Cut costs and while easily saving money with this easy DIY Foaming Hand Soap Recipe!

Then save even more money when you try this method for How To Make Foaming Dish Soap!

Flowers next to a container of foaming hand soap.

DIY Foaming Hand Soap Recipe

Are you wondering how to make your own foaming hand soap refill?  It’s so much easier than you think!

You are going to LOVE this easy DIY Foaming Hand Soap Recipe!

Angie writes: "I've been doing this for years and have saved so much money, we love it."

I. Love. Fluffy Soap!  It’s true ~ I love the foaming suds… but not the price.

So one day I decided to just make my own Homemade Foaming Soap!

What did I have to lose?  Only money in my wallet, so I thought… why not give it a try?

Well guess what… it works!  And it’s so easy.  And it will save you SO much money!!

I’ve been doing this trick for years now… and you can too!

Homemade Cleaners are such a simple way to save BIG, and this is one of the easiest tricks to start with.  So are you ready for my favorite foaming handsoap recipe?

It takes just a few seconds to make… seriously, how easy is that?

Here’s what you’ll need to do…

Related: Best Bath and Body Works Coupons & Sale Hacks

Person washing their hands.

Foaming Hand Soap Reviews

What Your Frugal Friends Are Saying About This Foaming Hand Soap Recipe…

Jeanie writes: “Tried this and it worked great!”

Angie writes: “I’ve been doing this for years and have saved so much money, we love it.”

Dawn writes: “The formula was perfect!”

Heidi writes: “Wow- super easy and worked perfectly! My kids love foaming soap and this really stretches the dollar!”

Melissa writes: “Works perfect!”

Crystal writes: “Works perfectly!  Literally less than a nickel to make!”

Daniela writes: “It worked!  We have foaming soap!”

Rebecca writes: “I do this all the time.  This saves so much money!”

Mrs. H. writes: “I have made multiples for my kitchen and bathroom, very easy to make.”

Jordan writes: “I do this and love it! Thanks for the hot tip!”

Joyce writes: “I run a home daycare and the kiddos LOVE to go through the soap.  It gets us just as clean, the scent is not as over powering and if you bought them during the Bath and Body Works Sale you are really saving $$$$. I love stretching the budget!”

Tiffany writes: “Works like a charm!!!”

Angelica writes: “‘I’ve been using this method for years.  Great idea/method!!!”

Katie writes: “I just used the bottles from the Dial fluffy soaps, and I buy a bulk size of a soap I like maybe once a year. I keep more bottles on hand than we need (we need 4, I think I have 8 now) and pull out a full bottle whenever one runs out. Then I just fill all of them at once when we don’t have any more full ones to replace with.”

Foaming soap dispenser and liquid soap dispenser.

DIY Foaming Hand Soap Refill – What You’ll Need

You’ll just nee a few simple things to make your own foaming hand soap!

Check your bathroom cupboards or closet, or add the following to your next shopping list to make sure you’ve got everything on hand…

Clear-Based Liquid Hand Soap (Softsoap, Dial, antibacterial or other)  *Don’t use the thick & creamy soaps.  The clear-based soaps foam best!*

1 Empty Foaming Hand Soap Bottle (I use old Bath & Body Works bottles.)

Optional: Add in several drops of your favorite Essential Oil to give it a nice, light scent.

See… I told you this was going to be EASY!

YouTube video

How to Make Foaming Hand Soap

You won’t believe how simple it is to make your own foaming hand soap at home!

Here’s what you’ll do…

1. Fill the Empty Foaming Soap Bottle with approx. 1 inch of your liquid hand soap.

2. Slowly fill the rest of the bottle with tap water.

3. Put lid back on, and gently tip upside down & side to side to mix and shake gently if needed. (No need to shake vigorously, though… it will get too sudsy ~ just trust me.) 🙂

4. Then, when it’s time to wash your hands, pump a few pumps of foaming hand soap onto your hands, and wash well with warm water.

5. A nurse at the hospital where I worked once told me to wash at least as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday to yourself in your head… about 20 seconds or longer.  Don’t forget to wash under your nails, too!

6. And here’s one more tip from frugal friend Vicki…  “And remember to turn the faucet off with the back of your wrist”

So that’s it!  Now isn’t this Foaming Handsoap Recipe so easy?

You really need to give it a try.  Making Foaming Soap is such a cinch!

Plus, your hands… and wallet will thank you! 😉

I personally use my leftover foaming hand soap pump dispensers from Bath and Body Works to make foaming hand soap for my kitchen and all the bathrooms around my home.

Foaming Soap Variations

Once you know how to make foaming soap, there are so many other things you can make that foam, too!

You won’t believe how much money you’ll save around the house!

Simply use the same ratio and process as above, and give these a try, too…

Foaming Body Wash

(1 inch clear-based body wash + water)

Amy writes: “I do this all the time! Works perfect!”

Bottle of body wash next to empty foaming soap container.

Foaming Shampoo

(1 inch clear-based shampoo + water)

Nicky writes: “Loved this idea, tried it and it worked great. Smells Great. Cleans just as well as our normal Johnsons!”

Bottle of shampoo next to empty foaming soap container.

Foaming Baby Wash

(1 inch clear-based baby wash + water)

Bottle of baby wash, empty soap container, and rubber ducky.

Shanna writes: “I’ve been doing this for a while now with my two boys. They have so much more fun with the foam in the tub, and it goes a lot further!!”

Lindy writes: “This worked perfectly!  Love it.”

Brooke writes: “My 2 year old loves it.  I decorated the bottle with his favourite character stickers and he always uses this for hand washing (instead of stronger stuff that irritates his skin)”

Karena writes: “Saved me quite a bit of money”

Rajene writes: “Best refill I’ve tried yet and smells great!”

Emily writes: ” LOVE LOVE LOVE this DIY, when you finish and realize that it works, it makes you feel so good about yourself, not to mention it smells good to!! However I used the bedtime bubble bath Johnson and Johnson”

Empty bathtub in master bathroom.

Genius Bath and Body Works Coupons & Sale Hacks

Stock up on your favorite lotions, candles, soaps and more with these Bath and Body Works Coupons and Sale Hacks that will save you SO much money!

Outside of a Bath and Body Works.

More Budget Cleaning Tips and Recipes

While you’re at it you can make some more easy foaming soaps, hand sanitizers, and cleaners… because, why not save even more money?!?

How To Make Foaming Dish Soap

Give this tip  a try.  It’s a simple way to save on dish soap and make your dish soap last so much longer!

Foaming Dish Soap dispenser and dawn dish soap.

Dawn Powerwash Recipe Refill Hack

The name brand spray can be a little pricey… but you can mix up your own spray bottle filled with Dawn Powerwash for pennies!

Person spraying Dawn Powerwash on a plate.

Homemade Granite Cleaner Recipe

Save money on that overpriced store-bought granite cleaner when you use this frugal Homemade Granite Cleaner instead!

A sparkling kitchen with white cabinets and white counters.

DIY Hand Sanitizer Recipe

You won’t believe how easy it is to make your own hand sanitizer using this DIY Hand Sanitizer Recipe!

Small container of hand sanitizer with yellow flowers.

Keep Shoes From Smelling (6 Easy Tricks)

Here are some really easy ways to help remedy that stink and make all those shoes more tolerable once again!

Pair of blue Converse shoes.

How to Clean White Shoes at Home

Whether your shoes need a good cleaning, or you just need to know how to clean white shoelaces, I’ve got you covered!

White shoes with fall leaves.

50 DIY Homemade Cleaners Recipes That Work! (Surprisingly Easy)

Get ready for some serious savings with these simple DIY Homemade Cleaners Recipes and Tips!

Collage of different homemade cleaners.

More Ways To Save Money On Soaps and Personal Care

You’ll love these creative ideas that will save you money and make your home beautiful…

Sephora Sale Hacks You’re Missing Out On!

Use these secret Sephora Sale, Ad and Discount Hacks to save BIG every time you shop!  Seriously… you won’t believe how much you’ll save!

Outside of a Sephora with palm trees.

Save Money Fast (20 Easy Ways to Save $2200 this Month!)

Are you wondering how to Save Money Fast?  It’s easy when you start slashing expenses and adding these extra sources of income to your finances!

A $50 bill and a $100 bill on a keyboard.

So have you tried this DIY Foaming Hand Soap Recipe yet?

Leave a comment and share…

Two containers of soap.

About Heidi Miller

Heidi Miller is the creator of The Frugal Girls, where she shares easy recipes with massive flavor! She has been creating and sharing recipes online for over 15 years, and brings warmth, expertise, and a personal touch to every recipe. Her work has been featured on Today.com, NBC, Fox, Parade, People, Country Living, Woman’s World, and more!

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155 Comments

  1. Kari says:

    I do this and it works great! And saves money!

    I would like to add a little tip that I have found that makes this work just a little better. I use *HOT* tap water. It helps with the soap & water mixing up. 🙂 That’s all!

  2. Margaret Hedlund says:

    What did I do wrong? I followed the directions exactly but ended up with sudsy water and that in no way resembled foam. Any suggestions?

    1. Robertta says:

      Did you put it in a foaming container? That’s the only way it foams because it ads air to the soap.

  3. Missy says:

    I splurged and bought Avon’s Natural vanilla hand soap. It is an 8 oz bottle and was on sale for 3.50 and free shipping when you buy $10.00 worth of things. Normally it is $6.00 and you pay shipping. I go through MY POINTS and also get 25 points per dollar spent. I use a fourth of an inch in the bottom. If I use more than that my hands get itchy. I have refilled my bottle at least six times and still have at least 2 oz left out of the original 8. At first it acts like it doesn’t want to mix but swirl it around and around and when it is mixed it looks clear and does not ever separate. You can shake it gently. I always run fresh water in the bottle until all the old is out and then I keep pumping the sprayer until clear water comes out of it. After it is mixed, you have to pump it about 10 times to get the water that you rinsed it with out of the pump. I have used Dawn as well but granddaughter likes the vanilla. I stay away from the antibacterial because it dries my skin and leaves little pieces of dry skin on the back of my hands. If you feel your hands aren’t soft enough rewash again with the foaming soap. I have to after petting the dog and cat. There have been some health concerns about what is in the soaps. I feel by using the homemade solution that it cuts that problem way down. Like any soap make sure that you run your fingers through each other to get all the soap out.

  4. Sue Moulton says:

    I also add a little bit of oil to the mixture as I find it to be a bit too drying for my taste. This summer I added coconut oil but found as the weather is cooling and I keep my house cool, the coconut oil solidifies. I just ordered some Almond Oil and will be trying that instead. I suppose even a little Olive Oil would work too. But love making my own foaming soap!

  5. Stacey says:

    You can also order foaming soap ‘bottles’ on amazon 🙂

  6. Christy Mullins says:

    Every time I refill my foam hand soap dispenser it stops pumping, I see others have also had this problem. Does anyone have a solution? Thanks

  7. Jeanene Smith says:

    This is a great idea, I will be doing this for my 5 year old grandson..
    The Pomagranite soap I will hAve to try. Way to save money, I LOVE GETTING A BARGAIN.. THANK YOU SO MUCH

  8. Carmen says:

    I also add a bit of glycerine to the mix – for soft hands. 🙂

  9. Melanie says:

    I’m having an issue with my soap bottles not pumping or are very hard to press down to get any foaming soap to come out. Are there certain bottles and maybe even certain soaps I need to be using?

  10. Lydia Filipasic says:

    I’ve been doing this and my kids love to wash their hands all the time never have to remind them. They tend to get into trouble because they want to waste it! But I’ve learned to take stock in Dish soap so I’ll be good for awhile.lol