8 recipes that are natural, simple, and have a base of castile soap for face cleansing. Start with castile soap and customize for skin type and oil preferences.
Now that the warm days of summer are slowly slipping by, I find it harder and harder to get up each morning.
I normally need a good cup of coffee to jump start my system, but lately, that just isn’t doing the trick. The only thing that seems to work is a nice warm shower and an invigorating face wash.
I’ve been using a homemade face wash for years and it saves me so much money! There are so many expensive facial cleansers on the market and it is hard to know which type to buy.
However, if you know a thing or two about essential oils, it is really easy to make your own custom face wash. No more agonizing over ingredients or spending money you don’t have.
Just start with castile soap for face cleansing, and follow the simple steps to customize your invigorating morning face wash!
Castile Soap for Face Wash Base
I make all my face wash recipes with a base of castile soap for face cleansing. I buy unscented liquid castile soap in bulk. (Get liquid castile soap here.)  As with any soap, you’ll want to avoid getting it in your eyes. Liquid castile soap can sting and burn if it does get in the eyes.
If you have sensitive skin, you can try Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Liquid Castile Soap (find it here)Â or Burt’s Bees Tear Free/Fragrance-Free Wash (find it here).
I normally use about 8 ounces of castile soap for face cleansing in each recipe. This gives a nice full bottle of facial cleanser that will last a month or two.
If you are using Dr. Bronner’s brand, you can dilute the soap (I often dilute 6 ounces of soap with 2 ounces of water). This makes the soap last even longer!
With each 8 ounce bottle, I add between 35-40Â drops of essential oil. This is a less than 1% dilution because the soap is intended to be used directly on the face. **(We like the pure quality and prices of these essential oils.)**
Note: Some essential oils can cause the soap to appear cloudy. This is normal.
Castile Soap for Face Wash Recipes
Exfoliating Orange Castile Soap Face Wash
This facial cleanser is simple, yet effective. Oranges contain a very high percentage of Vitamin C and antioxidants. It is sweetly refreshing and helps to ease inflamed skin. The orange peel will gently exfoliate the skin leaving you glowing and ready to start your day.  (Note: avoid excessive exposure to the sun directly after using as orange oil can be photo-toxic.)Â
- 35 drops sweet orange essential oil
- 1 tsp finely ground orange peel (find orange peel powder here)
- 8 ounces liquid castile soap
Summer Citrus Castile Soap Face Wash
Sweet and citrusy, this blend will get your senses going. Citrus essential oils are wonderful for jump-starting your metabolism and contain many beneficial vitamins like vitamins A and C.
- 10 drops sweet orange essential oil
- 15 drops lime essential oil
- 15 drops lemon essential oil
- 5 drops grapefruit essential oil
- 8 ounces liquid castile soap
Tingling Peppermint Castile Soap Face Wash
I love using peppermint in my beauty routine. It helps stimulate circulation, thus helping to get your blood moving. It’s also great to help tame oily or greasy skin. Peppermint essential oil contains a high percentage of menthol which gives it a cooling effect on the skin. Note: Peppermint essential oil is STRONG! Use at low dilution (25 drops or less) and avoid eyes!
- 25 drops peppermint essential oil
- 8 ounces liquid castile soap
Cooling Tea Tree/Eucalyptus Castile Soap Face Wash
This is probably one of my favorite facial cleanser combinations. Tea Tree essential oil is wonderful for acne or blemish-prone skin. It helps to cleanse the skin of bacteria and prevent further breakouts. Eucalyptus helps soothe and cool skin, thus preventing irritation.
- 15 drops eucalyptus essential oil
- 25 drops tea tree essential oil
- 8 ounces liquid castile soap
Floral Gardens Castile Soap Face Wash
If you are a flower lover, this blend is for you! Geranium essential oil helps improve skin by stimulating cell growth and also works wonderfully as an astringent. Geranium also helps ease acne and dermatitis. Lavender cools and calms skin while also encouraging skin cell growth. Note: do not use geranium essential oil if pregnant or breastfeeding.
- 15 drops lavender essential oil
- 25 drops geranium essential oil
- 8 ounces liquid castile soap
Herbal Awakening Castile Soap Face Wash
Basil essential oil will help improve energy all day long. It is also wonderful for skin tone and acne. Rosemary will help to even skin tone and leave your skin blemish free. Note: do not use rosemary essential oil if pregnant or breastfeeding
- 30 drops basil essential oil
- 10 drops rosemary essential oil
- 8 ounces liquid castile soap
Eucalyptus Mint Castile Soap Face Wash
This blend will really jump start your day! Eucalyptus and spearmint both cool skin and leave it feeling invigorated and fresh. You’ll want to inhale deeply as you wash your face and especially avoid eyes with this blend.
- 15 drops eucalyptus essential oil
- 20 drops spearmint essential oil
- 8 ounces liquid castile soap
Lavender Lemon Castile Soap Face Wash
There’s just something about the lavender/lemon combination that I love. (Check out this Lavender Lemon Lip Scrub.) Lavender will soothe irritated skin while lemon will give skin a glowing luster.
- 15 drops lavender essential oil
- 30 drops lemon essential oil
- 8 ounces liquid castile soap
**(Find any of the essential oils you’ll need for the above recipes here.)**
These 8 recipes are sure to be crowd pleasers, but I encourage you to try your own unique combination. Just start with castile soap for face washing base and add oils you enjoy that fit your face type.
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Roslyn Broughton says
What would be the best way to store the facial cleanser in a squeeze bottle or is it to runny? Or perhaps a foamy pump bottle.
I would like to make some but just not sure what kind of container/ bottle to store it in?
Katie Vance says
Hi Roslyn! I store mine in an 8 ounce soap pump (the glass kind that you can buy at the store). It is slightly thin, but not too thin that it would need a foamy pump bottle.
Monica Ritchie says
How long do these last for before going bad since water is added to the recipe? Thanks!
Katie Vance says
Hi Monica, these last around 2-3 months as the pH from the soaps helps to preserve the wash.
Brette says
These are great recipes! I would add, however, that Burt’s Bees is owned by Clorox. Everyone has different priorities so this may not matter to everyone. I’m just putting it out there for those who may want to know.
Katie Vance says
Thanks for the extra information, Brette.
Elizabeth says
I’m going to try this out,thanks and keep the good work going.