My husband and I go through a lot of hand soap. Especially in winter with cold and flu bugs around every corner, we’re always lathering up. While I used to spend crazy amounts of money keeping the house stocked, this winter I branched out from my world of DIY lotions, potions and shampoos into hand soap. And this charcoal hand wash has become a quick favorite.
It’s not technically antibacterial (better for our microbiomes), but since plain soap and water have been shown to be as effective as antibacterial soaps, it has no problem keeping sickness at bay (at least in our experience — we’ve never been healthier!)
How to Make Charcoal Hand Soap
Charcoal has long been known for its ability to settle upset stomachs, whiten teeth and absorb toxins from our bodies. But little did you know, it’s also incredibly nourishing and moisturizing for dry skin. This makes it a fantastic addition to homemade bath and body products because it leaves skin feeling squeaky clean and balanced.
Being an excellent exfoliant with the ability to remove dead skin cells along with the extraction of dirt and grime, charcoal soap also treats skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. Bonus: It’s effective for the treatment of dry, cracked skin which helps keep you well in winter. That’s why I love adding a few teaspoons to hand soap.
If you’ve ever used charcoal before you’re probably all too aware of this, but the stuff can be messy. It’s super fine and lightweight, so it has a tendency to “poof” into the air and settle everywhere. I highly recommend closing the windows, turning off fans and being very careful when working it with it to keep the mess to a minimum. But if you do spill some, don’t panic. From my experience it doesn’t stain but you will need to rinse it off right away and toss your clothes immediately into the wash. To be safe, maybe even pre-treat it with a stain stick if you can’t get to it right away.
Oh, and a little goes a long way, so if you’re worried about the soap sticking to white sinks or clothes, go ahead and adjust the recipe so it isn’t such a pitch black color. Even with less charcoal, your soap will still be super effective.
Here’s how to make your own charcoal hand soap at home:
Charcoal Hand Soap
Equipment
- Box grater
- Medium size bowl
- Glass jar with pump
Materials
- 4 ounces melt and pour soap
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
- 15 drops grapefruit essential oil
- 10 drops thyme essential oil
- 2 teaspoons activated charcoal
Instructions
- Grate melt-and-pour soap and place in a medium sized bowl.
- Bring 2 cups of filtered water to boil. Pour boiling water into bowl with soap and stir until soap dissolves.
- Place the bowl somewhere it won’t get jostled and let cool for 8 hours or overnight. Once it’s gelled completely, add essential oils, almond oil and activated charcoal. Use a whisk to combine.
- Transfer soap to dispenser using a funnel.
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