What is Castile Soap?

Castile soap is a highly versatile, eco-friendly cleaning product that offers a number of potential benefits to its users. Castile soap, which many people believe may have originated in Castile, Spain, around the 16th century, is a vegan, gentle cleaning product. It is known to be non-toxic, gentler on the skin than many traditional cleaning products, and is both antibacterial and antifungal, which makes it the ideal product for dealing with many cleaning challenges around your home. 

Modern Castile soap comes in multiple scents and can be found in both liquid and bar form, depending on your specific cleaning needs and what you plan to accomplish with the product. 

Castile soap is made through a process called saponification. In an easy, one-step reaction, the glycerin contained in the fat is split off from the other fatty acids. It combines with sodium or potassium to form water. The zero-waste process results in soap, glycerine, or water, with no waste products remaining. Many Castile soap brands retain the glycerin in the soap, which creates a soap that results in softer skin. 

Castile soap offers a number of key benefits

1. It's completely natural--no harsh chemicals or detergents! That means that it's gentler on your skin and does not have any hazardous chemicals that can create negative health effects 
2. It's both antifungal and antibacterial, which means it can combat many of the health hazards on your hands or in your home
3. It's naturally hydrating
4. It's ideal for sensitive skin
5. It offers deep moisturizing effects

Castile soap is highly versatile and can be used in a number of different ways throughout your home, depending on your specific cleaning needs and the products that you want to replace. It comes in both bar form and liquid, so you can customize your purchase based on what you need to clean and how you need to accomplish those cleaning tasks. 

1. Dish soap: Combine 1 part Castile soap with 10 parts water and wash dishes as usual
2. Wound cleaning: Mix two teaspoons of Castile soap with two cups of filtered drinking water to make an excellent wound cleaning solution
3. Laundry: Use 1/3 cup for a regular-sized load of laundry
4. Deodorant: Combine 1/2 teaspoon of Castile soap and one  teaspoon of salt in a small spray bottle, then spray under arms as needed
5. Bathing baby
6. All-purpose cleaner: For cleaning a variety of household surfaces, 1/4 cup Castile soap plus one quart warm water will make a great cleaning solution
7. Window cleaner: Clean windows by dissolving tablespoon Castile soap in one quart of warm water 
8. Face wash
9. Body wash
10. Shampoo: Dilute one tablespoon of Castile soap in a cup of water, or simply work up a lather and use on your hair!
11. Foaming soap:  Combine 2 tablespoons liquid Castile soap, 1/2 teaspoon olive or fractionated coconut oil, and a few drops of an essential oil, then top up the soap dispenser with water
12. Makeup remover: Combine equal parts Castile soap, fractionated coconut oil or almond oil, and witch hazel in a spray bottle
13. Floor cleaner: Combine 1/2 cup soap with three gallons of water
14. Fruit and vegetable cleaner: Add a few drops of Castile soap to your make your new favorite fruit/veggie washing solution
15. Shaving: Lather up and use to shave, since Castile soap creates a great foam!
16. Pet shampoo
17. Plant pest remover: One tablespoon Castile soap plus one quart water; spray on plants to remove pests
18. Create a relaxing foot bath: Two teaspoons liquid soap in a bucket of hot water makes a relaxing soak
19. Makeup brush or paintbrush cleaner: Add one squirt of soap to a bowl of hot water
20. Sinus decongestant: Add one tablespoon of soap to a bowl of boiling hot water, cover with a towel, and inhale the steam. Add peppermint or spearmint essential oils to help further clean out your sinuses 

Castile soap can be used for a variety of purposes since it's highly versatile. However, you should avoid using Castile soap without installing a water softener if you have hard water, since it may leave a white film behind. It does not combine well with vinegar or lemon juice, which may create a reaction that leaves behind a white film. 

You may also want to avoid using Castile soap on color-treated hair, since it may strip away some of the color.

Ready to start incorporating the versatile Castile soap into your daily routine? Explore Co-op Market to learn more about the products here or discover some of your new favorites for a more natural way of life.