What is Castile Soap & Why Should You Use It?
These days there is a major trend toward using green, non-toxic products both for cleaning your home and cleaning your skin, hair and body.
If you have been looking for information on how to green your cleaning routine you may have heard someone mention castile soap.
So just what is castile soap? What are the benefits of using it?
Most soap that is commercially available is made using rendered animal fat. Castile soap, on the other hand is made using vegetable oil.
Typically the oil used for making this type of soap is olive oil. In fact, many people would argue that soap is truly castile soap only if it is made with olive oil.
However, in general the term castile soap can be used to refer to any soap made using vegetable or plant oil instead of animal fat. Some of the most common oils used in making it besides olive oil include coconut, almond, jojoba, and hemp oil.
The actual process of making castile soap typically uses only three basic ingredients - olive oil, lye and water. Extras like vitamin E, cocoa butter or essential oils can also be added to the mix depending upon the desired result.
So why should you use castile soap? Well, first off it is better for the environment. Most commercial soap is a blend of various detergents. These detergents tend to degrade more slowly than castile soap and also have higher waste production during manufacturing.
Besides the benefits to the environment, castile soap also has many beneficial uses around the home. It is non-toxic and is incredibly gentle on the skin. Even people with sensitive skin can usually use it without experiencing any discomfort or problems. In fact, it is safe enough to use on every member of your family ranging from the smallest baby to the oldest grandparent.
If you use it to wash with you will notice that your skin is left soft and supple thanks to the olive oil in the soap. Not only that, but it won’t leave behind sticky residue on your skin or soap scum on your tub and shower doors like other types of soap do.
Castile soap is great for washing your hair, too. In fact, many people wind up getting rid of their shampoo, conditioner and bar soap in the shower and just use castile soap for all three purposes instead. When used as a shampoo/conditioner, it cleans your hair and at the same time the olive oil helps to condition it. Using just one bar or bottle of soap for everything can be a great space saver. You might just be surprised how much room you have in your shower without all those bottles!
Another common use for castile soap is in making homemade cleaners. Many people use it to make all kinds of homemade cleaners including soft-scrub type cleaners, liquid dish soap, homemade laundry detergent and everything in between. It cleans gently and effectively and typically won’t harm clothing or the surfaces in your home. It is also non-toxic making it an ideal choice if you have children to worry about.
All in all, castile soap has many benefits that make it a good choice to use both for cleaning your house and for personal care.
Dr. Bronner’s is probably the most common brand and it comes in both liquid and bar form. You can usually find castile soap at your local health food store or any store that carries natural cleaning or personal care products.
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