Make your own shower gel: 6 easy recipes
Discover how to make personalized, natural shower gels at home with easy recipes that cater to hydration, fragrance, and skin type.
Make your own shower gel: six easy recipes
By making your own shower gel, you are genuinely helping to reduce your impact on the environment. At the same time, you benefit from personalised bath or shower products that are free of harmful chemicals. This guide offers you six easy-to-follow recipes to start creating your own shower gels, which are adapted to your preferences and specific needs.
What do you need to make your own shower gel?
Understanding the basic ingredients and equipment you will require is essential to the success of your home-made shower gels. These ingredients include oils, natural foaming agents and thickeners. You’ll also need basic kitchen utensils such as bowls and spoons. It’s also vital to follow strict hygiene rules, to ensure the safety and stability of your products.
Personalise your shower gel
You can do tests by using different essential oils, natural colourings and preservatives to create a product that exactly matches your preference and needs. With personalisation, you can adjust the shower gel’s properties and create a fragrance that is unique for you.
Preservation and storage
You must store your home-made shower gel correctly, to ensure it stays fresh and effective. Use clean and air-tight bottles and keep them in a cool, dark place to extend their life. If you use natural ingredients without preservatives, you should ideally use your gel within one month to guarantee its quality.
Six recipes for home-made shower gel
Recipe 1: Cleaning with soap scraps
Recycle soap scraps into a creamy and personalised shower gel. Grate about a cup of soap scraps and mix with a cup of water. Heat over a low heat until melted and blended. Personalise with a few drops of your favourite essential oil for a customised scent. You can also add a little food colouring for a nice visual effect.
Recipe 2: Sweet almond oil
For a hydrating shower gel, mix two-thirds of a cup of liquid soap base with three tablespoons of liquid honey, two teaspoons of sweet almond oil plus a tablespoon of vitamin E oil. Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil or select herbs like star anise or ginger, or vanilla extract, to create a natural fragrance.
Recipe 3: Rolled oats base
Infuse a 1/4 cup of rolled oats in three cups of boiling water and leave for a few hours. Strain the oat water and use it as a base. Mix with a 1/4 cup liquid soap, one teaspoon of vitamin E oil and two teaspoons of jojoba oil. Add a few drops of essential oil for fragrance. Use this mixture to fill a bottle 15% full and top up with the oat water.
Recipe 4: Aloe vera moisturiser
Use a 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel together with a 1/4 cup of liquid Castile soap. Enrich with a teaspoon of almond oil and a little lavender essential oil, which has soothing properties. This shower gel is ideal for sensitive skins and enables deep hydration.
Recipe 5: Coconut oil conditioner
Melt 1/3 of a cup of coconut oil and mix with a 1/2 cup of liquid Castile soap and three tablespoons of honey. Add 15 drops of your favourite essential oil for a more personal touch. This shower gel is great for conditioning and hydrating a dry skin.
Recipe 6: Natural exfoliator
Mix a 1/2 cup of Castile soap with a 1/4 cup of honey, 1/4 cup of coconut oil and a 1/2 cup of sugar cane to produce an exfoliating effect. Use this shower gel once or twice a week to remove dead skin cells and to encourage the growth of fresh skin.
In brief
Making your own shower gel comes with many advantages, including less exposure to chemical products and full personalisation of your care products. By following these simple recipes, you can create shower gels that are good for your skin and for your environment.
FAQ
How long can I keep a home-made shower gel?
If you don’t use any preservatives, it is recommended that you use your gel within four weeks after making it. You can make the gel last a few weeks longer if you add natural preservatives, e.g. vitamin E or grapefruit seed extract.
Can my children use my home-made shower gel?
Yes, home-made shower gels can be very mild and are therefore fine for children. But don’t include essential oils or ingredients that could irritate your children’s sensitive skin. You should also select mild ingredients, like sweet almond oil and aloe vera.
Is it possible to make a shower gel without Castile soap?
Yes, you can use other liquid soap bases, e.g. glycerin soap or even by starting with a diluted cold-process soap base. However, Castile soap is still useful, thanks to its mildness and ease of use.
How do I know if my home-made shower gel is safe?
Ensure that all your ingredients are fresh and of a good quality. You should also follow the strict rules and hygiene practices during the gel’s preparation. If the product changes colour, takes on another smell or texture, or if you see signs of mould, it is better to throw your gel away.
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