Unwrapping how this niche soap category differs from your average cleansing products
Maybe you’ve found yourself overwhelmed by the number of cleansers, makeup removers, moisturizers, and soaps cluttering up your cabinets. And perhaps it seems that your never-ending routine just isn’t giving you the silky smooth skin you’ve always wanted. Who knew a simple product like Castile soap benefits your skin, hair, and face all in one fell swoop?
Castile soap is truly a miracle product, and it’s been around for centuries. Crafted out of vegetable oils, Castile soap is naturally rich in antioxidants, fatty acids, vitamin E, and hydrating glycerin.
So why opt for harsh detergents when there’s an all natural solution within arm’s reach?
What Is Castile Soap?
Castile soap is a liquid or bar soap made entirely out of plant oils. Named for Castile, Spain where it was first used, Castile soap was traditionally made out of olive oil.
Today, you can find Castile soap crafted out of any number of skin-nourishing oils, like avocado, coconut, sunflower kernel, hemp, and more. Each plant oil has a variety of benefits, so be sure to read the ingredients of your Castile soap.
One of the biggest benefits of Castile soap is that, by definition, it never contains animal fats. Without added ingredients, it’s completely vegan-friendly. But always be sure to check with the brand to ensure they aren’t testing on animals or adding animal by-products into the mix.
5 Castile Soap Benefits
Castile soap benefits your skin and your wallet. Most Castile soap is inexpensive and will last you a long time. But that’s not the only reason to try this all natural product.
In fact, Castile soap has so many benefits, it was hard to choose just five. We decided to narrow it down to the most valuable features for our readers.
Let’s explore our top five Castile soap benefits!
It’s Totally Moisturizing
If you’ve ever tried The Oil Cleansing Method, you’re familiar with the soft, smooth skin that pure plant oils offer.
Castile soap is made out of saponified plant oils. These oils give the soap a rich, smoothing lather that lifts away dirt and encourages the removal of dead skin cells.
Unlike synthetic soap, Castile soap does not contain any harsh surfactants. Detergents and surfactants leave skin with that “squeaky clean” feeling – meaning it’s too dry.
Most processed synthetic soap removes glycerin from the mix, too. Glycerin is a gentle, hydrating ingredient found naturally in Castile soap.
Calms Acne-Prone Skin
As anyone with adult acne knows, there is no cure-all for acne-prone skin. According to Dr. Bronner’s, however, many customers have testified that their Castile soap did wonders for their acne. There are a few reasons why this might be.
First of all, Castile soap doesn’t strip your skin of its natural oils. Oil-based products are able to clean without compromising your skin’s protective barrier. This means your skin won’t overcompensate the way it does with synthetic soap – by producing excess oil to replace what was lost.
Plant oils used to make Castile soap are naturally antibacterial, as well. If bacteria is causing clogged pores, Castile soap benefits your skin by killing microbes.
Castile soap also encourages the removal of dead skin cells which may be blocking your pores. When combined with light exfoliation two to three times per week, you may find your skin clearing up.
Lastly, Castile soap benefits your pores because it’s non-comedogenic. Yes, many Castile oils are made using saponified coconut oil, but the key word here is “saponified.” This term means that this ingredient is no longer an oil at all.
Ingredients labels in the U.S. require brands to list ingredients as what they were before being saponified. In the case of Castile soap, if you see “coconut oil,” you can safely assume it’s saponified coconut oil.
While there is a lot of online concern over the pH of Castile soap, Dr. Bronner’s wants to put those fears to bed. The typical argument is that because Castile soap is alkaline at around 8.9, versus your skin being slightly acid at around 5.5, using Castile soap can throw your pH off and cause acne.
Dr. Bronner’s says that soap can’t change the pH of your skin. While soap may very briefly affect your skin’s natural acid mantle, that mantle is powerful and readjusts too quickly to have any negative effect.
A Powerful Yet Gentle Cleanser
How does Castile soap manage to be so strong yet so gentle? The answer is microscopic.
Soap molecules in Castile soap are water-loving on one end and water-resistant on the other. When these soap molecules come into contact with water, they create free-floating atoms that attract and lift dirt particles.
So instead of scrubbing skin clean by breaking down and destroying your skin’s natural biome with a detergent, Castile soap benefits your skin by gently pulling dirt up and away. The result? Smooth, healthy skin.
Castile Soap Is Versatile
Cut down your carbon footprint and plastic waste by replacing most of your household cleaning products with Castile soap.
That’s right. You can use Castile soap as laundry detergent, kitchen and bathroom cleaner, pet shampoo, dish soap, deodorant, vegetable rinse, bug repellant, and more. Castile soap is an all-around effective and safe cleaning product.
It’s Safe For You & The Environment
We’ve already talked about how gentle Castile soap is. Without the use of toxic chemicals or harsh surfactants, unscented Castile soap is safe enough to use on babies and pets.
What’s more? Castile soap benefits the environment. With low carbon emissions to manufacture, Castile soap has a small carbon footprint. It’s also 100% biodegradable and non-toxic.
And because it has so many uses, you can forget about throwing away tons of household cleaning bottles. A single purchase of Castile soap can replace toilet bowl cleaners, window sprays, dish detergent bottles, shampoo bottles – whatever is in the collection of containers beneath your sink!
3 Top Rated Cruelty-Free Castile Soaps
Quinn’s Peppermint Castile Soap
Cruelty-free, Vegan, Certified Organic
Scented with organic peppermint essential oil, Quinn’s Castile oil benefits your skin by providing an invigorating aroma and cooling sensation to your morning shower. Quinn’s never uses synthetic detergents, foaming agents, chemicals, or animal products, so you can be sure that rich lather is totally safe. This product uses a combination of argan, hemp, olive, and jojoba oil to keep your skin nourished and hydrated. This product also comes in an unscented version that’s safe for babies.
Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Liquid Castile Soap
Cruelty-free, Vegan, Organic, Non-GMO, Fair Trade
Dr. Bronner’s label provides ample bathroom reading material. The quick version is that this pure Castile liquid soap is made with 90% organic ingredients and over 70% fair trade certified ingredients. Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap is highly concentrated, so you get more out of a drop and can extend the life of the bottle three fold. Always dilute this soap! With 100% post-consumer recycled plastic packaging, this soap is completely guilt-free.
Kirk’s Original Coco Castile Bar Soap
Leaping Bunny Cruelty-free, Vegan, Non-GMO, Gluten-free, Family Owned & Operated
Do you have sensitive skin? Kirk’s coconut-derived Castile soap bars are dermatologist tested and verified as hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin. Each bar of soap is 100% biodegradable, contains no animal by-products, and is not tested on animals. It’s the same great Castile soap as above, but formed into a convenient bar that can be used on your body, face, and hair.
