Of Foam and Finance

Foaming hand soap; what is that all about? Admittedly, I am one of those skeptical people when it comes to certain products. I don't like to buy something, and feel like I am not getting my money's worth - I have a budget, and I like to put my money to good use. 

Foaming hand soap has always been one of those things that I didn't think was worth the money - hello, how much soap is actually in there, and how much is just water? Well, I have finally found a way to save ridiculoso amounts of money on hand soap, reuse the foamy soap pumps, and mix in a little DIY fun. That is what I call a worthwhile project, people! 

So, here's what you'll need:

- Leftover empty foaming hand soap pump (free!)

- Castile soap (I found it on amazon for .44/oz average, but you can get cheaper)

- Essential oil of choice (optional .015-.03/drop)

- tap water (we'll just add .01)

To make it:

Take the top off of your soap pump (taking note of how far into the bottle it sits), and fill to the bottom lip with Castile soap (about 1-2 squirts, I would guess less than one ounce total!). 

Next, add in your drops of essential oil if you are using, to whatever level of scent you'd like. I believe I used about 7 drops of lemon. 

Finally, fill with water to just below where the pump was, screw the pump back on, and shake well. 

 

That's it! You just made foaming hand soap! Don't you feel crafty? And thrifty? And amazing? ;)

And lest we forget, how much money did we just save? 

Total cost to make refill: 0.63 (including essential oils)

Cost to buy at Bath & Body Works: $3.43 (buying 7 for $24 deal)

Cost to buy Method: 2.99 (full price on Amazon)

Cost to buy Method refill pack: $2.14 per bottle refilled (based on amazon prices - $5.99 for a 2.8 refill pack)

Our savings: between $1.51 and $2.80 each! Did I mention that your resulting hand soap is all natural and triclosan free? So, with a clean conscience (pardon my pun), you may go forth and foam away. :)

Note: all prices in calculations rounded to the nearest penny.