Saturday, December 29, 2012

Homemade Coconut Bodywash

This week has been most likely similar to many other families'. Spending time with family, eating, opening presents and relaxing. We have had so much fun in NH and even got an extra day to spend before driving back to MN because of a snow storm! Hooray! 

Highlights of my week have been sharing my interests in healing, essential oils, creating and discovering the difference that natural, basic substances have on our bodies rather than the harsh effects of the more toxic commercial products. My first venture, making liquid body soap. 

My sister has suffered from eczema her whole life, and it has recently gotten worse. After some education of the effects of dairy products on the skin due to allergic reactions, we decided that she could try the body wash I had made and been using at home for several months. I had inspiration from Andy's Bethy's blog: http://proverbs2six.blogspot.com/2010/01/homemade-bodywash.html

The ingredients were similar to others I had seen, but this was the easiest to follow. I found that I needed some minor adjustments to get a more moisturizing effect with natural ingredients. 

I was very excited when I found this soap Walmart (not my favorite place, but it's what I had access to): 

The ingredients were coconut soap (contact Kirk's if you want the list of what is in the soap, but as it has been around since 1839, I tend to put more stock into these methods rather than the modern versions), water, vegetable glycerin, and coconut oil. Perfect! Just what I would be adding to the mix. And at a little over a $3 for a pack of three, I'll take it! It also has the benefits of no animal testing or by-products, and is biodegradable with no synthetic detergents. After finding this, I got to work!

Homemade Coconut Bodywash
  • 12 cups water
  • 3 bars Kirk's Original Coco Castile soap
  • 3 Tablespoons Glycerin (in the bandaid aisle)
  • 3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
Use a cheese grater or food processor to grate the soap (this soap melts quickly, so you could just cut it into small pieces).   In a large stockpot, bring water to a boil and melt the soap.   Add the Glycerin and Coconut oils.   You can add about 15-20 drops of your favorite essential oils if you want a scented variety.   Pour into jars or containers and let thicken overnight. Makes 5 pint sized jars (approx. 80 oz). 



I put mine outside in the snowy New England weather, and it took about a couple hours to completely harden. If you find your bodywash is hardened (this is due to the coconut oil), just put the jar into a bath of warm water. After it is somewhat melted, you can break up the bigger pieces with a spoon and it will result in a creamy, moisturizing wash. 

There won't be as many suds as we are used to with commercial products, but many companies put in chemicals to increase the suds content to give us the illusion that we are getting very squeaky clean. This may not have as many suds, but it will still get you clean! With less squeak because the coconut oil moisturizes your skin without the tightness feeling. 

My sister said this felt amazing on her skin. She has been trying to find a bodywash that wouldn't aggravate her eczema for some time. Success! I agreed that this product was moisturizing and felt wonderful on my skin. I will definitely be using this recipe for my next batch. 

3 comments:

  1. Your enthusiasm and passion for finding healthier ways to eat, clean, live is inspiring. I especially appreciate you doing all the research and sharing the information. Thanks!!!

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  2. Tried this today but it hasn't hardened, what can I do to make it thicker, it is VERY runny!!

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    1. The coconut oil will liquefy at around 76 degrees, so if it is stored anywhere warmer than that, it will be pretty runny. I keep mine in the shower, so it will get runnier after a few minutes. The rest is stored under the sink so it gets thicker and more gloopy.

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