This is the first of a series of product reviews, where I'll be covering the pros, the cons, and the in-betweens of a natural product. These are products that I use and can verify their benefit to you. When you see the teal checkmark, you can be confident that that product is legit (or maybe it isn't! You'll have to keep reading to find out!). In every review, I'll also include a nice little TL;DR of the pros and cons. If you'd like to suggest something for me to review next, let me know!
Castile soap, in my opinion, is the best soap out there. It is completely natural, and it actually cleans very well! It has been around for a long time in our history, but still stands out today as an incredible soap, and I'm about to tell you why.
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
What Is Castile Soap?
A gentle yet powerful cleanser, this soap is actually made with just a couple of ingredients, at its core. Historically, olive oil, vegetable oil, or animal fats such as tallow have been combined with with alkali or lye and then cooked down. There are a lot of varying ingredient combinations today, but the idea is simple. Much simpler than other soaps if you ask me. Try pronouncing some of the stuff that's in popular soaps today. It's honestly hilarious to try!
Although it's difficult to nail down the year, castile soap is believed to be recorded as far back as 3000 B.C., originating in Mesopotamia; but it gets its name from the region called the Crown of Castile, now known as modern-day Spain (Lisa Bronner, The History of Castile Soap). The ingredients involved in soap making have changed a lot over the years, but the process has pretty much stayed the same, still producing that wonderfully soft lather that's all too familiar!
The Pros
Natural ingredients
Extremely versatile
Centuries of proven use
Gentle and safe on skin
Concentrated and cost-effective
The Cons
Can leave a filmy residue
Can clog soap dispensers
Doesn't lather as much as other soaps
A Jack of Many Trades
Castile soap has many uses that can span the whole house! Here are some of my personal favorites:
1. Body Wash
Since it's hypoallergenic, Castile soap proves to be a gentle but effective cleanser for the skin! It's safe for adults, babies, and even pets! I have used both the bar soap and liquid soap versions, and I can't even decide which one I like more because they're both amazing. This use gets bonus points for doubling as aromatherapy; because while you're showering, the essential oils in the soap are released into the air with the steam, which can be very helpful for headaches and sinus congestion!
2. Shampoo
As you've probably seen from my profile pic, I've got some thick, curly hair. Many of the shampoos that I've used in the past have only dried out my hair and stripped away what little oil my scalp was able to build up in a week's time. But when I use Castile soap to wash my hair, it always ends up feeling soft and moisturized without drying out my scalp. I personally recommend a peppermint-scented soap for the added cooling effect! Peppermint somehow makes everything smell and feel cleaner. Just me?
3. Shaving Cream
Castile soap also works great as shaving cream, just like most other soaps can. It'll leave your skin feeling soft and smooth without the harmful chemicals! In the past, I've had mild allergic reactions to ingredients in other shaving products, but thankfully, I don't have to wonder with castile soap.
5. Dish Soap
Moving from the bathroom to the kitchen, washing dishes in Castile soap is pretty amazing, too. For being an oil-based soap, it ironically shows no mercy on grease and grime! The suds may not stick around as long as they will with other soaps, but the main reason I use Castile soap to wash dishes is because it doesn't leave my hands cracked, dry, and even splitting like Dawn dish soap has in the past. I love to cook and bake, so my hands are in the water a lot. It makes more sense when something we use daily helps our skin instead of hurting it.
6. Laundry Detergent
I have been using Castile soap as an ingredient in laundry soap, on and off, for a number of years now. Most recently, I went back to it after having to finish a whole big bottle of Tide, which smelled nice, but probably had some not-so-clean ingredients in it. Teamed up with borax, baking soda, and washing soda, Castile soap makes for a powerful de-greaser and cleaner for clothes. Here's the recipe I use to make the liquid laundry detergent. Or, if you want to try your hand at the powdered version, discover which one you like better! I've tried both and have had great results each time.
7. All-purpose Cleaner
It's great to have a convenient, all-purpose spray that can clean and disinfect any surface in the house. If you mix 1:1 ratio of water and alcohol and then add a few drops of castile soap on top, it does the trick just fine. Dust, grease, raw meat juice--you name it, it's coming clean. If you wanted, you could even substitute the alcohol for lemon or eucalyptus essential oils, since they have anti-bacterial properties as well. I prefer the rubbing alcohol because it's fairly inexpensive (faithful Winco shopper here) and it does a good job of disinfecting.
8. Floor Cleaner
Did I mention all-purpose? Squeeze a few squirts of liquid castile soap into your hot mopping water and watch the dirt lift off! It leaves my floors so clean and shiny, even. All the popped bacon grease, boiled-over tea water, and random crumbs of food that are stuck-on, are no match for this soap. And since we're on the subject of mops, this is the one I absolutely love to use. It actually makes me enjoy mopping!
4. Tub Scrubber
After tossing Scrubbing Bubbles out of my house, I tried some natural alternatives for getting my tub shiny and clean. I don't know your experience with vinegar and baking soda for this (I'd love for you to share!), but it didn't work well for me. I had to do a lot of unnecessary scrubbing just to get the bottom somewhat clean. But one day, on a whim really, I squirted some castile soap into the tub, did a little scrubbing with an abrasive pad, and watched the magic happen without irritating, strong-smelling chemicals or vinegar (which is great, but also stinks. And didn't work for me).
The Hitch
Like I said, this is an honest review. Castile soap is an amazing and powerful natural cleaner, but it doesn't come without its limitations. Honestly, there are only a few, and I think they're pretty mild.
Leaves a Film
Castile soap can leave a thin, white film on dishes, hair, and skin. It's completely harmless, and happens due to the way it interacts with hard or soft water. If you run into this problem, try diluting the soap and testing it again. Personally, I don't mind the film, because it seems to come off with a little extra rinsing.
Clogs Dispensers
Obviously applying to the liquid soap, once air hits the soap inside the tube of a soap dispenser, it will inevitably begin to clog. In my experience, the clogging has only happened at the very front of the pump where the soap comes out, so it's pretty easy to wipe off. Apparently, there are many ways to prevent the clogging, including using an old panty hose. Do people still wear those?
Gives Less Lather
This drawback comes down to preference, really. Traditional soaps are filled with additives to give them specific characteristics that appeal to the senses; in this case, those would be touch, smell, look, and feel. They include dyes, surfactants, and other health-irritating things that contribute to the sensory aspects of the soap, including how many bubbles it creates. Even though it doesn't lather as much as traditional soaps, castile soap doesn't need lots of bubbles to speak to its fantastic cleaning power! A little goes a long way, so even if it doesn't suds-up like the soap you're used to, don't worry--it's still doing its job.
Conclusion
If you haven't yet, you should definitely give castile soap a try. Taking the cons into consideration, you can still make the swap from toxic to nontoxic without having too many issues. It really comes down to preferences, and apparently, whether or not you have an old panty hose lying around. Castile soap is an incredible cleaner that can be used in every room in the house, and most importantly, it's safe for everyone in your family. You can clean your home and your body without compromising on quality or on toxicity! It's the best of both worlds, wrapped up in a simple little package.
I personally recommend Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. Among other brands, it has stood out to me as the most concentrated and best-feeling soap on the market! There is also a great variety of scents such as tea tree, hemp, citrus, etc. As a disclaimer, I don't endorse or agree with any of the religious or theological statements that they print on their packaging. When they mention "God," they are definitely not referring to the one true God. But when all is said and done, they make good soap. (The peppermint one is my favorite!)
Have you tried castile soap, and how do you use it in your home? Join the conversation!
Dr. Bronner's Bar Soap (Lavender)
Dr. Bronner's Liquid Soap (Peppermint)