DIY Life

By Debra McDuffee

CasaSugar's got it right: most liquid soaps are filled with unnecessary chemicals and toxins. Antibacterial soaps are all the rage, but studies have shown that regular soap cleans just as well as chemical-laden soap, and it doesn't create super-bugs -- germs that are resistant to antibiotics.

If you've got a bar of plain old soap, you can turn it into liquid soap, natural and effective. This is also a way you can use up your soap scraps, or your soap trimmings if you make cold-process soap.

You'll need a bar of soap, distilled water, a grater, a big pot, and a hand blender. CasaSugar lists the detailed steps for making liquid soap in their article. Join me after the break for ideas on how to make your basic liquid soap into an everyday luxury.

Basic liquid soap is a good thing; it is healthful, natural, and made by you. With a few tweaks, it will be outstanding, luxurious, and the envy of your friends.

• Use rose hydrosol instead of distilled water.
• Add one teaspoon of an essential oil blend to every eight ounces of soap. Try one of these summer scent blends, or one of these.
• When blending the soap, add a tablespoon of shea butter, virgin coconut oil, or cocoa butter for a moisturizing liquid soap.

The sky is limit with all of the fun ingredients you could add to take your basic liquid soap to the next level. Have fun with it!

[via Craft]