Homemade Orange Honey Body Wash

I told the Pilot that it’s time to prepare… my hippie is about to be unleashed in a serious way.

Orange honey bodywash

Never before have I been in a land where all of these natural options are at my fingertips. 

I fondly remember the time in Tucson when I called a natural health store to see if they sold kombucha scobies.

“What?”

“You know, the mother bacteria to make kombucha?”

“Oh, people still do that?”

In my brain: YES THEY DO AND I AM ONE OF THEM.

In real life: “Yeah. No worries if you don’t have any. Thanks for your help!”

California. Kombucha scobies must be everywhere!!! Haha.

For real, I’m pretty excited to live in an area where it’s mainstream to DIY health products and homemade creations. It’s something I’ve become a huge fan of over time, and when we’re out of something or I want to try a new beauty product, I’ll endeavor to make my own. (Like this rose facial spray, bath bombs and lip balm!)

Here’s a body wash I made for our hotel stay last week:

Orange honey bodywash

I scoped out the ingredients for my favorite LUSH shower gel online (and wasn’t exactly jumping for joy when I saw “methylparaben” and “sodium laurel sulfate” but I digress..) and decided to make some, using ingredients I had on hand.

Homemade body wash ingredients

The key ingredient: honey! 

Honey

Along with some Vitamin E, sweet orange oil, olive oil and pure castille soap, it made a perfectly sudsy mixture, which left my skin clean, surprisingly soft and lightly scented. I”ll definitely be making some new flavor combos!

Orange Honey Body Wash Recipe

 (of course, use your best judgment when trying new ingredients for your skin.)

-1/4 cup honey

-1/2 cup pure castle liquid soap (found at health food stores + Target has it, too. There are scented and plain versions)

-50 drops essential oil (I used 40 drops of sweet orange oil and 10 drops of rose absolute)

-2 tablespoons liquid Vitamin E (at health food store; Trader Joe’s now has it for about $4)

-1 tablespoon oil (I used olive, but jojoba or grapeseed would be lovely)

Add the mixture to a bottle. Shake it up, and wa-la! Homemade body wash minus the sometimes-sketchy ingredients 🙂

Have you make any homemade beauty products before?

What’s your all-time favorite soap or body wash?

Hope you have a great morning! <3 See ya later today with a new workout.

xoxo

Gina

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61 Comments

  1. Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie on April 8, 2014 at 11:21 am

    I have been wanting to make your rose facial spray for forever! This was a great reminder that I need to do so. Especially because I just ordered a facial mist, along with a few other beauty products, and Josh thought it was an old box and accidentally threw it out. I was so bummed.

  2. Christine@ Apple of My Eye on April 8, 2014 at 11:31 am

    Ohh I bet this must smell absolutely delicious! Citrus body scrubs have always been my favorite since they’re so refreshing and tangy.

  3. Rhiannon @ Bound to be a Buckeye on April 8, 2014 at 11:31 am

    I would love to start creating more homemade products. My latest freak out moment has been what in the world do they put in dishwasher rinse that might hurt us? 🙂 My favorite thing to make at home are facial masks. I use a lot of avocado, coconut oil and honey.

  4. Lauren @ Focused To Be Fit on April 8, 2014 at 11:53 am

    Honey + Orange…I can only imagine how amazing that scent must be!

  5. Shaina Anderson on April 8, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    haha…moving to San Diego after college was the beginning of my hippie transformation and I’ve never looked back! Thank God I married a California boy. 🙂 I love making my own deodorant and face masks! My next venture is to set up a serious garden in our backyard after we move next month. The house we applied for has like 5 citrus trees in the back…hello fresh juice every morning!

  6. Michele on April 8, 2014 at 12:18 pm

    my boyfriend and I are moving to North Carolina soon, and I’ve warned him that I’m using this as an opportunity to go green/toxin-free with cleaning supplies, bath supplies, etc by making our own (and hopefully saving some $$ as I’ll be a PhD student making a verrry small stipend). He seems onboard, but we’ll see 🙂

    thanks for the great ideas- any other recipes you come across would be amazing to add to my arsenal!

  7. Lisa on April 8, 2014 at 12:25 pm

    I think I’m ready to unleash my inner hippie! 😉 I’m stymied by essential oils, though. What brand do you like to use for your homemade beauty and cleaning recipes and where do you like to buy them?

  8. Mia on April 8, 2014 at 12:37 pm

    This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!

  9. Ashley @ A Lady Goes West on April 8, 2014 at 12:40 pm

    California is the PLACE to be to find anything DIY, natural, granola, etc. I’ve never made anything at home, but love the idea of putting honey in a bodywash. I’m looking forward to your future creations.

  10. Chelsea@TableForOne on April 8, 2014 at 12:48 pm

    Making your own beauty inventions is such fun. I also wished I lived in a place where hollistic things were more widely available….Maybe one day! This body wash looks like a good one. I will have to try some out. Thanks for sharing!

  11. Mila on April 8, 2014 at 12:52 pm

    This looks amazing! Did you use regular honey or raw honey?

  12. Traci on April 8, 2014 at 1:10 pm

    Sounds great! I normally just use the Dr. Bronner’s castille soap by itself as a body wash and I love it on its own, but this version sounds really nice too. I embrace my inner hippie and so far have made deodorant, toothpaste, face masks, and yoga mat spray. I think I’d rather be in California than the NYC area (lower CT) because most people just do not do that sort of stuff here, haha.

  13. Susan on April 8, 2014 at 1:23 pm

    Haha, I think this totally depends where you move from, but I found San Diego to be very “un-hippie”, having moved here from Vancouver, BC, where people are definitely a little greener/crunchier than here. For example public transit/walking everywhere, great health foodie community, lots of crunchy mamas, yoga studios at every corner – ahhhh, I miss Vancouver, but I digress. It could be that we live in the ‘burbs now and nothing is possible without a car. 😉 There’s probably more of a hippie vibe in the beach areas than north county inland. But being only 10 minutes from hubby’s work has advantages. Looking forward to finally moving to our house with a yard next week, so gardening is up very high on my learning list! We have a pomegranate tree in the back! 😀 And I think with all the herbs we’ll get, a beauty DIY will be in the near future.

  14. April on April 8, 2014 at 1:53 pm

    You are SO creative my friend! The only DIY supplies i make are vinegar/water for cleaning – otherwise i rely on the ‘au natural’ stuff – although i still need to check ingredients and it is probably costing me 3x as making my own, but sigh….

    I hope you are loving SD so far!!!!

  15. Tracy on April 8, 2014 at 2:17 pm

    OMG I love love love this!!!! Can’t wait to experiment myself! Ever since you introduced me to Somethin’ Special I’ve been hooked on their products and scents. It would be fun to incorporate some of my favorites from her line!

    I’m super jealous of your future access to all things natural and healthy. I’m pretty sure most people have never even heard of Kombucha here in Kansas! Health-minded folks are definitely not the norm around here 🙁

    Hope you’re transitioning smoothly!

  16. Mischa on April 8, 2014 at 2:22 pm

    It is spelled “voila”. …

    • Fitnessista on April 8, 2014 at 3:02 pm

      Just being silly

    • Kirsten on April 8, 2014 at 5:56 pm

      who cares?!!!

      • Angie on April 8, 2014 at 8:54 pm

        Exactly!! Who cares!

  17. Ellen on April 8, 2014 at 2:28 pm

    http://almostexactlyblog.wordpress.com is a great blog for DIY/natural/chemical-free beauty products! I switched to the no-shampoo method and started mixing my own body wash using her recipes. Mine is kind of similar to yours but also with water since castile soap is supposed to be significantly diluted. Great idea to add honey, and I’m looking forward to more hippie DIY recipes in the future!

  18. Ashley on April 8, 2014 at 2:30 pm

    This would be great for Mother’s day! I have been giving homemade scrubs to my mom and boyfriend’s mom and they love it. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have enough resources around here to buy natural products…I guess a lot of online shopping! I used to visit my boyfriend in North Carolina and it killed me that none of the grocery stores carried organic foods or specialty items. Luckily Massachusetts has Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, plenty of farmer’s markets, and a lot of other privately owned places!

  19. Sara @ LovingOnTheRun on April 8, 2014 at 3:02 pm

    Wow this looks awesome! I will need to bring out my inner hippie and get on more things like this 🙂

  20. Katie O on April 8, 2014 at 3:27 pm

    You’ve totally inspired me! and I’ve been loving Lush’s Celestial face moisturizer, but then read the ingredients and spotted the parabens in that too! Darn! I’m thinking maybe it’s time to try making my own 🙂

    LOVE the bodywash idea too. Hopefully I can find time to make my own!

  21. Erika Garza on April 8, 2014 at 3:36 pm

    this recipe sounds luscious! I tend to get lazy and just use regular soap, then slather up with coconut oil later to make up for its dryness. In the end, I smell like a coconut…not sure if that’s all bad, but I’m excited to try out this recipe’s scent. Thanks!!

  22. april on April 8, 2014 at 4:09 pm

    i can only imagine how delicious this body wash smells. honey is one of my very favorite scents. i have pretty sensitive skin, so i really need to look into making natural products for my skin.

    i hope you and your family are enjoying SD so far! can’t wait to hear updates about the big move. 🙂

  23. Jeannie on April 8, 2014 at 4:39 pm

    Sounds yummy! I stopped buying my favorite Lush products when I saw parabens and SLS in the ingredients list 🙁
    But, so far, making my own has been fun and beneficial to my skin. Can’t wait to try this bodywash.

  24. Jeannie on April 8, 2014 at 4:39 pm

    Sounds yummy! I stopped buying my favorite Lush products when I saw parabens and SLS in the ingredients list 🙁
    But, so far, making my own has been fun and beneficial to my skin. Can’t wait to try this bodywash.

    • Jeannie on April 8, 2014 at 5:08 pm

      Guess I posted this twice…oops.

  25. Andrea on April 8, 2014 at 6:21 pm

    Your post reminded me…the first time I traveled to California, we flew into San Francisco and I immediately said to my fiancée…OMG, I love it here…and that was before we left the airport, because they had a yoga spot, vegetarian options and a place for the puppies. It is great…I’m sure there are all kinds of ways to release your inner hippie…lol.

  26. Jess on April 8, 2014 at 6:28 pm

    Oh how cool! I would love tomake my own. I am so not a good cook though so it could easily turn into a sticky mess ha.

  27. ashley on April 8, 2014 at 6:52 pm

    Welcome to California!!! it’s seriously the best place I’ve ever lived– and I’ve lived lots of places like you 🙂

    can’t wait to try out your body wash recipe- I’m getting bored of plain ol’ peppermint dr. bronner’s! living outside the mainstream is the way to be!! speaking of scobies… my husband has quite the science experiment going on with his kombucha right now— ahhh!! I think it seriously made a NOISE today!

  28. Suzi @ Confessions of a Fitness Instructor on April 8, 2014 at 8:01 pm

    Oh my gosh I totally feel you, here I’m lucky to find kombucha at all, never mind a scoby. I had to go super old school and grow my own from a bottle of original kombucha (which until a week or two ago could only be purchased in one place 45 minutes away from where I live!).

    That wash looks awesome! I tried making my own shampoo last year, it didn’t go well 😮 but maybe I’ll have more success with wash!!

  29. Alex @ Kenzie Life on April 8, 2014 at 8:09 pm

    I LOVE this! I used to think Lush was great but then I too saw the ingredients and realized a lot of things I try to avoid are included. Sad face. This looks amazing though!!

  30. Livi on April 8, 2014 at 8:13 pm

    I’ve only made lip gloss, but this looks awesome!

  31. Grace on April 8, 2014 at 8:16 pm

    Ahh, I was wondering when you would start to pick up on the bad ingredients in Lush products 🙂

  32. GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth on April 8, 2014 at 8:57 pm

    I’ve made face scrubs for myself and as gifts but never body wash. Definitely time to change that! Pinning this so I can make it when my current body wash finishes. Thanks for sharing 😀

  33. Erin on April 8, 2014 at 9:21 pm

    OMG I will have to try this. I am also obsessed with anything rose scented, it reminds me of my nana who used to bath in rose water. And she also used to eat roses, haha.

    On a side note, I was wondering if you use natural deodorant or have you ever attempted to make your own? I desperately want to find a natural option but the ones that I’ve tried have not worked well, especially after working out.

    Oh & what brand of oils do you buy? I normally get mine from the local health food store or farmer’s market but I am interested in seeing if I can get a better quality product for a similar price on amazon.

    • Shaina Anderson on April 8, 2014 at 11:23 pm

      Usually DIY deodorants will keep you from getting stinky, but not from sweating in your underarms. The antiperspirant properties in store-bought deodorant come from the chemicals that DIY recipes are trying to avoid. 🙂

      • Erin on April 9, 2014 at 7:54 pm

        Sorry, I guess I didn’t explain what I was asking. I know natural/DIY deodorant won’t stop the sweating but I was asking for recommendations on ones that Gina or others have had success with it. I have tried a couple like the crystal brand that have not helped the stink factor at all.

        • Fitnessista on April 9, 2014 at 9:04 pm

          i don’t use natural deodorant at all. i’ve heard that the crystal deodorant doesn’t do anything and with daily workouts (and um, not-daily showers) i’m sparing everyone of the stink 😉 i use secret deodorant

          • Erin on April 9, 2014 at 9:54 pm

            Haha, I hear ya. Yeah the crystal deodorant experience was kind of embarrassing. I definately do not recommend it. I also tried Lush’s dirty hippie & they aren’t kidding by that name. People kept asking me what that woodsy/hippie smell was. LOL. I don’t think I stunk, but let’s be real, maybe I just couldn’t tell since the patchouli smell was so strong.



          • JennS on April 10, 2014 at 12:08 pm

            Do you have a favorite “Secret” smell?



          • Fitnessista on April 11, 2014 at 1:25 am

            i think it’s called tahitian vanilla?



        • Megan on April 12, 2014 at 10:41 pm

          I totally recommend “The Pits Veggie Deodorant” from Bunny Butt Apothecary. I’ve been using it for a few years now and it’s great! I like the Cucumber Tea scent.

          http://bunnybuttapothecary.com/the-pits-veggie-deodorant-p-37.html

  34. Laura B @ FitMamaLove on April 9, 2014 at 12:51 am

    I haven’t put together any homemade products, but I have tried “No Poo” with baking soda and raw apple cider vinegar (really bad for your hair it turns out–don’t do it!) and then I tried honey washing my hair. None of it did my hair any good, but I lived to blog about it. 🙂 Now I’m back to regular, but with good ingredients shampoo.

  35. Runner Girl Eats on April 9, 2014 at 6:11 am

    I’ve never made my own scrub but this sounds so easy and wonderful. Maybe I will add it to my weekend to do list 🙂

  36. Mandi on April 9, 2014 at 9:15 am

    I love when people’s inner hippie comes out! My husband will get this look on his face when I talk about new ingredients and that’s how I know I’ve gone into full on hippie mode. Can’t wait to tell him about your body wash recipe. Thanks for sharing.

  37. Roberta on April 9, 2014 at 9:15 am

    Wow, I love it. I’m so going to try this. So far I’ve only made a hair mask ( my grandma’s recipe) and body scrub. Thank you for sharing.

  38. Jessica on April 9, 2014 at 9:52 am

    Haha, welcome to Southern California!!
    I hope the move is going smoothly. This body wash sounds heavenly! Definitely stopping by the store after work to grab some of the ingredients 🙂

  39. Becky @ goodnessgrapevine.com on April 9, 2014 at 10:44 am

    Yes! This is right up my alley. This is definitely something I’ll have to try out. Looks great.

  40. Sharon T on April 9, 2014 at 12:23 pm

    I go in phases. I’ll make all Diy cleaners – then will miss the real thing, and switch some back! Flip flopper here. 🙂

    I’m getting ready to attempt diy rose water which hazel skin toner, and coconut oil/cocoa butter whipped body butter next.

  41. M on September 11, 2014 at 12:15 pm

    That seems like an excessive amount of essential oils. 50 drops for a small bottle? I’m surprised I don’t smell it halfway across the country

  42. Lacey on February 6, 2015 at 7:53 am

    Is this safe to use with toddlers? Or if I use it for just me in the shower, and she takes a bath later, and tries to lick the water (as most babies/toddlers do), will these ingredients harm her? I dont know how early they can start to handle honey without it being toxic to them

  43. Jade on April 8, 2016 at 4:23 pm

    This recipe sounds amazing! What is the shelf life of the body wash?

    • Fitnessista on April 8, 2016 at 8:18 pm

      that’s a great question. i had ours for about a month and it still smelled great

  44. Andrea on August 30, 2016 at 9:58 am

    Just to clarify- did you use the peppermint scented castile soap, and orange oil and rose in this wash? That didn’t smell funky? Lol.
    I might start with the unscented or citrus castile soap, but I’m super excited to try this!

  45. Michelle on June 9, 2017 at 7:36 pm

    Any suggestions on how to make it without the Castile soap? I have a severe coconut allergy. haven’t been able to find a Castile soap without coconut oil involved. (OR even a natural soap/body wash for that matter).
    Please help!

  46. Mimi3Beans on July 5, 2023 at 12:09 am

    Without using xanthan gum or guar gum, how watery is this body wash? Did it come out a creamy consistency? I make my own body care products and the biggest complaint was making body washes that were too watery. I know it’s a science to find the right recipe when it comes to what makes each of us happy. I’ve recently played around with a new body wash recipe that came out creamy and lathers up really well.

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