Shower gels can add a touch of luxury to a shower but they sometimes contain ingredients that can irritate sensitive skin. Homemade shower gels recipes can be tailored to specific skin types and eliminate those problems. An added bonus to making them at home is the savings in cost over commercial shower gels.

Tailor your homemade shower gel recipe to your skin type with essential oils. Dry and sensitive skins usually respond well to lavender, geranium and chamomile. Use peppermint or citrus oils such as lemon or grapefruit for oily skin types. Essential oils are strongly scented and can also be used to impart an invigorating scent to the gel. Substitute any essential oils desired in the recipes included here.

Most shower gels call for some type of soap. Castile soap is often used in natural recipes. It is made from plant oils such as olive oil instead of animal fat or petroleum products. It is available in bar and liquid form at most health food stores. Substitute a gentle baby shampoo if desired in these recipes.

Mix 1 cup of rose water with 2 cups of liquid Castile soap in a bowl until combined. Add 30 drops of lavender essential oil and 30 drops of geranium essential oil to the bowl and stir. Pour one third of the mixture into a small bottle and store the rest of it in the refrigerator.

Combine a 1/2 cup of pure liquid Castile soap and a 1/4 cup water in a bowl. Stir until the two are thoroughly combined. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 7 drops of raspberry essential oil and 7 drops of vanilla essential oil to the mix and stir again. Decant into a bottle and store covered.

Stir together a 1/2 cup of liquid Castile soap and a 1/2 cup of aloe vera gel. Add 30 drops of grapefruit essential oil and 9 drops of rosemary essential oil to the mixture. Stir to combine and decant into your bottle of choice.

Place 1 cup of water, 1 teaspoon of corn starch, 2 tablespoons of glycerin, 1 tablespoon of sweet almond oil, a 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel, 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, 5 drops of lime essential oil, 5 drops of orange essential oil and the oil from 2 capsules of vitamin E into a plastic squeeze bottle. Cap the bottle and shake well to combine.