What is Castile Soap?

Are you looking at removing toxins from your home? If so you’ve probably come across castile soap. It seems like any other soap, but gets a special name and higher price tag. So what is castile soap? What makes it so special? I am going to answer all of your castile soap questions, so that you can make an informed decision for your family.

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In With the Good

A couple years ago, I started to question the ingredients in everything. It started with body products, then cleaners, and now food. So consider this a warning, once you start you can’t stop.

Ok, now that you’re ready to take a step down this slippery slope let’s talk about my decision to take the first step. It all started with reading the back of the shampoo bottle. I discovered lots of ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. After some Google searches, I found out that most of them were really bad for you. The spark of curiosity caught hold and there was no turning back. I have always been one to question things and research them until I am blue in the face. When I find a problem, I must also find a solution. Pretty soon I was buying essential oils and castile soaps. When I ran out of my normal products, I would replace them with all-natural products that I made myself.

After that, there was no stopping me. I made my husband crazy reading all the labels. I replaced the dish soap, dryer sheets, mouthwash, lotion, and candles. When I bought anything at the store, I would stand there reading the labels for twenty minutes before making a decision. He was patient, but sometimes I thought he wanted to throw something in the cart and move on.

Some of the changes were more difficult than others, but they eventually became the new normal. For example, castile soap makes my skin feel weird. At first it really bothered me, but now I barely notice. Another example was the smell of clean laundry. I love the smell of clean laundry, so I found an essential oil blend to use on the wool dryer balls to replace that smell. I still have a few things left to replace, but over time I’ve slowly learned how to clean without toxic chemicals.

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What is Castile Soap?

Castile soap is an all-natural, vegetable-based concentrate. The oils used in castile soap are all from plants. Most brands use a mixture of oils to get the best results. The most common oils are coconut, olive, jojoba, palm, sunflower, and hemp oils.

It came from the Castile region of Spain, where it was made with olive oil. It eventually spread across Europe. Different oils were used based on the availability where the soap was made. Nowadays a mixture of oils is used to create a better lather and more cleaning power.

What Makes Castile Soap Different?

What is so special about castile soap? Most soaps are made with animal fats like tallow or lard. Castile soap does not contain animal fats, only plant based oils.

It is also biodegradable. This means it is eco-friendly as well as non-toxic!

Unlike other soaps, most castile soap does not contain harmful chemicals like sulfates, parabens, silicone, and phthalates. MoIt is naturally hypoallergenic as well. Dr. Bronner’s is my choice of brands and it also happens to be organic.

Although castile soap does not have the bad stuff of traditional soap it does have the good. It still cleans, lathers, and smells nice. Everything you want with nothing that you don’t.

Does Castile Soap Really Clean?

Castile soap gets things clean, but does not actually disinfect like antibacterial products. This is actually one of the many reasons that I made the switch. Antibacterial soaps are not all that great for your body. Do your own research though. In places when I need it to kill bacteria, I add some tea tree, lemon, or Protect essential oils.

Some recipes recommend combining the soap with vinegar. When you do this both the vinegar and soap lose their cleaning power. It can also leave thin white film anywhere the combination was sprayed. I suggest using each on its own for the best clean.

What is Castile Soap Used For?

Unlike other soaps, castile soap is very versatile. It comes in a liquid concentrate or as a bar, so you can pick the best form of soap for the application. So what is castile soap able to clean? Honestly, just about everything!

Body

Castile soap can replace shampoo, face wash, body wash, and hand soap. I like the lavender scent for body wash. The unscented is perfect for face wash. I also use it instead of shaving cream. The lemon is perfect hand soap in the kitchen. In the bathroom, I mix some unscented soap with Revive’s Protect blend of essential oils. With the proper dilution it can be used on pets and babies. If you are looking for a good bubble bath add some castile soap. The peppermint scent can even be used to brush your teeth.

Cleaners

Castile soap is a staple when it comes to a nontoxic clean. I use the citrus for my dish soap. When cleaning fruits and vegetables, I use a drop of soap.

The tea tree or unscented is kept in the shower scrub brush to make for an easy shower cleaning. Plus I add it to my daily shower spray for upkeep. The fizzing toilet cleaning bomb use it as well.

My leather cleaner, all purpose spray, and homemade laundry detergent all contain castile soap. I use it to clean just about everything. The peppermint deters ants and spiders, so I will use it to mop the floors in the spring. The real question is what isn’t castile soap good for.

Garden

Castile soap can even be used in the garden. It can be used as an organic pesticide spray and helps with powdery mildew.

Seriously, is there anything this soap isn’t good for?