Homemade Body Wash for Kids & Sensitive Skin: Safe, Gentle & Non-Toxic DIY

QUICK SUMMARY

Homemade body wash for kids and sensitive skin is a gentle, non-toxic bath wash made with organic unscented liquid castile soap, distilled or purified water, Mama Z’s Essential Oil Base or a carrier oil, vegetable glycerin, aloe vera, and kid-safe essential oils.

The biggest reason to make your own children’s body wash is ingredient control. Many conventional kids’ bath products rely on synthetic fragrance, bright artificial dyes, harsh surfactants, and preservative systems that can expose families to unnecessary chemicals. Independent testing has also found formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane contamination in some children’s bath products.

For children, essential oils should always be diluted, age-appropriate, and used with wisdom. Lavender, cedarwood, Roman chamomile, German chamomile, sweet orange, vanilla, and vetiver are some of our favorite gentle options. Use extra caution with peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, and phototoxic citrus oils, especially for very young children or daytime summer use.

Bathtime can be such a fun experience for kids and parents alike! There’s nothing better than lathering up with a foamy body wash. We like to make bath time memorable in our home by using this non-toxic homemade body wash for kids. It smells terrific thanks to essential oils and has just as many bubbles as the store-bought kind. You might just find yourself reaching for the kid’s bottle, and I wouldn’t blame you!

Here’s the thing: creating a healthier home doesn’t have to be complicated. Biblical health starts with faithful, practical choices that help our families experience the abundant life God designed for us. Sometimes that looks like changing what we eat. Sometimes it looks like swapping out air fresheners, cleaning supplies, and personal care products. And sometimes it looks like making a simple bottle of kid-friendly body wash with ingredients you can actually pronounce.

This DIY body wash is bubbly, gentle, customizable, and easy enough to make with your children. It gives them the fun bath-time experience they love while helping you reduce the toxic burden in your home one product at a time.

3 Reasons to Avoid Drugstore Body Wash

Manufacturers want one thing: your money. They get people to purchase products that aren’t always the best for them by making big claims. If you take a walk down the bath product aisle, you’ll see a lot of promises, including, “Changes the color of bathwater,” “Tear-free,” “Smells like bubblegum,” and “Extra bubbles.”

Those claims may sound fun, but we have to ask a better question: What is creating the color, scent, foam, and shelf life?

This is important because children’s skin is part of their God-designed barrier system. It is not something we want to overwhelm with mystery fragrance blends, unnecessary dyes, or harsh ingredients day after day. We don’t need to live in fear, but we do need to live with wisdom.

1. Synthetic Fragrances

Synthetic fragrances are almost always in kid’s body wash. Everyone wants to smell nice, but the problem with synthetic fragrances is, well, they’re fake. The FDA explains that fragrance and flavor formulas are complex mixtures that are often considered trade secrets, which means the full formula may not be disclosed on the product label. (1, 2)

That means the single word “fragrance” can represent a blend of many natural and synthetic chemicals. You are not always told exactly what you are putting on your child’s skin. For parents trying to reduce chemical exposure, that is a problem.

Fragrance is also one of the common triggers for allergic contact dermatitis. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that fragrance and nickel are among the common causes of allergic reactions from things that touch the skin. (3)

Reality check: A child’s body wash does not need mystery fragrance to work. Clean skin does not require a synthetic bubblegum scent. With a simple homemade body wash, you can use properly diluted essential oils for a natural aroma and skip the hidden fragrance formula altogether.

2. Artificial Dyes

Artificial dyes are what make children’s body wash look so appealing. Bright pink, neon green, and blue bath products may grab a child’s attention, but color does not make a body wash healthier or more effective.

Artificial dyes, especially synthetic food dyes such as Red 40, have been studied for potential neurobehavioral effects in some children. California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment reviewed research in children, animals, and cells and concluded that synthetic food dyes can affect neurobehavior in some children. (4)

To be clear, most of that research is about dyes children eat, not body wash they rinse off. But that is exactly the point. If artificial color is not necessary for getting clean, why add it to a daily bath product?

On a more practical note, certain colorants can stain carpets, tile, and tub surfaces. That’s not fun for parents!

3. Formaldehyde and 1,4-Dioxane

A study by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in many baby and children’s bath products they tested. Their “No More Toxic Tub” report stated that formaldehyde was found in 23 of 28 tested products and 1,4-dioxane was found in 32 of 48 tested products. (5)

Formaldehyde is a serious concern. The National Cancer Institute notes that formaldehyde is classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and has been named a known human carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program. (6)

1,4-dioxane is another concern because it can be present as a manufacturing byproduct in some cosmetics and personal care products. The FDA explains that 1,4-dioxane is not intentionally used as an ingredient in cosmetics, but it can be formed during the manufacture of certain detergents, foaming agents, emulsifiers, and solvents. (7)

This is why ingredient lists can be tricky. You may not see “1,4-dioxane” listed because it is a contaminant, not an intentionally added ingredient. New York has already set limits for 1,4-dioxane in household cleansing, personal care, and cosmetic products sold in the state, which shows how seriously this contaminant is being taken. (8)

Put simply, there is no reason to bathe our children in questionable ingredients when a gentle homemade option is so easy to make.

Healthy Ingredients for Non-Toxic Body Wash

In all honesty, you could get by using just two ingredients, castile soap and water. That alone would create a homemade body wash that gets you clean, the natural way! If you enjoy extra bubbles and harnessing the power of essential oils, I’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know!

Organic unscented Liquid Castile Soap: This is what I use as the base in all of my DIYs that need soap! This effective solution is vegetable-based and free from synthetic ingredients. It’s biodegradable, making it great for the environment and your body! Unscented castile soap is especially helpful for kids because you get to control the final aroma instead of relying on synthetic fragrance.

Distilled or Purified Water: I recommend using distilled or purified water if at all possible. Because this recipe contains water, cleanliness matters. The FDA notes that cosmetics can become harmful if contaminated with pathogenic bacteria or fungi, and water-based products need special care to reduce microbial risk. (9) Make this body wash in small batches, use a clean bottle, keep the lid closed, and toss it if the smell, color, or texture changes.

Mama Z’s Essential Oil Base or Carrier Oil: If you haven’t tried my oil base, you’re in for a treat! Mama Z’s Essential Oil Base is a blend I created when pregnant with my oldest. It’s full of moisturizing oils that are wonderful for the skin. The recipe makes a huge batch, so you’ll have enough to last a while! If you don’t have time to make my oil base, you can use a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut, jojoba, sweet almond, or grapeseed oil.

Vegetable Glycerin: You don’t need sulfates to create luxurious bubbles! Vegetable glycerin thickens our mixture and makes suds that rival any store-bought brand. It also gives the body wash a smoother feel so it is more pleasant for little hands to use.

Essential Oils: Essential oils are what give our all-natural recipe its scent! The great thing about EOs is that they do more than just smell good. You can create a custom blend that supports your child mentally, emotionally, and physically as part of a healthy lifestyle. The key is to use the right oils, in the right dilution, for your child’s age and needs.

Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera is a light moisturizer. It’s very cooling to the skin, making aloe vera the perfect addition to a “Summer” body wash. Aloe vera has a long history of topical use and contains compounds studied for skin-soothing, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activity. (10) Be sure to look for a brand that contains no fillers!

Best Combination of Essential Oils for Children

Using essential oils with children is very similar to using essential oils with adults; however, you should pay more attention to adequately dispersing & diluting the essential oils.

Children do not need adult-strength aromatherapy. Less really is more! In The Essential Oils Diet, we teach that a 0.5% to 1% dilution is generally appropriate for children, the face, and sensitive skin, while stronger dilutions are reserved for adults or specific short-term needs. (11) Johns Hopkins also notes that safe dilutions for children generally range from 0.5% to 2.5%, depending on the child’s age, weight, and purpose, and that undiluted oils should not be applied directly to children’s skin. (12)

Because this body wash is a rinse-off product, the exposure is brief, but I still like to keep kid blends gentle. Your goal is a pleasant, supportive bath-time aroma, not an overpowering essential oil experience.

Here are some generally safe oils for children’s DIYs:

• Cedarwood- Great for helping kids feel grounded and confident in social settings
• Lavender– The ultimate calming oil, very soothing to the skin
• German chamomile- A gentle option for quiet evening routines
• Roman chamomile– Great for calming bedtime blends
• Rosemary– Traditionally used for focus, scalp support, and hair-care blends; use extra caution with very young children
• Citrus oils (lemon, orange, grapefruit, etc.) See the note about photosensitization below.

Some of my favorite EO blend variations to use with the homemade body wash include:

• Joyful Blend – equal parts orange and vanilla
• Awesome Body – equal parts orange, grapefruit, lime, lemon, and peppermint
• Herb Garden Relaxation – equal parts peppermint and lavender
• Sweet Sleep – equal parts Roman chamomile, lavender, and vetiver
• Respiratory Support – equal parts eucalyptus, peppermint, Roman chamomile, and lavender

Whether I’m creating DIYs for kids or adults, I like to switch up the oils each time I make a new batch. This way, I’m not using the same oils. Keeping your essential oil combinations fresh maximizes the benefits and helps prevent sensitization.

Kid-Safe Essential Oil Note:

For babies and toddlers, keep your oils very simple and very diluted. Johns Hopkins advises against peppermint oil for children younger than 30 months and warns not to add undiluted essential oils directly to bathwater because oil and water do not mix. (12) Tisserand Institute also explains that essential oils float on bathwater in tiny droplets and can irritate the skin when they are not properly dispersed. (13)

That’s why this recipe is not the same as dropping essential oils straight into the tub. Here, the oils are blended into a body wash formula and used in small amounts. Still, avoid the eyes, keep essential oils out of reach of children, and choose gentle oils when making products for little ones.

For very young children, I would skip the peppermint, eucalyptus, and rosemary blends and choose something like lavender, Roman chamomile, cedarwood, sweet orange, vanilla, or vetiver instead.

Safety Note About Citrus Oils:

One of my kids’ favorite pastimes is playing outside. If I let them, they would be outdoors all day! I always try to limit the usage of citrus oils in their DIY products during the warmer months due to photosensitization.

Citrus oils can sometimes increase the photosensitivity of your skin. When you leave these essential oils on the skin and then expose it to the sun, you’re increasing the effect of UV rays, which can lead to sunburn and skin irritation. Tisserand Institute notes that most phototoxic essential oils are expressed citrus oils. (14) See a complete chart of citrus essential oils and their natural photosensitivity here.

To avoid this issue, you can choose other essential oils or just use products with citrus EOs at night. Alternatively, use the citrus essential oils specifically formulated to avoid photosensitivity.

How to Make Homemade Body Wash for Kids

My body wash is such an easy DIY! It’s a great recipe to make with your children. Here’s what you do.

Homemade Body Wash For Kids

Author Mama Z

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Quantity

2x4x6x

Ingredients

• ½ cup organic unscented liquid castile soap (use baby mild soap for infants)
• 2 tablespoons Mama Z’s Essential Oil Base OR your choice of liquid carrier oil*
• 1 teaspoon organic vegetable glycerin
• 48-64 drops essential oils**
• 1 teaspoon aloe vera [optional]
• Purified OR distilled water

Supplies

• 8-ounce PET plastic bottle with pump

Instructions

 

• Add all the ingredients to your dispenser.
• Fill the remainder of the container with distilled water.
• Put the lid on and mix to blend.
• Shake before each use.
• Apply with hands, washcloth, sponge, etc.

Notes

*No matter what allergies you may have, there’s a carrier oil that’s right for you. You can use any or a combination of these: Avocado, Fractionated Coconut, Grapeseed, Jojoba, Sweet Almond. These are our favorite carrier oils; to see a full list of options, click here.

**Best Combination of Essential Oils for Children

Using essential oils with children is very similar to using them with adults; however, you should pay more attention to properly dispersing and diluting the essential oils.  Here are some EOs I use with my DIYs for the kiddos that are a great place to start. 

Here are some safe essential oils for children’s DIYs:

• Cedarwood- Great for helping kids feel confident in social settings
• Citrus oils (lemon, orange, grapefruit, etc.) See the note about photosensitization below. 
• German chamomile- Can help little ones fall asleep quickly
• Lavender- The ultimate calming oil, very soothing to the skin
• Roman chamomile- Great for regulating sleep patterns
• Rosemary- Helps kids focus and is excellent at repelling lice

Some of my favorite EO blend variations to use with the body wash DIY include:

• Joyful Blend – equal parts orange and vanilla absolute, CO2 or oleoresin (My number one favorite blend for kids)
• Awesome Body – equal parts grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, and peppermint
• Gardener’s Blend- equal parts peppermint and rosemary
• Herb Garden Relaxation – equal parts lavender and peppermint 
• Sweet Sleep – equal parts lavender, Roman chamomile, and vetiver (another favorite for kids; use after a nighttime bath)
• Respiratory Support – equal parts eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, Roman chamomile

Whether I’m creating DIYs for kids or adults, I like to switch up the oils each time I make a new batch.  This way, I’m not using the same oils.  Keeping your oil combinations fresh maximizes the benefits and helps prevent sensitization. 

Safety Note About Citrus Oils:

One of my kids’ favorite pastimes is playing outside. If I let them, they would be outside all day! However, due to photosensitization, I always try to limit the usage of citrus oils in their DIY products during the warmer months. 

 Citrus oils can sometimes increase the photosensitivity of your skin.  When you leave these essential oils on the skin and then expose it to the sun, you’re increasing the effect of UV rays, which can lead to sunburn and skin irritation.  See a complete chart of citrus essential oils and their natural photosensitivity here.

To avoid this issue, you can choose oils that are not in the citrus family or just use products with citrus EOs at night. Alternatively, you can use citrus essential oils specifically formulated to avoid photosensitivity.

Step One: Add Ingredients

Add all the ingredients to a PET plastic bottle. These bottles work perfectly for slippery bathtubs.

Application: Let your child help choose the essential oil blend, count drops, or shake the finished bottle. Kids love being part of the process, and it helps them learn that healthy living can be fun, practical, and normal.

Step Two: Add Water

Fill the bottle the rest of the way with distilled water. Put a lid on your container and gently shake to mix. Shake before every use to evenly disperse all ingredients.

NOTES:

• Use this body wash as a shampoo too!
• Make small batches. Because this is a water-based DIY without a conventional preservative system, use clean supplies, keep the lid closed, and toss the body wash if the smell, color, or texture changes.
• Avoid the eyes. Even gentle castile soap is still soap, and soap in the eyes can sting.
• For children with eczema, very sensitive skin, fragrance allergies, asthma, or a history of skin reactions, start unscented or patch test first.
• You may want to try my Detox Bath for Kids. It’s especially beneficial if your child is feeling under the weather.
• If you like this DIY, try my Homemade Detangling Spray. It works wonders on my daughter’s hair!

Homemade Kids Body Wash FAQs

What is homemade body wash for kids?

Homemade body wash for kids is a simple DIY bath wash made with gentle ingredients like liquid castile soap, distilled water, aloe vera, vegetable glycerin, carrier oil, and properly diluted essential oils. It is designed to clean your child’s skin without synthetic fragrance, artificial dyes, or harsh ingredients.

Is homemade body wash safe for kids?

Yes, homemade body wash can be safe for kids when it is made with clean supplies, gentle ingredients, and age-appropriate essential oils. The most important safety steps are proper dilution, avoiding strong oils for very young children, keeping oils away from the eyes, and making small water-based batches so the formula stays fresh.

What is the best base for DIY kids body wash?

Organic unscented liquid castile soap is one of the best bases for DIY kids body wash because it cleans well, is simple to use, and allows you to customize the scent naturally. Choose unscented castile soap so you are not layering essential oils on top of an already scented product.

Can this homemade body wash be used as shampoo?

Yes! This homemade kids body wash can also be used as shampoo. Castile soap helps cleanse the hair and scalp, while aloe vera and carrier oil help make the formula feel gentler. For very dry, thick, curly, or tangle-prone hair, follow with a natural conditioner or detangling spray.

What essential oils are best for kids body wash?

Lavender, Roman chamomile, German chamomile, cedarwood, sweet orange, vanilla, and vetiver are some of the best essential oils for kids body wash. They smell wonderful and are generally gentle when properly diluted. For very young children, keep blends simple and avoid strong oils like peppermint, eucalyptus, and rosemary unless you know they are appropriate for your child’s age.

Can I make this body wash without essential oils?

Absolutely. Unscented homemade body wash is a wonderful option for babies, toddlers, children with sensitive skin, or anyone with fragrance allergies. Essential oils are optional. The castile soap, glycerin, aloe vera, and carrier oil still create a useful, non-toxic body wash without added scent.

How long does homemade kids body wash last?

Because this recipe contains water and does not use a standard cosmetic preservative system, make it in small batches and use it promptly. Store it with the lid closed, avoid adding bathwater to the bottle, and discard it if you notice any change in smell, color, thickness, or texture.

Why does homemade body wash need distilled water?

Distilled or purified water helps keep the formula cleaner from the start. Water-based cosmetic products can support microbial growth if they are contaminated, so using clean water, clean bottles, and small batches is a simple way to make this DIY safer.

Does homemade body wash lather like store-bought body wash?

Yes, this homemade body wash can lather beautifully. Castile soap provides the cleansing action, and vegetable glycerin helps create a smoother, bubblier wash without relying on harsh sulfates.

Can I use citrus oils in kids body wash?

Yes, but use them wisely. Sweet orange is a favorite for kids because it smells cheerful and blends well with vanilla, lavender, and cedarwood. Some expressed citrus oils can be phototoxic, so be especially careful with citrus-heavy blends during sunny seasons or daytime use. When in doubt, use citrus blends at night or choose non-phototoxic options.

What should I avoid in store-bought kids body wash?

When shopping for kids body wash, avoid synthetic fragrance, unnecessary artificial dyes, harsh sulfates, and ingredient lists full of mystery chemicals. Also watch for ethoxylated ingredients such as PEG compounds or ingredients ending in “-eth,” because 1,4-dioxane can form as a manufacturing byproduct in some ethoxylated ingredients.

What is the easiest way to start non-toxic living with kids?

Start with one product your family uses every day. Body wash is a great first swap because it touches your child’s skin often and is easy to make at home. Once that becomes normal, move on to hand soap, shampoo, detangler, lotion, cleaning spray, laundry products, and air fresheners. Small faithful changes add up to a healthier home.

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