If you really want to feel clean and soap free in your shower or bath...

...you'll really want this body wash recipe.

"Move over soap! One of the hottest trends in skin care and beauty products is a move away from the traditional bath bar. An increased body awareness, the introduction of more essential oils, and the desire for better skin and body care products is driving the market forward."

If you're young, there's kids foaming body wash, there's body wash for men, and with swimming becoming more readily available as sport and recreation at health clubs and recreation centers, there's a call for a better body wash for swimmers.

I want to tell you how to make a tea tree oil liquid body wash that will leave you feeling refreshed and tingling from head to toe. You'll be able to use it as a body wash for acne or a body wash for swimmers.

How to Make Body Wash

This is so simple. Body wash is soap! but, it's a liquid. The body wash I'm about to let you in on won't be the thick syrup-like consistency that you find in the store. Most of that has sodium lauryl sulfate in it, which is receiving a bad reputation in some circles. Yes, it thickens your soap products and makes them very foamy, but it may have some side effects.

You may want to explore soapmaking and bodywash from a community of experts and fellow hobbyists. I'd highly recommend SoapMakingForum.com A community forum for aromatherapy, herbs and essential oils. Discuss techniques, share ideas, learn new methods, post your favorite recipes and blends and meet new friends.

Tea Tree Oil Liquid Body Wash

You'll need an 8oz bottle of a potassium soap, like Br Bonner's. I like the Peppermint variety. You can find this at many health food stores and some supermarkets in the health foods section. Many outdoors, camping, and hunting stores carry it also. We live in a very rural area of California and our local Raley's ( our closest supermarket, just 20 miles away) carries it.

You'll also need some high quality tea tree oil. I cannot stress enough the importance of finding the best tea tree oil you can afford. Do not buy cheap tree tea oil! My mom always used to say " you get what you pay for". Tea tree oil is no exception. Cheap tree tea oil is cheap for a reason! Cheap tree tea oil is cheap because nobody else wants it! If there was no demand for gasoline do you think they could sell it for $3.00 a gallon or more? No.

Sorry for my digressing, or should I say "aggressing"? I have been taken by the promise of cheap products in the past that over-promise and under-deliver, and I am tired of the ripoffs.

If you'd like a little thicker product, you'll also need a bit of liquid glycerin, available at the pharmacy, or some glycerin blocks that you can find from a soap-makers supply or some health food stores.

As I said, this couldn't be any easier, just add about twenty or thirty drops of tea tree oil to the potassium soap. Add enough liquid glycerin ( melt the glycerin block in a double boiler or use liquid to start with) to just thicken it up.

You might remember the old Palmolive commercial with "Madge" soaking her fingers in dish washing liquid at the manicurist? She was told it would soften her hands as she did the dishes? Well, that's what the glycerin will do. It's good for cracked or dry skin, and yes it does soften it up.

Now, when you take a shower, use a little on a wash cloth or one of those scrunchy wash balls, and lather up. If you have used Dr Bronner's peppermint solution, you'll feel the tingle from head to toe.

Need a more manly fragrance? Add a few drops of clove oil. You could also add a drop of cedar and lemon fragrances. For a kids body was try adding some fruity essential oils to the mix and use an unscented or lightly scented base.