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Bar None

When Tariffs Hit Your Shower

I’ve been using the same shampoo bar for awhile. Anihana, from New Zealand. Clean ingredients, lasts forever, smells like a spa.

Then last week, I went to reorder. The price jumped $2.50. Tariffs.

I sat there looking at my cart, doing the math. That’s an extra $30 a year just to wash my hair. For the exact same product. Nothing changed except someone’s trade policy.

So I thought: what if I just made it myself?

I don’t want to become a soap maker. I really don’t want to deal with lye, curing times, chemistry experiments in my kitchen. I just want my shampoo bar back at a reasonable price.

A Good Base Line

I’m already using Trader Joe’s castile liquid soap in the shower—mixed with Dr. Bronner’s eucalyptus because I like the scent combo. I’ve been remixing soap this whole time without realizing it.

The bar version is the same concept. Take something clean and simple, add what you want, skip what you don’t need.

But wait—what is castile soap anyway?

Growing up, my dad worked at Procter & Gamble. We were an Ivory soap household. I’d watch that white bar float around in my bath. Now I wonder what made it do that. That’s not castile, is it?

Turns out, castile is something else entirely. Just vegetable oils (usually olive or coconut) turned into soap. No synthetic detergents. No air whipped in to make it float. No mystery ingredients. The original clean soap—been around for centuries.

Two Nearby Options: Quick Pick

Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Bar (~$4.45 at Walmart)
Coconut + olive + hemp + jojoba oils. Gentle. Conditioning. I already use their eucalyptus liquid, so I know I like the brand.

Kirk’s Original Coco Castile (~$3 at Target)
Pure coconut oil soap. Harder bar, lasts longer. More inexpensive if you’re making this regularly.

Pick one. Both work. Start with whichever you can grab today.

The 5-Minute Method

Here’s what you do:

1. Grate the bar using the medium holes on a cheese grater (same side you’d use for cheddar)
2. Put shavings in a jar with a lid
3. Add 10-15 drops essential oil (I’m using eucalyptus)
4. Shake well for one minute
5. Wait 24 hours so the scent distributes evenly

That’s it. Use the shavings as-is in the shower (grab a handful, lather up). Or press them into silicone molds if you want bars.

Total active time: under 10 minutes.
Two bars for half the cost of a single Anihana bar.

Why This Isn’t Common Knowledge

I asked myself the same thing. If this is so simple, why haven’t I been doing it for years?

Because companies want to sell you their scented bars at premium prices. Not teach you to customize inexpensive ones yourself.

This technique lives in zero-waste communities and homesteading blogs—places where people value practical skills over convenience. But it’s too simple to seem legit. There’s no drama. No chemistry. Just grate, scent, shake.

The catch? Only works with pure castile bars. Those synthetic detergent bars (like the Anihana formula) don’t grate and rebind the same way. But for castile? Perfect.

The Real Cost

Anihana: 2.29 oz for $9.99. One bar. One scent they chose for you (what even is “Blue Ocean”?). And it’s just for hair—use it on your whole body and you’ll blow through it fast.

Dr. Bronner’s DIY: 5 oz for ~$4.45. More than double the size. Any scent you want. And it works as both shampoo AND body bar—use it everywhere.

That’s roughly $2 per bar versus $10. For something bigger, more versatile, and exactly what you want.

The Scent Freedom

Here’s where it gets fun. This is cooking.

You’ve got your base ingredient (castile soap). Now pick your flavor profile:

• Eucalyptus (what I’m starting with—couldn’t find a menthol bar anywhere)
• Menthol + Tea Tree (that intense cooling, stimulating hit)
• Rosemary Mint (Aveda style)
• Peppermint + Eucalyptus (double the refresh)
• Whatever combination you want

The combos are endless. Just like in the kitchen—add the spices you like.

Beyond the Kitchen

This is the Remix approach—taking something classic and making it yours. Not just in the kitchen. Everywhere that ingredients matter.

It’s about control. Knowing exactly what’s going on your skin. Choosing your own scent strength. Making what you need, when you need it.

And sometimes the best solution to rising costs isn’t buying cheaper products. It’s making better choices with better ingredients.

What’s your go-to DIY hack for beating inflation? Share your remix on IG @remixology