Hydrating Body Wash
|

Hydrating and Moisturizing Body Wash

Your skin will love this hydrating and gentle honey and castile soap body wash!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy in Terms of Use.

If your shower shelf is crowded with bottles full of “mystery suds” and ingredients you can’t pronounce, it might be time to trade them in for something better: a homemade natural body wash that’s as simple as it is skin-loving.

This hydrating honey body wash blends gentle castile soap, raw honey, and nourishing oils (hello, argan and sweet almond!) into a recipe that feels luxurious without the luxury price. It’s made with soothing lavender and sweet orange essential oils, giving you a refreshing scent while keeping it all-natural.

Best of all? This recipe makes a gentle body wash for sensitive skin, so you can feel good about what’s going on your body—because your skin deserves more kindness and fewer chemicals. If you follow your shower up with my amazing whipped shea body butter recipe, you’re skin will never feel better.

Body Wash 3
Hydrating and All Natural Body Wash

You might be thinking the same thing I was when I first learned about putting actual raw honey in a body wash …… aren’t I going to be all sticky??!?! I promise you, you won’t! Once it’s all blended in with the soap and oils, you won’t even notice it’s honey. But you will notice the hydrating and nourishing affects it brings to this gentle body wash.

Honey is amazing for your skin. Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties can help with acne and wounds, its humectant quality deeply hydrates and moisturizes, and its antioxidant content provides anti-aging benefits and protects against skin damage. It also acts as a gentle exfoliator to remove dead skin cells, leading to a brighter, more radiant complexion.  

Honey is definitely one of the ingredients in this recipe that you don’t want to skip or swap!

One thing to get used to with homemade natural body wash, is you won’t get the suds you might be used with a commercial brand body wash. But that’s a good thing! The reason those body washes have so many suds, is because of the crap that’s put in them just for that purpose. You will still get a nice lather with this DIY body wash, and will be just as clean, without the crap.

Once switching over to this toxin free body wash, I noticed a huge difference in my skin. It wasn’t near as dry, even in the winter. And the itchiness I used to have every day, all over my body, was hugely reduced. I mean, I still have the odd itch, but not the type that just never goes away. I love it!

I am completely serious when I say my skin has NEVER felt better. Even in our harsh Canadian winters.

The best part about it of course is that it’s is all natural, but it’s also super easy to make for beginners trying to get started with DIY all natural products.


If you are feeling like you have no idea where to even start with making your own products, like I was, check out my blog Ditch the Toxins: The Benefits of Making Your Own Cleaning and Skincare Products.

I think you will find my Getting Started Guide super helpful as well! I’ve created an easy to follow cheat sheet with the only ingredients you need for getting started. It also includes the first 3 recipes I started with, and that I suggest you do too. You can replace so many commercial products in your house with just these 3 recipes. And they are perfect for beginners. You can download it for free here.


Just a Few Ingredients!

This recipe has just a few simple ingredients, which you can switch up depending on the scent you want to achieve. This is what I use for an amazing smelling orange, almond and lavender scent. Let’s go through all the ingredients you will need to make this non toxic and hydrating foaming body wash.

Body Wash 4
Body Wash Ingredients
🧴 Almond Castile Soap

The star of this castile soap body wash recipe, almond castile soap is a gentle yet effective cleanser made from plant oils instead of harsh detergents. It removes dirt and sweat without stripping your skin’s natural oils, making it ideal for a gentle body wash for sensitive skin. Plus, its mild almond scent blends beautifully with essential oils.

This is one of my favourite Dr. Bronner’s castile soap scents.

🍯 Raw Honey

Honey isn’t just for your tea—it’s the secret to a truly hydrating honey body wash. Naturally humectant, it helps draw moisture into the skin, keeping it soft and smooth. Honey also has natural antibacterial properties, making this homemade natural body wash not only moisturizing but also protective against breakouts and irritation.

You will also love the subtle honey scent it adds. I use honey in my gentle face wash recipe too, and it’s my new favourite ingredient in my skin care routine.

Argan Oil

Often called “liquid gold,” argan oil is packed with vitamin E and fatty acids that deeply nourish and repair dry skin. In this recipe, it transforms your wash into a silky, spa-like treat. Its ability to restore softness makes it a key player in any hydrating honey body wash.

🌰 Sweet Almond Oil

Lightweight and easily absorbed, sweet almond oil adds an extra layer of hydration without leaving a greasy feel. It’s rich in vitamins A and E, which help soothe irritation, making this gentle body wash for sensitive skin a true game-changer for anyone with dryness or redness.

💧 Vegetable Glycerin

This natural humectant works hand-in-hand with honey to lock in moisture, giving your skin that “just-lotioned” glow straight from the shower. It also helps your homemade natural body wash foam up nicely, so it feels just like store-bought—minus the chemicals. In addition to the foaming action, it will help to slightly thicken your body wash, so it stays on your shower puff a little easier. Homemade natural body wash is on the thinner side, so the vegetable glycerin will help.

🌿 Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender brings more than just a calming scent to this sweet orange lavender essential oil body wash. It has soothing properties that help relax both skin and senses. Perfect for winding down after a long day, it complements the hydrating oils and honey beautifully.

🍊 Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Bright, cheerful, and refreshing, sweet orange oil gives this homemade natural body wash its uplifting aroma. Beyond the scent, it helps promote smoother, brighter-looking skin while adding a boost of vitamin C benefits. Combined with lavender, it makes every shower feel like aromatherapy.

Now that you know why each ingredient is included, let’s get to the recipe! Of course, you can always switch up the soap, oils and essential oils to suit your taste and skin.

Hydrating and Moisturizing Body Wash

Recipe by RoslynDifficulty: Beginner
Yields

14

Ounces
Prep time

5

minutes
Additional time

5

minutes
Total time

10

minutes

Equipment:
16 Oz Plastic Bottle (since this stays in the shower, I prefer using plastic so nothing breaks)
Kitchen Scale for measuring (optional but makes it faster)

Ingredients

Directions

  • In a bowl add all ingredients except the water.
  • Stir ingredients until honey is well blended into the oils.
  • Add water and mix together again.
  • Pour into bottle and shake.

Notes

  • This body wash works well on a shower puff.
  • This natural body wash will last up to 3 months in a cool, dark place like a fridge. But it is best to use it within 2-3 weeks.
  • Water and oils will separate while sitting, be sure to shake the bottle before each use.
  • Make sure you label your bottle! The oils and soap will separate as they sit, so it is important to shake the bottle gently before you use it. Included in my free printable labels download is a ‘Shake Me’ label to add to the bottle. I like to print mine on this Vinyl Sticker Paper. It easily sticks right on and is waterproof.

If you loved this recipe, don’t forget to share it with a friend and save it to Pinterest so you’ll always have it handy. And if you want more simple, natural recipes, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter – I’ve got plenty more tips and recipes coming out on a weekly basis for healthy, glowing hair and skin.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *