The demand for gentle, high-quality liquid soaps has never been stronger. As customers look for better alternatives to harsh, store-bought soaps, makers and small business owners have a unique opportunity to offer something better—custom-scented liquid soap that’s both nourishing and thoughtfully crafted.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to confidently make your own hand soap and body wash using ready-to-use bases and skin-safe fragrance oils. Whether you're building your product line or creating your first batch, this breakdown will help you get it right from the start.

What You’ll Learn:

✔ The difference between hand soap and body wash
✔ What makes each base unique and how to use them
✔ How to scent, colour, and bottle your soaps
✔ Tips for troubleshooting and scaling your product
✔ Smart ways to market and grow your soap business

Let’s get started!

Hand Soap vs. Body Wash: What’s the Difference?

Although they’re both liquid cleansers, hand soap and body wash are designed a bit differently:

Hand Soap

• Made for frequent washing

• Prioritizes cleansing and bacteria removal

• May be less moisturizing

Body Wash

• Formulated for full-body use

• Includes skin-softening and conditioning ingredients

• Offers richer lather and a more luxurious feel

💡 Tip: Hand soap focuses on cleaning, while body wash adds nourishment. If you're offering both, tweak your scents and branding to reflect their intended use.

Understand the Base Ingredients

There are two high-quality, ready-to-use soap bases commonly used in crafting hand soap and body wash.

1. Liquid Soap Base (Hand Soap)

• pH-balanced and pre-preserved

• Enriched with chamomile, aloe vera, and green tea

• Sulfate-free, vegan, and gentle for regular use

• No dilution needed

2. Body Wash Base

• Contains silk amino acids for added softness

• Gentle, hydrating formula suitable for daily showers

• Includes soothing botanicals like chamomile and aloe

• Ready to use out of the bottle

💡 Tip: Both bases are pH-balanced and pre-preserved, which means they already contain broad-spectrum preservatives to help prevent bacterial or mold growth. This makes them safe and long-lasting as long as no additional water or unpreserved ingredients are added.

Safety & Hygiene Best Practices

• Sanitize all equipment before and after use

• Work in a clean, dry area

• Avoid skin contact with undiluted fragrance oils

• Use only skin-safe, IFRA-compliant ingredients. IFRA (International Fragrance Association) provides global safety standards for the use of fragrance ingredients in personal care products.

• Clearly label your product and recommend a patch test

• Store finished soap in a sealed bottle in a cool, dry space

🧼 Scent Blend Ideas for Liquid Soap Base (0.8% per 100ml)

Max fragrance load: 0.8 ml per 100 ml batch (0.8%).

🚿 Scent Blend Ideas for Body Wash Base (0.5% per 100ml)

Max fragrance load: 0.5 ml per 100 ml batch (0.5%).

💡 Note: Always use skin-safe, IFRA-compliant fragrance oils. Patch test before selling or gifting.

How to Make Liquid Soap with Fragrance Oils

1. Gather Your Ingredients & Tools

• Liquid Soap Base or Body Wash Base

• Fragrance Oil (skin-safe and used within approved limits)

• Bath-safe, water-soluble dyes (optional)

• Mixing container, spatula, pipettes or scale

• Clean pump or foamer bottles

2. Measure and Add Your Fragrance

You do not need to dilute the base. Simply:

• Pour your desired amount of base into a clean container.

• Measure and add your fragrance oils.

These bases are designed to hold a small amount of fragrance without needing modification. Stick to the safe usage rates below:

💡 Tip: Use a pipette, dropper, or precision scale to measure accurately.

⚠️ Important: Only add fragrance oil once your base has cooled to below 35°C. Fragrance oils are sensitive to high temperatures—adding them too early can cause scent evaporation, weaken the fragrance, or destabilize the base’s consistency.

3. Add Colour (Optional)

✔ Use only water-soluble dyes.

✔ Start with a tiny amount (a drop or pinch), then stir and adjust. 

✔ Avoid using mica, powdered pigments, or candle colourants—they can clump, stain, or irritate skin.

💡 Dye Tip: Some dyes may shift colour depending on pH. Always test for colour stability over 24–48 hours, especially if using acidic or basic additives.

⚠️ Staining Warning: Bright or dark dyes may stain porous tubs or cloths. Use caution with deep colours and test on surfaces.

4. Mix and Rest

• Stir slowly for 5–10 minutes to fully incorporate scent and colour. Avoid vigorous mixing to prevent air bubbles.

• Let your soap sit uncovered for 12–24 hours so bubbles can settle before bottling.

5. Adjust pH (if needed)

Most soap bases are already pH-balanced, but adding ingredients can occasionally shift the pH. It’s important to test and adjust as needed.

• Target pH range: 5.5–6.5 for both hand soap and body wash

• Why it matters: A pH that’s too high can dry out or irritate skin, while one that’s too low can cause stinging or disrupt the skin barrier.

• How to test: Use pH strips or a digital meter after all additives are mixed in

• To lower pH: Add citric acid (diluted in a small amount of water)

• To raise pH: Add a small amount of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)

• Adjust gradually and retest

6. Bottle & Label

• Pour into sanitized bottles or pump dispensers

• Let bubbles settle (see below) before sealing

• Label with ingredients, batch date, and scent name

• Include usage tips and allergen disclaimers if selling

💬 Why Are There Bubbles?

Bubbles form during mixing due to air getting trapped in the thick base. To avoid bubbles:

• Mix slowly with a spatula instead of whisking

• Let the mixture sit uncovered for 12–24 hours before bottling

• Gently tap the container on the counter to help bubbles rise

Common Soap-Making Issues & How to Fix Them

Here are some common issues you might run into while making your liquid soap—and how to fix them:

😕 My soap looks cloudy

• Fragrance oils can sometimes cause cloudiness in liquid soap, depending on their composition. This isn’t necessarily a problem.

• Fix: Let the soap rest for 12–24 hours—some cloudiness may settle or clear on its own. However, certain fragrance oils are known to stay cloudy, especially in clear bases. This is normal and does not affect the cleansing properties of the soap.

😖 The scent is way too strong

• You might have gone over the safe usage rate.

• Fix: Dilute by adding more unscented base in small amounts until it balances out.

😖 The scent faded quickly

• Fix: Add fragrance below 35°C and use stronger base notes like vanilla or cedarwood.

🫧 There are lots of bubbles in my soap

• This usually happens from vigorous mixing.

• Fix: Stir slowly with a spatula. Let the soap rest uncovered for 12–24 hours so bubbles can rise and pop.

🌈 The colour faded or changed

• Some dyes react to pH or UV exposure.

• Fix: Choose stable, water-soluble dyes and store your soap in a cool, dark place.

🫧 Soap feels too thick or thin

• Some oils may affect viscosity.

• Fix: Avoid overmixing and measure fragrance carefully.

🧪 The pH is too high or low

• This can happen after adding ingredients.

• Fix: Use pH strips to test and adjust with citric acid (to lower) or sodium bicarbonate (to raise), a little at a time.

💡 Still stuck? Keep notes of what you added and in what order—this helps troubleshoot and improve future batches!

Business Tips: Turning Your Soap Into a Profitable Product

Thinking of selling your soap? Here are some practical tips to help your products stand out!

1. Create Signature Scents & Collections

Customers love unique blends! Make seasonal collections or name each blend. For example:

• "Winter Walk" – pine + peppermint hand soap

• "Morning Bloom" – citrus-floral body wash

2. Invest in Good Packaging

• Use stylish, eco-friendly bottles that reflect your brand.

• Add clear, attractive labels with ingredients and scent stories.

• Include ingredient transparency to build customer trust.

3. Promote Creatively

• Share behind-the-scenes content on social media.

• Offer seasonal and limited-edition scents to encourage repeat purchases.

• Sell in bundles (e.g., hand soap + lotion combo) to increase sales.

Final Thoughts

Using a high-quality, pre-preserved base makes liquid soap making simple, reliable, and scalable. You get all the control and creativity—without needing a chemistry background. Focus on what matters most: scent, packaging, and building a brand your customers trust.

Where to Buy Supplies

🛒 Ready to make your own scented liquid soap? Check out Village Craft & Candle for premium soap bases, skin-safe fragrance oils, and everything else you need to craft with confidence.

🔥 Your next best-seller could start with just one bottle. Start your soap-making journey today at Village Craft & Candle.