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Today we are sharing with you a gentle DIY hand soap that gets your hands really clean!
If you have been working in the garden and have dirt under your nails or even if you have been painting, this homemade hand soap is great.
The best part though? It is actually gentle on your skin. I started using this concoction about four years ago when I developed really bad hand eczema. My poor hands were in bad shape, everything irritated it worse. I dreaded washing my hands!
I talked with my doctor and he suggested I try a more gentle soap for my hands and recommended baby shampoo.
It has been a game changer!
Gentle DIY Hand Soap To Get Your Hands Really Clean
I don’t want to gross anyone out, so I will add my hand pictures at the bottom of this post. It started in 2019, and my poor hands were miserable.
It began with just a few bumps, then it progressively got worse. I went to the doctor several times about it. They ran all types of tests, then we tried different topical treatments.
Then the pandemic hit in 2020, and I started washing my hands more. This made it even worse. It didn’t matter what type of soap I used, even just water, my hands were in BAD shape. I wore gloves to shower, wash my hair, and clean anything.
Anyways, after trying different soaps, I started using baby shampoo for washing my hands per the doctors recommendation. It was so soothing and it allowed my hands to heal.
It is my preferred hand soap of choice now. Even better for me than Castile soap.
After sharing this post about baby shampoo uses, I had many readers reach out to me saying they used it as a hand soap too. One reader even said they used it after a hand injury due to the doctors advice, and it helped their hand heal without irritation plus kept everything clean.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz baby shampoo
- 2 tbsp water
- Soap dispenser
- 1 tsp glycerin (OPTIONAL)**
- Essential oil (OPTIONAL)**
Directions:
- All you need to do is add the shampoo to a soap dispenser, then add the water. The water is added to thin the consistency out just enough to make it perfect for your hands. If you want to use glycerin, you can add a tsp.
- Gently stir the mixture to combine the ingredients.
- You can add an essential oil if you want an added scent. Make sure it is one safe for skin and only add a few drops. Many of my readers like to use ones like thieves or something similar. I do not add any essential oil.
** If you want to make this even more hydrating, you can add a small addition of glycerin. It isn’t necessary for cleaning the hands, but it is hydrating, so it is a common ingredient in many homemade hand soaps. Feel free to use some. The same for essential oils, only 5 drops or so needed for scent if you have one you like.
What Type of Baby Shampoo Should You Use For This Hand Soap?
Choose a simple sulfate-free option. I wouldn’t get anything expensive for hand washing, but make sure it is clear and free from irritating ingredients (most of them are). It is okay if it says baby shampoo and body wash together, this is common for baby shampoos because the ingredients are so gentle.
How Does Baby Shampoo Work?
Baby shampoo is a unique solution formulated to be gentle and safe for a baby’s skin, but also not sting the eyes. The difference in baby shampoo vs regular shampoo is the ingredients are more mild. The foaming agents are more gentle than regular shampoo. Baby shampoo still has surfactant properties without being strong or harsh.
Since baby shampoo has surfactants made to clean dirt or grease from baby skin, it works great on hands without stripping oils or being harsh.
I love this soap dispenser from Dirty Labs (I use many of their products). It is sturdy, pumps well, and it is an Erlenmeyer flask, so it a favorite on Chemistry Cachet LOL.
Is This Better Than Other Hand Soaps?
For me, it is. After dealing with hand eczema for so long, my hands are finally better. This is the hand soap I use at home, and it works great for me. It is also really good for getting your hands clean from dirt or debris.
Is This Anti-Bacterial?
No, but you don’t want it to be anti-bacterial. Science proves time and again, all you need is a soap and water to properly clean your hands. Using too many anti-bacterial products can also destroy your natural bacteria on your hands overtime leading to more issues.
Proper hand washing requires a type of soap, like this gentle DIY hand soap, to act as a surfactant on dirt and debris on the hands (including germs), washing for at least 30 seconds, then rinsing with water.
How My Hands Used To Look?
Okay, here is a few pictures of my hands. One is from early 2020 (even before the pandemic), and the other two are late 2020 during the pandemic. OMG it was terrible. It wasn’t diet related and it wasn’t even from certain ingredients, but from constant stripping of the hand oils and irritation.
I have eczema prone skin anyways, I have struggled with it since I was a teenager on my eyelids, under eye area, several places on my arms, and obviously my hands.
Ask Your Doctor
If you suffer with any type of skin situation, please ask your doctor what they recommend! I talked with my doctor many times about hand eczema and started using this after two doctors told me to try it.
Since baby shampoo is formulated for baby’s sensitive skin and to be tear-free, it is generally safe for anyone to use. But again, always talk with your doctor if you struggle with skin problems.
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This is bloody awesome, I really like the sound of this, it is something that would interest my daughter
It is so easy to make!
HI Alexis….I never thought of using baby shampoo and definitely will try it. I’ve always used Castile soap, water, a small amount of a carrier oil, such as almond oil, and some essential oil to make my foaming hand soap. I wonder if the baby shampoo mixture would work in a foaming soap dispenser? Have you ever tried that? Foaming soaps use much less of the actual soap and more water (distilled water) than the formula you posted. I’m going to give it a try, and might experiment to see if it will work as a foaming soap, too. So glad you found something that would help your poor hands! Ouch…that must have been painful!
Thanks for the info in this post!
It should foam too with the addition of water in it! I tried Castile soap for awhile, but it really aggravated my hands. But this recipe has been life saver for me! It was definitely painful, but I have been doing better for a few years thankfully 🙂 I think you will have success with this too, and it should work like any other soap in a foaming dispenser. Let me know!