What is Castille Soap and How Can I Use It?

I recently purchased and began using Castille liquid soap after learning what was in bar soap.  Not only does it produce a great lather and leave my skin feeling soft and clean, it's also safe for the environment, contains no harsh chemicals, and has many different uses.

What is Castille Liquid Soap?

Traditional Castille Liquid Soap is a vegetable based soap made from Olive Oil, water, and lye. Modern day formulas have tweaked the true version and added butters (shea, coco), natural antioxidants and preservatives (Rosemary, Vitamin E), essential oils (For smell and healing properties such as lavender or peppermint), and additional oils (Hemp, coconut, avocado, etc).  True castile soap does not contain harsh synthetic detergents and the best ones don't add any skin-irritating artificial colorants, fragrances, or preservatives.

All natural castille soap is completely biodegradable, non-toxic, and safe for the environment, which makes it an excellent choice for camping or other outdoor uses in which it may wash intro streams. These natural oils are saponified (turned into soap through a chemical reaction with the presence of lye).  It's safe for cleaning and personal care uses.

What is lye?  

Lye is a necessary ingredient used to create both liquid and bar soaps.  I researched and researched trying to see if I could find or make soap without this chemical, and it is impossible (unless creating a "beauty bar" but those are filled with many more chemicals that are extremely harsh).   Potassium Hydroxide is one type of lye, and is used in the making of liquid soap.  Sodium Hydroxide is the other type of lye, and it is used for creating bar soap.  When lye is mixed with water and added to the oils, a reaction occurs and this process is called saponification. No lye remains when the reaction is complete.

Is lye safe?

On it's own, lye is not safe.  When working with lye, special safety precautions must be used in order to protect the skin from its harshness.  However, when the reaction takes place in making soap, no lye remains. The FDA acknowledges this to be safe, and you will not find any soap that has not gone through this saponification process.  Having said that, I personally would prefer to do without it, but then you don't have soap, and I haven't found another alternative.

How can oils turn into soap?

Lye is used in any soap making process.  When combing lye with the oils and water, a chemical reaction occurs that turns the oils into soap.  This process is necessary (I looked for ways around it), and you won't find anything labeled "soap", that hasn't gone through this process.

What about antibacterial soaps?

Antibacterial soaps were heavily marketed to consumers as the "better option" promising to get all of the germs regular soaps would leave behind.  The chemical triclosan is present in most antibacterial soaps (as well as mouthwash, toothpaste, and toys), and after decades of review, the FDA states, "the agency does not have evidence that triclosan in antibacterial soaps and body washes provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water."


"Simple hand washing with soap and water still remains one of the most effective ways to decrease the risk of spreading infections after preparing food, using the toilet, or after coughing or blowing your nose."   ~ David Hill, director of global public health at Quinnipiac University's medical school in Hamden, Conn.

Longstanding warnings from scientists also warn that triclosan and other antibacterial ingredients can interfere with hormone levels.  There is also evidence that suggests there may be an association between triclosan exposure and allergies.  And widespread use of antibacterial soaps may contribute to antibiotic resistance.

"Given our emerging understanding of chemicals as hormone disruptors, this is a remarkable and positive step towards protecting children."  ~ Leonardo Trasande, a professor of environmental medicine at New York University's Langone Medical Center.

"There are laboratory data showing that bacteria exposed to these products do change their resistance patterns."   ~ Sandra Kweder, deputy director of the office of new drugs at FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

For more information on antibacterial soaps, click here.

Other Uses for Castille Liquid Soap:

Because Castille soap is great at cutting through grease, it has many uses...

Body Wash ~ 2 Parts Soap to 1 Part Water.

Dog Shampoo ~ 2 Parts Soap to 1 Part Water.

Foaming Hand Soap ~ 1 Part Soap to 4 Parts Water.  Add a few drops of essential oils for scent.

Face Wash ~ 1:1 Ratio of Water and Soap.

Shampoo ~ 1 Tbsp Baking Soda, 1/2 tsp Soap, 1 cup Water.

Dish Soap ~ 1:1 Ratio of Water and Soap.

Laundry Detergent ~ Recipe here.

Bathroom Cleaner (Toilets, Tile, Tub) ~ 1 Part Soap, 3 Parts Water in a spray bottle.  Sprinkle baking soda liberally on the area you wish to clean, then spray with castille solution.  Scour with a sponge or scrub brush.  This also works on stove tops!

Carpet Cleaner ~ 1/4 cup Soap to 1 Cup Water.  Place solution in blender and let blend until a stiff foam forms.  Apply as you would any other carpet cleaning product.

Mopping Solution ~ 2 - 3 Tbsp Soap in a bucket full of water.

Veggie Wash ~ 2.5 cups water, 1 Tbsp Soap.  Fill in a spray bottle or let veggies bathe in it.

I purchase Castille Liquid Soap from Vermont Soap Factory, simply because their castille soaps don't contain citric acid (a common hidden GMO) or other additives.  But there are many brands to choose from. Do your research, shop around, and enjoy the many uses of castille soap while taking care of the environment!

"The supreme reality of our time is ...the vulnerability of our planet." ~ John F. Kennedy

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