How do you avoid chemicals in bath and shower gels?
The answer is simple: make your own! I’ve become an obsessive label reader. Have you picked up bath gel lately and read the label? There are A LOT of nasty chemicals in there! My desire to avoid those chemicals and my passion for essential oils led me to the creation of my own scented bath gel. I love it and I can experiment with several essential oil combinations. I might be a little bit of an oily addict.
How do you make your own bath and shower gel?
Ingredients
- 3 cups of water
- 2 ounces of unscented liquid soap
- 2 tbsp of pectin
- 2 ounces of aloe vera gel
- 20-30 drops of essential oils
Directions
- Boil 3 cups of water.
- Add 2 ounce of unscented liquid soap.
- Reduce heat to medium low.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat.
- Spoon out about two cups of your mixture into a bowl.
- Take 2 tbsp of pectin and dissolve it into the mixture in the bowl.
- Stir constantly to avoid a lumpy consistency and combine well.
- Now add the pectin mixture back to your pan that contains the rest of your soap mixture.
- Add 2 ounces of the aloe vera gel.
- Add 20-30 drops of the essential oil(s) you desire.
- 30 drops total is plenty for this recipe.
- Stir the mixture really well and then transfer it to your squeeze bottle or pump bottle.
- If you make multiple bottles, place one in the shower and store the others in the fridge until your ready to use them.
- Once you've completed the above steps and poured it in the bottle(s) It may take several hours for the gel to thicken fully. If for some reason it seems too thin, you can add a little more pectin to the mixture dissolved in water. Just shake it up and set it aside. You can increase it little by little until you've achieved your desired consistency. If too thick, just add a little water until you thin it out.
My favorite essential oils for the bath are Lavender and Oola Balance blend. You are probably familiar with lavender and know that it is an adaptogen, and therefore can assist the body when adapting to stress or imbalances. It is a great aid for relaxing and winding down before bedtime, yet has balancing properties that can also boost stamina and energy. I have a large 15 ml bottle and LOVE it!
You probably aren’t familiar with the Oola Balance blend. This blend is designed to align and balance your center giving you an increase in concentration with a positive outlook. As mind and body are balanced, the ability to focus on passions, behaviors, and health are amplified for the better. The ingredients of the Oola Balance blend are: Lavender (Lavandula Officinal), Frankincence (Boswellia Carteri), Ocotea (Ocotea Quixos Lauraceae Leaf), Sandalwood (Santalum Album), Ylang Ylang (Cananga Odorata), Orange (Citrus Auranium), Angelica (Angelica Archangelica), Geranium (Pelargonium Graveol), Hyssop (Officinalis), Sage (Lavendulifolia), Spruce (Picea Mariana), Coriander (Coriandrum Sativum), Bergamot (Coumarin Free), Lemon (Citrus Limon), Jasmine (Jasminum Absolute), Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum Nobile), Palmarosa (Cymbopogon Martinii), Rose (Rosa Damascena), Balsam Fir (Abies Balsamea), Myrrh (Commiphora Myrrha), Cistus (Cistus Ladanifer), Spikenard (Nardostachys Jataman), Blue Spruce (Picea Pungens). AMAZING!
Which essential oil would you use?
I was thinking Yes! I want to make this! Until I saw the price of the pectin…I’ve never purchased it before, should I be able to find a more affordable option in local stores?
Cari, this seems like a smaller amount (and more affordable). http://amzn.to/1hjbT94
HELLO…..LOVE THIS !..IS THE PECTIN THE FOOD GRADE FOR JAMS AND JELLIES OR KNOX GELATIN TYPE ? THANKS….
I used this: http://bit.ly/pecticenzyme
Do you think gelatin would work as a substitute for pectin?
I haven’t tried that option but when you do, let me know how it works!
Kara, are you sure you used pecic enzyme instead of pectin? you link if for the former and it is an enzyme used to break down the pectin in fruits. if that is the case, maybe change the name in your recipe i used instant pectin and it has been 2 hours and it hasn’t gelled up yet- so i am wondering if this is the issue.
thanks
Frances
Hello! I purchased all the ingredients for this via the amazon links provided in the instructions, but I cannot get it to thicken. Not sure what I am doing wrong! This has worked fine in a foam dispenser. It smells great and leaves hands feeling clean. I used tea tree oil as one of the essential oils as well. But I am wondering what I could be doing wrong, as to why this won’t thicken!! Any advice/trouble shooting would be greatly appreciated! 🙂
Hmmm….not sure what happened? I will say that I recently switched to buying Young Living’s shower gel base! So much easier. http://bit.ly/LifeSanityEOs
Hello Kara! I also purchased the pectin enzyme you linked to, and alas have very water-y shower soap. 😉 Might want to change that link. :0)
Oh no! I’m going to investigate. Sorry about that.