OUT of something )... But ! I don't think it mattered too much it still lathered and felt decadent !
I felt like Cleopatra bathing in Milk! What a LUSH feeling!
Thank Yoi!.......and now the friends I share with will love it too!
PS.. When the spouse "Likes It" I know it's good!
He's so picky about his chemical water body wash yuck !
I think I have him converted ! I used some Vetiver EO in his, smells great and awesome benefited as well! Again Thank You!
Iwona says
My daughter used just honey to wash her face and it worked great. She got really excited when I showed her your recipe. Honey and orange- sounds fantastic. We are definitely going to make it!
Amber says
How long can this be stored? I've heard that honey can start to ferment, would this be a problem? Otherwise, Im really excited to try it.
Rachelle Thompson says
Is there a website that you can buy the almond oil and vegetable glycerin in larger quantities and cheaper?
Kellie says
Does this orange/honey body wash need a preservative? How long is it safe to use?
Kellie says
Does the orange/honey body wash need a preservative?
Luz says
Hello! Sorry if I missed it but about how many washes does the recipe make?
Karen Li says
Hi, normally, volume of one cup means 250ml? Please let me know...thank you!
Rita says
Made this and loved it! Thank you!
Jennifer says
Could you tell me what form the Vitamin E you are using please
Jennifer- Australia
Keri says
Hi Jennifer - I use vitamin E capsules. They are soft so I use scissors to snip a tiny hole in the capsules and squeeze out the liquid vitamin E. Hope that helps!
Stephanie C. says
2 questions: first, is there any benefit to using jojoba or almond oil as opposed to FCO or avocado oil? I have the latter 2 and was wondering if they worked just as well. Second, for those that mosquitoes just flock to have you tried this and has it affected whether the bugs bother you more or less than before?
Martine says
can we make this recipe without castille soap?
Rose Payette says
Love this body wash! Thank you so much for sharing. It is not cheap to make this body wash but it is part of my day now and on top of that my husband is using it as well. He gets worried when when we're getting low of this concoction! When I go to the commissary I make sure that I get the biggest raw honey available.
Again, thank you!
Rose
Keri says
Hi Rose! Thanks so much for the sweet comment - glad both you and your hubby love this orange and honey body wash!
Zenab shamsi says
What's the shelf life of the product as you don't have use any preservative in it
Kathy says
What about phototoxic issues? Orange is citrus and phototoxic correct?
Jo says
Hi just wanting to know the shelf life of the lotions you produce?
Jeanette says
Love this recipe! I used almond Castile soap and substituted grapeseed oil for the oil. I didn’t have glycerine so added a little more vitamin E oil and a few pumps of aloe Vera. Also a few drops of frakincense. It turned out great, blended together nicely and lathers up amazing.
Laura Sisco says
I love the body wash. It foams up so much. I used Almond Castille Soap and Sweet Orange and Grapefruit essential oils. It smells divine. Thank you for the fantastic recipe.
Linda S says
I so love this idea. I’m surprised you need so much of the Orange Oil. I’m assuming this makes a little over 1 Cup of finished product. I don’t know how many drops are in a 5ml bottle, but I was hoping to make 3 or 4 containers for gifts. Should this be applies with a washcloth or one of those pouffy scrubbers to make it go further?
warie says
ORANGE SHOWER GEL IS WARMING SENSE AS IT CREATES MUSCLE RELAXING.
Melissa Riker says
hope you like it!