Castile soap has been around since the 1600’s & has been a household staple in Europe since that time. The soap is named after the Spanish region of Castile where olive oil was abundant & the term was created in English speaking countries to describe an olive oil based soap. Castile soap is a natural plant based biodegradable soap which can contain a blend of olive, coconut, hemp or jojoba oils plus water & essential oils for fragrance. Because of its gentle nature castile soap is great for those with sensitive skin & is very versatile as it contains no harsh chemicals found in cheap supermarket soap brands such as formaldehyde, parabens & PEGs, or any animal products such as tallow (rendered beef fat) or lard (rendered port fat).

Top 4 Uses of Castile Soap

1. Full Body Wash: Castile can be used from head to toe – from shampooing hair, facial cleanser or hand & body wash. Castile can also be used for shaving – use about 10 drops & lather in wet hands & apply to face, underarms or legs. And if you’re not afraid of having your mouth washed out in soap (!) add 1 drop of castile soap to a teaspoon of coconut oil & brush your teeth (yes really).

2. Wash your dishes: And your fruit! As its plant-based it’s great to add a few drops to your hot water to wash your dishes & can also be used to rinse your fruit & veg to remove any nasty pesticides. Don’t forget to try it in the dishwasher – you don’t need much!

3. Clean your clothes: Make your own laundry detergent – this one’s from Dr Axe

Dissolve ¾ cup of baking soda & ¼ cup of fine sea salt into 2 cups of warm water. Pour into a large container & add 1 cup of unscented castile liquid soap. Fill to the top with water. Use approx. 1/4 of a cup per load. Recipe makes enough for approx. 64 loads of washing.

4. Replace your toxic cleaners: In a spray bottle add a squirt of castile soap to ¼ bottle of white vinegar & use to safely clean bathrooms, kitchens & other surfaces. You can add a few drops of essential oil to make your house smell nice too.

Melrose castile liquid soap are popular, as well as Dr Bronner’s liquid & hard soaps. Dr Bronner has become synonymous with castile soap with the Bronner family establishing their soap making business in the basement of their home in Germany in the 1800’s. The Dr Bronner’s company moved to the US & became the largest personal care company to be certified under the USDA National Organic Program.