Homemade GREEN Bodywash

One of the last things I had yet to get rid of in my daily shower routine was my store bought bodywash. Sure it smells nice but since our skin absorbs everything we put on it and it goes into our body. So for awhile, I started using just plain Dove soap which is what my pediatrician even suggested to use on my daughter. It's BETTER, yes, but even that bar of soap has some harsh preservatives and additives. No thanks. I'll make my own.

If you feel like you can deal with just using plain dove soap and still would like to make it into a body wash HERE is a site you can visit with the recipe (plus a ton of other fun ideas). It's easy, I've done it, and you can even do it for men! Hey, you gotta start somewhere right??

There are TWO main essential ingredients I used in MY body wash. The first is Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap ( I used baby mild, but you could use any of them.). There is a whole lot going on on the label, I think he thought he was the God of Soap Making, and apparently this guy was in the looney bin for awhile. But the uses are endless and it's safe AND GREEN!



The second ingredient is coconut MILK.  You can make your own or you can buy canned coconut milk at your grocery store. Be careful though. Canned coconut milk contains preservatives. It's safer to make your own.

When I first made this, I actually was going to use this as a shampoo. I've read that castile soap with olive oil  and some essential oils is a wonderful Vegan recipe for shampoo. But after reading some comments on how Castile Soap can leave your hair feeling straw-like and brittle I decided it might do better as a body wash. I also used canned coconut milk and I'm sure those preservatives had ALOT to do with making some people's hair feel horribly dry. Going through week 2 of the "no-poo" method, I'm not sure I would want to jeopardize my hard work anyways!! Better safe than sorry!

Recipe:
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup liquid castile soap
1 tsp of olive oil (you can also use vitamin E or almond)
10 to 20 drops of essential oils ( I used peppermint and geranium. Smells lovely and crisp!)  

Combine all ingredients in a pump bottle or jar and shake well to mix. This does lather up quite nicely even thought the mixture is thin. Do NOT add more soap thinking it will make it thicker. Even though it wouldn't hurt you, there really is no need for it (a little goes a long way with castile) unless your are making a bigger batch. This can be kept for up to a month. I'm actually thinking of adding Glycerine to the ingredients for added extra skin softness. I will update you all when I do to let you know the outcome :)