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Soap - the deal with castile
If you've been dabbling into going green, you're likely to have seen castile soap mentioned in books and various web sites.
What is castile soap?
Castile soap isn't a brand but a type of soap made exclusively from vegetable oil rather than animal fat or synthetic substances. The purists feel it should be made from olive oil but there's a wide variety of castile variants that use oil from plants such as coconut and jojoba. The simple nature of the soap means a lesser enviromental impact due to reduced waste stream during manufacture and also faster biodegradability.
While castile soaps can have additional synthetic ingredients, usually you'll find if it's marketed under that name, it's a fairly natural sort of product.
Castile soap - so versatile
Castile soap has many uses aside from washing your skin - it's also known as seafarer's soap due to its versatility.
I use an olive oil based one in place of shampoo - works great for me and I don't need to use a conditioner. I also don't have to wade through the dozens of shampoo brands at the local supermarket trying to translate what all the darned chemicals they use are any more - I tried that once and gave up in total confusion. As the soap I use comes in a simple paper based box, that also saves on packaging. Another benefit is that castile soap is far cheaper than other fancy label soaps and shampoos!
If you've ever tried using normal soap to wash your hair, you would have likely found your hair very dry afterwards, but for some reason I haven't experienced that with castile soap - it's likely because the glycerin content is retained, whereaas in normal soaps much of the glycerin is removed and sold separately in moisturizers.
Liquid castile soap uses
While bar castile soap is pretty amazing stuff, in a liquid form it's even more versatile.
- Liquid castille soap can be used for a shaving lather
- It can be used as a pet shampoo
- Great for washing clothes and diapers
- General cleaning, diluted and used in a spray bottle
- Heavy duty degreasing
- I've heard that pure liquid castile soap can even be used for brushing your teeth! But of course, don't swallow the stuff. I don't think it would kill you in small doses but I'm sure it would taste pretty yuk.
- It can also be used in place of dishwashing detergent and even in your automatic dishwasher! "Green" automatic dishwasher detergents are hard to come by, but a Green Living Tips reader, Kathy Stevens, contributed this recipe (Thanks Kathy!):
Ingredients:
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
Method:
stir all ingredients together until blended. Store in a squirt top bottle. Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes, shake well before use.
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The other great thing about castile soap is you can make it at home and there's a ton of recipes available online. Just a word of warning; in soap-making, lye is used which is a corrosive alkaline substance - sodium hydroxide; so handle with care.
If you're a castile soap convert and have found some great uses around the home for it, please add your tips below!
Michael Bloch
Green Living Tips.com
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Comments
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Comment #1
(Posted by tsel)
I've switched to a castile all-in-one soap, and I totally love it. It's not that expensive (certainly less than I paid for shampoo, conditioner, face wash, and shower gel), and it comes in a variety of types with added oils for different functions (I like tea tree).
Also, it's sort of made my daily living much less frustrating - I no longer need a whole bucket of shower products to trip over. Just the soap dish and a wash cloth.
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Comment #2
(Posted by Jenny)
Where do you purchace your castile soap? Is it in liguid form or bar? Also is it free from all chemicals? I am trying to find a castile soap base free from all chemicals and harmful ingrediants but so far have had no luck. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks......
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Comment #3
(Posted by Sherry)
Super Target sells a Dr. Bronner's pure castile soap in liquid form. He makes a bar soap, but my local Target only carries the liquid. Take a look at his website and he's all organic, fair trade. Think I'm going to give it a try.
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Comment #4
(Posted by Jennifer)
I have used Dr. Bronners for awhile it sure beats all of the toxic stuff out there. I use the unscented one to bath my kids and wash their hair. I wrote customer service and asked how you can use it as a household cleaner and got a response back. The lady told me to use tea tree because it is a natural disinfectant. She said to use 1/4 cup and mix it into a quart of water and place that in a spray bottle. She also said that Dr. Bronner's soap kills 99.9% germs and it is all natural organic soap. The smell of the tea tree one I have to get used to. I don't care for it much but they also have peppermint and lavender which smells nicer. I carry a travel size of peppermint in my purse when we go out so that we are not using the bathrooms harsh soap which always dries out my hands. I also use the tea tree castile soap to wash my floors and they get really clean! Great stuff! I have been pleased. You can use for everything.
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Comment #5
(Posted by Susan G.)
Where is tree tea oil sold?
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Comment #6
(Posted by Greg)
I use liquid castile soap for my shampoo and a bar for my body. It does work great. You can also purchase it at Trader Joe's, it is the Trader Joe brand, but it feels the same. I live in Hawaii, so we don't have Trader Joe's here, but our co-op grocery store, Kokua Market, sells it in bulk,(the liquid kind), so all you have to do is bring in your empty bottle and fill it back up. Less waste, WOOHOO!!!!
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Comment #7
(Posted by Shannon)
I don't understand how you can use it to wash clothes...it is made of oil, so why wouldn't it leave oil stains>
Also, to use it in the shower or on your face...wouldn't that be terrible for oily or acne prone skin?
I'd love to give it a whirl but with have reservations. It kind of sounds too good to be true!
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Comment #8
(Posted by Jewel)
I am a nurse and the hospital I work for uses castile soap towelettes for patients before giving a "Clean urine specimen" It's a great way for patients to provide a somewhat sterile specimen without giving men and women infection from other soaps that contain alot of harmful chemicals
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Comment #9
(Posted by Jennifer)
Tea tree oil is great for acne prone skin. Tea tree oil is in a lot of products for oily skin. You could look tea tree oil up online and it tells you that it works like an antiseptic and you can use it on your skin when it is cut to clean it out so using it for acne is great. IF you go to whole foods or any natural store they have tea tree soap and and oil it works great.
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Comment #10
(Posted by chad)
to commenter #7:
Virtually all soap is made from fat... the reason it doesn't leave our skin overly oily is because of the soap-making process of saponification. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponification)
Dr. Bronners is good, but I actually find that it can dry my skin more than some other kinds of soap. Kind of depends on where I am, what the water's like, and what I've been eating, if you catch my drift.
Certain vegetable oils like olive oil, coconut oil, and tea tree feel "lighter" and are more similar in structure to the oils made by skin. You can apply a bit of these straight to most skin types to help mosturize and protect the skin. Unrefined coconut is great for that, but I find olive oil a bit too heavy.
A little tea tree oil goes a very long way. I got a 2 oz. bottle around 6 months ago or more and it's less than halfway gone... that's with a usage that would be considered very heavy, I think.
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Comment #11
(Posted by Michael - Green Living Tips)
Thanks for all the added tips and info on castile soap so far; keep them coming :) I'll publish an article specifically on tea tree oil soon as it's a topic that's popping up fairly regularly in comments on other articles too.
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Comment #12
(Posted by Janene)
Question: Castile soap and Laundry
I've seen recipes for laundry soap using liquid castile soap, and I'm eager to try them. However, I'm trying to get away from using plastics, so I was wondering if using the bar soap would be a viable alternative. Does anyone know if I could grate bar castile soap (in lieu of Fels Naphtha or pure soap flakes) to use in recipes for homemade laundry soap? Any tips welcome. Thank you.
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Comment #13
(Posted by Sara)
I have been searching for a natural alternative to dishwashing detergent (for my automatic dishwasher) and laundry detergent. I tried the recipe for dishwashing detergent from this article, but it left all my dishes with a thick film. I do use vinegar as a rinse also. Any suggestions on how to keep my dishes film free?
As far as laundry goes, Currently, I am using un-earth friendly detergent, vinegar in place of softener, and baking soda as a brightener. There was mention of using castile soap in the laundry: Do you add anything to it or just use the liquid castile alone? And how much should I use per load?
Thanks in advance!
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Comment #14
(Posted by Carolyn)
I recently decided to try using castile soap as a shampoo instead of my regular shampoo/conditioner mix. It was horrible! My hair became oily and stiff, lost all its smoothness and was generally a nightmare. I still have the rest of the bottle to use, but now I don't know what I'll do with it. This page has many good ideas - thank you for them. :)
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Comment #15
(Posted by Shirlee Ausman)
I recently started making my own shampoo out of liquid castile soap (Dr. Bonners). It is wonderful. Anyone who has doubts, please give it a try. The recipe I use is 1/4 cup of castile soap, 1/4 cup distilled water, 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp glycerine. The glycerine adds extra conditioning so you can leave that out if you don't need it. My husband even loves this shampoo and he never cares about natural stuff. The shampoo is not thick like the store brands but it really lathers and cleans your hair. I use the lavender scent - wonderful.
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Comment #16
(Posted by Dixie)
I recently started using Dr Bronners liquid castile soap. I have used it in the shower and as a shampoo and it seems to work well. I have very hard water so I think perhaps it doesn't lather quite as well as it would in soft water but I can live with a few less suds since I know it is better for the earth!..and the fragrance is lovely...I am using the citrus..and will try others. I ordered it directly from the company via the internet...and an added bonus....dealing with this company has been a pleasure!
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Comment #17
(Posted by BK)
About using castile soap for shampoo: my husband has oily hair and I have extremely dry hair. I mix about 1/3 part olive or safflower oil (safflower is lighter) and 2/3 liquid castile soap. We use Baby Mild Dr. Bronner's which has no added scents, etc... Adding the oil makes it later nicely and it doesn't make his hair oily, but instead gets it squeaky clean. If I didn't use a mix of apple cider vinegar and water my own hair would be too dry once it totally dries. Believe it or not, the vinegar rinse makes my hair keep moisture while just the castile, oil mix cleans my husband's oily hair.
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Comment #18
(Posted by Ben)
Hey All,
I recently tried making my own laundry detergent from a recipe I found online. The recipe recommended Fels Naptha soap, and that's what I used, but most sites recommended using castile soap as an alternative, especially for sensitive skin. After making and using this detergent, I'm NEVER going back to store bought. The detergent is cheap, no harsh chemicals are used, my clothes come out smelling great, and my whites have never been whiter. You can get even more of a boost if you add white vinegar to the fabric softener container in your washer; it will completely remove the remaining detergent and soften your clothes. I have not tried the recipe using castile, but from everything I've read, the cleaning effectiveness between both detergents is the same. You can find the recipe at: http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm. It uses only three ingredients (fels naptha or castile, borax and Arm & Hammer Washing Soda), all of which added up cost less than $10. If you break down the cost of the ingredients used for one 2 gallon batch, it works out to about 1 penny per load!!! Make sure to get Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, NOT baking soda, the two are NOT the same and the baking soda won't work. Hope this is helpful!
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Comment #19
(Posted by Michael - Green Living Tips)
Thanks for the continued input everyone :)
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Comment #20
(Posted by Nancy)
I found when I first starting using Castile soap as shampoo, it took about a week before my hair looked good (apparently it needs some time to adjust to not using the chemicals anymore?) I also needed to use an additional rinse of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to counteract the hard water. But after the week, I really like it!
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Comment #21
(Posted by Shawn)
I switched to making my own natural skin and hair care products because of sensitivity to commercial ingredients. The difference is incredible.
For shampoo I buy pure organic castile soap and add 5-6 ounces of strong herbal tea (a tablespoon or 2 of herbs steeped in hot water for at least 20 min.) to 1-2 ounces of soap. I use the finished product in a spray bottle because it's much thinner than store-bought shampoo. I change herbal mixtures depending on what's growing well in the garden, but store-bought herbs would serve just as well. I've used chamomile, rosemary, lemon grass, lavender, mint, and rose water, all in different combinations. It's the best shampoo I've ever used and will never go back. My hair is light and thin, and this shampoo gives me volume and body when I never had it before.
After shampooing, I use a leave in rinse made from 2 Tablespoons of white or apple cider vinegar, and 8 ounces of the same strong herbal teas I use in the shampoo. The vinegar rinses out any build-up and detangles (the smell goes away once it dries), and the herbs condition my hair and scalp. This is also in a spray bottle.
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Comment #22
(Posted by Michael - Green Living Tips)
Nancy and Shawn, thanks for your tips! :)
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Comment #23
(Posted by Gina)
A great place to get Dr. Bronner's is on vitacost.com. A 32 oz. bottle is only $9.42.
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Comment #24
(Posted by Nikki)
I am just now discovering green cleaning products and castile soap is used in many of the homemade ones. I just bought some today so I haven't used it yet, but The Naturally Clean Home by Siegel-Maier and Green Clean by Hunter and Halpin have lots of recipes for homemade cleaners.
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Comment #25
(Posted by Maryellen)
what is the shelf-life of the shampoo that Shawn talks about? What if it included lemon juice?
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Comment #26
(Posted by cassidy)
I use Kirk's Original Coco Castile Soap for washing my vegetables, forget those expensive sprays, they're made with coconut oil too and heaven knows what else. Kirk's is all natural and I bought it at my local Publix grocery market (in the Southeast).
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Comment #27
(Posted by Amanda)
Just wanted to mention that castile soap such be used with caution in pets (especially cats) since many varieties contain pure essential oils which they are very sensitive to. At the very least, avoid those that might contain pennyroyal, wintergreen, citrus, and tea tree oils.
Thanks!
Amanda
Licensed Vet Tech
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Comment #28
(Posted by Brandy)
Hand Soap: Take an empty foaming handwash bottle and put a couple squirts of Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap with water. It foams up just like the stuff you buy at the store.
Body Wash, Face Wash & Shampoo: I put a couple squirts of the soap with water in a small squirt bottle and either spray in in your hair or squirt it on the shower puff or wash cloth. I use it on myself and my kids.
I started using it as a face wash last time I ran out of the store bought stuff. I feared it would dry out my face too much since I have oily skin and it worked perfectly. It leaves my skin very soft and does not leave any oil residue. I am going to switch to the Tea Tree version ater reading all the posts. Thanks!
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Comment #29
(Posted by Shannon)
They have Dr. Bronner's at Target now too, in the big bottles. Actually, from what I've seen, only in the big bottles, which makes it hard to use without a pump as it's so liquid-y. I also tried it as a shampoo and hated it (same effect-- dry, stiff, greasy at roots), so I guess I'll have to try one of these mixture recipes before I give up on it completely. I still use it as a body wash. I have the tea tree oil scent and my husband calls it hippie soap, because it's natural and does smell a bit hippie-ish.:)
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Comment #30
(Posted by Shannon)
Here's a tip-- don't try to use a shortcup by combining all above-mentioned shampoo ingredients. I put castile soap, olive oil, then cider vinegar in, and I think the vinegar reacted with the olive oil and it kind of curdled. I used it anyway, but it kind of stunk. Has anyone else tried this? Is it supposed to do that? Does it even matter? I used chamomile tea too since I have blond hair (and one recipe mentioned herbal tea). My concoction was pretty much trial and error using aforementioned ingredients...is this how everyone else came about their shampoo recipes??
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Comment #31
(Posted by dave)
What many of the posters are talking about is the fact that their water makes a big difference in how pure soaps work. In Portland, OR, we have basically neutral water, so pure soaps work really well. In central Illinois, where I grew up using Ivory or Dr. Bronner's was difficult because the alkaline nature of the water and all of the dissolved lime caused pure soaps to curdle. That, in part, is why they invented detergents - they lose effectiveness in hard water but don't create a huge mess.
I suspect by adding an acid to the soap it's an attempt to neutralize that but in some regimes, particularly water with a bunch of calcium carbonate in it (ancient critter skeletons, by and large) you're facing an uphill battle due to buffering.
That being said, I use olive oil bar soap here and a fair amount of the "Doc" and it works great.
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Comment #32
(Posted by Mary)
I have started using a castile soap called "Elysian Dream". I love it. There is a website for it but I'm not sure what it is. I think you can just google Elysian Dream and it will come up. I found them listed on Skin Deep and it is ranked a "o" on it. You can't get any better than that!! I have never tried Dr. Bronner's but our Kroger sells it.
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Comment #33
(Posted by Deborah)
I have a front loading washer which uses less water,also spins so well it takes less drying time,to my delight. The HE detergent used is pretty expensive,so my question is does anyone have a receipt for natural HE detergent that won't harm my washer. We have also re-plumbed our washer drain lines to use in the garden during summer months. Thanks for may advice.
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Comment #34
(Posted by Cheryl P.)
I love Dr. Bronner's and use all the different kinds for most of my household cleaning. (Peppermint and Orange Citrus are my favorites.)
I recently mixed up a batch of "soft scrub" using Dr. Bronner and baking soda. Mix it until it's like a runny frosting consistency. I use this mixture for cleaning sinks, showers, anything where a little abrasion is needed. It doesn't scratch and it rinses away easily.
I recently tried using it on my teeth (just a very small amount) and I'm surprised how effective it is. My teeth feel like they do right after I get a dental cleaning. It does get very "lathery" but I make sure not to swallow. (The peppermint soap is nice for this use.)
I also use this baking soda/castile soap mixture on my hair as a shampoo, and it takes care of the "oily" feel left on my hair when I use straight castile soap.
Anyway, just thought I'd share some of my tips. I think castile soap is fantastic.
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Comment #35
(Posted by Darlene)
Thank you for all the input on Dr. Bronners and Castile soaps.
I do have one caution. I only had 2 choices when I bought the Dr. B's soaps and I chose the peppermint one. It does clean very well.
However....don't get the peppermint soap on your "nether" regions - it BURNS for a while - no matter HOW much you rinse. I guess that should have been a no brainer, but it wasn't!
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Comment #36
(Posted by J.L.)
Cheryl P. (comment #34) - what a brilliant idea of mixing DB with baking soda for cleaning! Thank you.
I've been using Dr Bronner's for a while now as a household cleaner, face wash, body wash, and shampoo.
My shampoo recipe is 2 parts Doc (peppermint), 2 parts strong nettle tea (good for scalp), 2 drops rosemary essential oil (also good for scalp)and 1 part jojoba oil.
I did read somewhere that Doc Bronner's works best on curly-haired people and tends to leave those with straighter hair a little too limp. Not sure how accurate that is.
I keep the soap diluted 50/50 for use in the shower. I get plenty of lather still without wasting any.
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Comment #37
(Posted by Tori in Phoenix)
I also found the laundry recipe at homestead.com. I love it!!! It was VERY easy to make. I keep it in a recycle 2 gallon bucket on my washer with a 1/2 cup ladel in it. I have also made my own fabric softener with 6c. water, 3 c. white vinegar and 2 cups of hair conditioner. I like the conditioner in it because I hang my clothes out in a city with quite a bit of polution and I've found that I need the light scent to mask the icky air odor sometimes.....very sad! Keep it green ya'll!
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Comment #38
(Posted by Mabel White)
Castile is supposed to be an olive oil based gentle lather emulsion. This term is from the true castile of Spain. So-Castile is gentle and non-drying when made with Olive Oil as a part of the formula. Look for olive oil as a main ingredients. Coconut oil is great for lather-but over 30% and it is VERY drying. Under 30% it is great! Because it is so very cheap-it often is more then 30% of the formula. Whenever Castile dries your skin-it is mostly cheap coconut oil.
They need to call their liquid soap 'Coconut Liquid Soap' because to call it Castile gives Castile a bad name. So whether you are making your own, or buying it-really look at Olive Oil being a top component-as THIS is the issue. Other soft oils are OK too-like soybean, sunflower..but Palm? Drying, Coconut excess=drying.... GREAT for cleaning, but not gentle enough for skin.
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Comment #39
(Posted by Laurie)
I am preparing to try Batik dyeing on clothes and Dr. Bronners was recommended for helping to remove the dried wax.
I bought a bottle in a health food store for 18.00. Higher than what I have seen on the internet. I got Lavender scented that smells a bit strange to me. I remembered Castile soap from when I was a child, they claimed it made your hair shine. I bathed with it and washed my hair. I was amazed at how fast it rinses off your body and your hair. My hair feels fine so far but is really straight, no body. I intend to try it again on my hair and will surely keep bathing with it, my skin feels so smooth.
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Comment #40
(Posted by Joy Budding)
I use Dr Bronner's liquid soap in the shower and I have never had anything work better for removing makeup!! It is great. Use to spend a lot of money just on facial cleansers and this is by far the best out there. Give it a try straight from the bottle, just a couple drops is all you need. I do think I will try the spray bottle trick, sounds like it would work great. Thanks
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Comment #41
(Posted by Maria)
Castile soap can also be mixed with baking soda to make a kitchen/bathroom abrasive scrub. I use Aromatics International (www.aromaticsinternational.com) to get the oils and recipes to add to castile soap.
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Comment #42
(Posted by Kim)
I get my essential oils from Aromatics International (www.aromaticsinternational.com)too! I love their great recipes, several using castile soap. I've made a really great scrub for the bathroom using baking soda, vinegar, the castile, with pine, peppermint and lemon essential oils.
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Comment #43
(Posted by Julie)
I also switched to Dr. Bronner's soap. I was using expensive Dermalogica facial cleanser before. Dr. Bronner's works as great if not better. I have normal/combination skin. I wear make up daily. I just take my eye make up off, then wash my face. Leaves a fresh and clean feeling afterwards. I was spending 40 dollars for a bottle of Dermalogica. Dr. Bronner's is 1/4 the price and I literally only use 5 drops for my face and 2 squirts for body wash. It lathers up very nicely. I like the baby mild. Peppermint is nice and tingly for the body, but do not recommend it for face wash b/c it stings the eyes. I just got it at my local health food store, on sale too!
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Comment #44
(Posted by nicola)
I LOVE Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castille Soap!!! I use it while cleaning the bathroom and it smells delicious!
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Comment #45
(Posted by Dawn)
I had a horrible experience witha local grocery store; rotten eggs that oozed down my arms onto my legs!
They didn't have a protocol for sanatizing me before I left their store! Freaking out because I have a newborn to handle I ran home to SCRUB myself with DB's castile soap w/ Tea Tree. After the third scrubbing (for my own sanity!) I felt squeeky clean and thankful!
I had bought it to make laundry soap! Glad I thought to use it for rotten eggs!
** I FOUND DB'S AT GNC ** I also know the Vitamin Shoppe carries it.
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Comment #46
(Posted by Bethany)
I've noticed lye on the ingredient list for castile soaps... not to be stupid, but wasn't lye the detergent ingredient way back when that left many workers (who washed clothes for a living) blind??
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Comment #47
(Posted by Anneliese)
Lye is in every soap. You cannot make soap without lye.
All these recipes are so helpful. Thanks so much for posting! I am going to try these out, and then possibly give them as christmas presents! Thanks!
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Comment #48
(Posted by Sarah)
I have just discovered Dr. Bronners products and I have fallen in love with them. I had never heard of them or even castile soap before! I discovered them about 5 or 6 months ago when I started getting interested in making my own household cleaning products. I have completely phased out commercial cleaning chemicals with the exception of borax (which has been said to be mildly toxic). Once I discovered that I could make my own I completely stopped using my commercial products. I didn’t even want to wait until they were empty!! Now I am interested in phasing out commercial chemicals and detergents-(which is what your commercial soap actually is) as well. I thought that the Dr. Bronners soaps were basically for the use of household cleaning products and just discovered that I could use them in my hygiene routine as well! I am still looking for recipes and ideas and (kind of newly) open to all suggestions! I am 28 years old with three…going on four children (9, 8, and 14 months) and I just wish that I would have discovered this at an earlier age! :)
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Comment #49
(Posted by Annette)
Love the tips on using castile. I have used Dr. Bonners - I found it drying and I not sure I like the SLS in it. I found that the castile soap by Mabel Miracles does the job very well. It is 80% olive oil and I use it on everything. It is available in Lemon and Peppermint! My floors look great and my hands are no longer need a ton of lotion. Super concentrated as well.
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Comment #50
(Posted by Sarah)
Dr. Bronner's DOES NOT contain SLS. The only product that does contain SLS is Sal Suds which is NOT meant to be used on the body. It is meant to be used as a household cleaner.
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Comment #51
(Posted by Amanda)
Curly hair and Castile Soap: It is better for curly hair than regular shampoos because the Sodium Lauryl Sulfates/Laureth Sulfites or any derivation thereof in shampoos wreak havoc on the oval-shaped cuticle of curly hair. It causes frizz galore. You don't even need to wash curly hair with anything other than conditioner scrubbed in the scalp, although I do use castile soap 1-3 times a week on my hair, so that is helpful for reducing consumption of products. Conditioner should have humectants and other super moisturizing components. Check out the book "Curly Girl," that's where I found all this out.
For straight haired people, other than being better for the environment, I don't think it offers anything to improve the texture of hair specifically. Is it bad? Well, from what others have wrote, it probably has to do with your water but also, a very small amount is all that is needed! It should almost feel like a dry-stickiness when in use,say to run your fingers through your hair while washing, but afterward, my hair always feels soft with or without the use of conditioner.
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Comment #52
(Posted by Richard Brown)
I have a twist for the use of Castile soap; being a watchmaker we use Castile soap for preparing small watch parts that need to be annealed (to make a hardened metal soft). To anneal the metal part it needs to be heated up to a temperature were the metal just glows dull red, but before heating up the part we put Castile soap on it. This helps prevent the part from oxidizing during the heating process. This is an old procedure that’s been used for years.
Richard.
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Comment #53
(Posted by sandy)
In response to Shannon's comment #8, great questions. My understanding is very basic, but this is what I have learned. First of all soaps made with oils clean well because they are soaps. Meaning they are the result of a chemical reaction between oil and lye called saponification. Once reacted, the soap is neither oil nor lye but now a cleaning agent which can remove dirt and oil particles by carrying them away in the lather. Its all natural.
As for using oil soap for skin issues, here is the scoop. Some natural oils used in soap are good for your skin. They do not block the natural function of the skin while performing their cleaning action. The skin is able to coninue sweating, releasing sebum, and shedding dead skin. Olive oil, jojoba oil, sheabutter, kukui nut oil, and some other natural materials do not inhibit these necessary functions. Olive oil,as in castile soap, is a very good moisturizer because it attracts external moisture, holds the moisture close to the skin, and forms a breathable film to prevent loss of internal moisture. Olive oil does not block the natural functions of the skin.
As far as skin eruptions they say what goes in must come out. Check your microflora function, add some bifidobacteria yogurt, or worsecase scenario, talk to your Dr about Polycystic ovarian disease. Catch it early.
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Comment #54
(Posted by Mandy)
This morning I uses Dr. Bronners Castile soap for the first time to wash my hair. The feel when I washed it was great, and my hair seems so much thicker. But, my hair is a tangley mess and I cant brush through it, it feels soft if I could get my fingers through it. Is there anything I can add to the soap to condition my hair as well, or a natural conditioner I could make to use on a daily basis. Help, I do want to continue to use the castile, but I need to be able to brush through it. Thanks so much.
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Comment #55
(Posted by Sarah)
You can try Apple Cider Vinegar. I haven't tried it myself but I have read about alot of people that have. Spray it on and rinse if off. You can also try coconut oil.
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Comment #56
(Posted by Brittany)
I am using Dr Bronner's and have oily, fussy, fine straight hair (straight as a board!) and genetically acne-infested and sensitive skin.
The switch from commercialized products to natural is always hard on your skin/hair for the first couple of weeks, and sometimes month depending upon how "fried" your hair is or how dry your skin is.
My skin is very dry, but my hair is horribly oily. When I started using castile, I was doubtful because it leaves that greasy feel in your hair once you rinse it out and, once your hair is dry, it's hard to run fingers through. That gets tons better with use when all of the "cleansing" is done.
My skin was initially very soft but also a bit drier, but I stuck it out without lotion and harsh man-made chemicals, and ended up with dry, moisturized skin!
Before this, I was going to find myself a dozen or so soapwort plants to make my own soap because my hair and skin are so finicky.
I'm so happy with the results! I'm glad to know the recipes for laundry. I'll start using that now in addition to all else.
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Comment #57
(Posted by Tiff)
I agree with using the vinegar for an after shampoo rinse. I just switched to castille from using expensive organic shampoos. When you stop using shampoos that contain parabens and harsh ingredients, your hair has to go through a detox phase. This may leave your hair feeling tangly and dry, even staticy as all the chamicals are being removed from the hair. Mine has been through all of that so the swicth to castille has left it feeling clean and soft with no problems. I would recommend people to stick to the castille and vinegar for a couple weeks to thoroughly detox and then you should see great improvement. You would think it would strip, especially with the vinegar but it ends up beautiful and toxin-free. In addition, do not use any commercial products such as gels, mousse, hairspray and hair color or you will not get the detox benefits. You really have to commit to this if you want to see the final results. I love it!
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Comment #58
(Posted by Janel)
I am new to going green and green cleaning. But, it did not take me long to figure out that all liquid castile soaps ARE NOT all created equal. Through
some bad experiences and much research I found a Liquid Castile soap that truly amazing. Mable's Miracle. Their liquid soap is gentle on my skin (never drying it out)and tough on grease,dirt,and grime. I highly recommend you try their products.
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Comment #59
(Posted by Mary Thomsen)
I've been going green for awhile and found that using a few simple household products far beat the chemical concoctions that the major companies push on us with television advertising. I would like to mention that I now bathe my two shelter dogs with Mabel's Miracle Champ shampoo. It suds great and rinses off easily and does not make thier skin flaky or itchy. My dogs are small enough to wash in the bathtub. My dogs "look" clean before I start, but when we are done, the water in the bottom of the tub is BROWN before I drain the water. This hasn't happened with store bought dog shampoo. I also use a variety of Mabel's Miracle Liquid Castile soaps to bathe in the shower and as a laundry detergent. I have a huge box of chemical cleaning products in the garage and don't know what to do with it. I know I am keeping my family healthier by not exposing them to chemicals that are harmful to us and the water supply.
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Comment #60
(Posted by Kim)
Pure castile soap and peppermint work great to keep spiders away and even kill black widow spiders! just spray on them and they will die in seconds. i just it on furnitur outside and on my kids playset.
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Comment #61
(Posted by m. rooney)
hello,I use a liquid castile soap that is made of saponified olive oil, the way it was originally, and it's all certified organic. It doesn't leave a residue. It's multi-purpose and safe. I order it from country rose soap out of canada. I live in Georgia and I usually get it in about a week. I have to use because my middle child has severe allergic reactions to the synthetic fragrances in regular soaps. She breaks out all ovr her body in huge red welts and complains of it burning. The doctors had resorted to steroids. I don't want to do that to her because she is only 9. She's been this way ever since she was a baby. I would rather sacrifice vanity than make her suffer. So I made the switch to castile soap because it's the most gentle, but please be careful because some castile soaps are not truthful about what they put in them.Always read the ingredient label and look up things you don't know. I use the cosmetic safety database.And I heard Dr. bronner's is not that great, but still probably better than the soaps in the grocery store.Bye
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Comment #62
(Posted by Tiff)
Hey everyone. I have never used castile soap but I am certainly going to try it after reading all of the comments. I was looking online for some and I figured I would would share what I found. Drugstore.com has it at about the same price as target, but they have BOGOs on most of them. They also have a big selection on bars and liquids. I have used this website before and like it a lot. Just wanted to let everyone know. Thanks for the wonderful ideas!! peace
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Comment #63
(Posted by Marianne)
Hello everyone,
after reading all these wonderful things and tips about castille soap I am dying to try it for all the things that everyone here talks about.
However, I do live in France and can not get castille soap here. Does anyone know if "savon noir" is the equivalent for castille soap? I tried to read the ingredients on the bottle and can make out that it's made from vegetable products.
If anyone here is in the "know" about this savon noir would you please share your knowledge.
Thanks for all the great tips on this and all the other products on this amazing site.
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Comment #64
(Posted by Sara Salomon)
I just found a recipe for insecticidal soap using castile soap. Can't wait to try it.
1/4 to 1/2 of an onion
2 T minced garlic
2 T pure castile soap
1.5 quarts water
Put the garlic and onion in a mason jar or container. Pour boiling water over the mixture and let steep for 24 hrs. Strain and add the soap to your mixture. Mix well and spray on bugs. (am and calm day is best). Works on aphids, scale and soft-bodied bugs.
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Comment #65
(Posted by Lyla)
To # 69, findout if there is a household hazardous wastes (recycling center) nearby.
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Comment #66
(Posted by Laura Loewen)
I tried the dishwasher recipe and found that many of my dishes came out with a white film. Has anyone else experienced that? Any suggestions?
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Comment #67
(Posted by Chris)
I recently read an article that says you can use a tsp of liquid castille soap, 2 tsps of canola oil and a quart of water mixed to spray on edible plants to ward off bugs/pests. Anyone else ever tried this? I wanted to use it on my strawberry plants. Any suggestions would be great!
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Comment #68
(Posted by Kathy)
Are there any castile soaps that use cottonseed oil as an ingredient? We are cotton farmers and I've been curious about uses for the oil other than for cooking.
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Comment #69
(Posted by jana)
I stumbled across Castile soap in planning a 3 week trip to Alaska, where I am severly limited in what I can pack. Will castile work on color treated hair without stripping it?
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Comment #70
(Posted by Greenie)
I have had great luck with castile soap shampoo! I'm so suprised, honestly, how much fullness and shine it has given me. I also use an apple cider vinegar + water conditioning rinse after I shampoo. Here's my recipe!
1/4 Cup Dr. Bromner's Tea Tree Castile Soap
1 Cup strong rosemary tea
1 tsp. olive oil
I picked fresh rosemary and boiled 1/4 a cup with a little dried rosemary in there as well. I let it seep for thirty minutes and drained the leaves, then let it cool and mixed it up with the castile soap and olive oil.
I have medium length, thickish layered hair and this shampoo makes it really easy to style. I don't know why, but I don't even have to use styling cream or anything when I use this shampoo! I Not sure how it works for other hair types but I love it. My mom always used the vinegar so I learned that from her. It adds shine and it is a natural conditioning agent. Use about 1-3 tbsp per 8 oz. water
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Comment #71
(Posted by jackie)
castile soap does not dry your skin because it is based on potassium instead of sodium.
this makes it great for letting the skin preserve it's own moisture content and does not strip it away like a sodium based soap. it may burn your eyes more than other soaps but it works for eczema because it does not overly remove moisture from fragile skin. if you wash with this kind of soap there will be much less need to moisturize skin bothered by eczema or dry skin in general.
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Comment #72
(Posted by Julia)
We live in Colorado and have been using Dr. B's Almond soap as hand soap for years. It NEVER dries out hands and I rarely even need hand lotion in our dry climate. I dilute it in a foam dispenser, this makes it last a long time and it makes a very easy soap for little kids to use.
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Comment #73
(Posted by Vilate)
I am very excited to try this as shampoo for my hair. I have very oily hair and I hate having to wash it everyday. I am excited to see all these ideas too! I like to try to be more natural. I use homemade detergents, and I am excited to try the dishwasher recipe.
BTW when you do do your little shpiel on tea tree oil you should add that it is great for when you wash cloth diapers. I use a few drops in the wash everytime I wash my diapers. It is great to help kill the ammonioa smell and it is an anti-bacterial! I love my cloth diapers and I love my detergent so I am excited to add shampoo too! :)
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Comment #74
(Posted by jean)
I use a mesh strainer over the water drain to keep the hair out of the drain. I noticed that when I use castile soap vs detergent, the strainer clogs up much easier, making the water go down very slow. Does anyone have any suggestions for this problem?
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Comment #75
(Posted by Melissa)
I recently tried switching to Dr. B's peppermint castile soap, water, and like 2 tsp. olive oil for shampoo. The first few days were fine, I wore my hair up though so didn't pay any attention to whether or not it was limp or listless. At first my hair was really hard to comb after washing and didn't feel soft, but after combing it felt ok. Abotu a week later my hair is horribly oily. I never have oily hair unless I don't wash it for several days. When I went to blow dry it, it basically won't really dry because of all the oil built up. Will this go away? Everyone else seems to have such good luck with castile soap. I want a natural shampoo but I don't want to feel dirty and I want my hair to have some body...it's thin so that can be hard. Should I try baking soda?
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Comment #76
(Posted by karen)
to Deborah, comment #33.
Your need for a low-sudsing, low-cost, 'green' laundry cleaner to use in your HE washer ... that will protect the machine, keep it free from odor and mildew ... wash clothes effectively ... will not add anything to the grey-water from said washer that would be harmful to your garden (where the water drains) ... the answer is the berry-hulls of the 'sapindus' tree, otherwise known as SoapNuts.
You may purchase them online at NaturOli in Arizona, or buysoapnuts.com in Canada, or 'Maggie's Soapnuts'. We've just started using them - its wonderful! Much less cost than detergents, though not as cheap as homemade laundry soap using a castile/Fels Napftha type product. However, it leaves NO film on the clothing or machine, totally rinses, can be composted - makes no trash, totally eliminates the need for fabric softener and protects the fabric fibers from fading and breaking down. (Ah, the clothes are so soft and smooth, even line-dry wrinkle-free). Can also be used to make liquid soap for many other uses.
I know this has nothing to do with encouraging people to use Castile, (which our family also uses) but I felt Deborah deserved an answer to her Q. Using a HE washing machine brings another set of issues into the discussion. ;) Happy cleaning everyone!
EDIT NOTE FROM MICHAEL: Thanks Karen. Everyone, I have an article on soapnuts here:
http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/166/1/Soapnuts---natures-detergent.html
(If you have troubles copying and pasting the link just use the search box on the right hand side of this page and enter "soapnuts" - related articles will be displayed)
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Comment #77
(Posted by Sarah)
I started to use Dr. Bronner's tea trea castille soap to wash my long hair. Immediately my hair was softer and I haven't used conditioner even once since then. For the first week or two my scalp was a little dry and flaky, but I think it was just my scalp getting used to its natural oils again! If you have the problem of a flaky or oily scalp at first, my advice is to wait a few weeks before giving up on the castille soap!
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Comment #78
(Posted by Desiree )
I tried castile soap as a shampoo, and really didn't like the results. My hair was super soft, yes, but it looked limp and felt as if a residue was left on. I wanted it to work, but wasn't pleased. I saw on here that someone had suggested mixing it with baking soda. (I wasn't able to find the comment again with a quick search, sorry) The results are fantastic! What a difference. I mixed about equal amounts of each, and my hair feels great. I'm glad I gave it another chance. I also use it for laundry. I mix it with baking soda, washing soda and vinegar, and I"m very happy with the results. I'll share the proportions if anyone is interested. I am also pleased that my skin seems ok with castile soap. I've had eczema my entire life, and my skin is extremely sensitive. Thanks for all the tips, I love reading them.
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Comment #79
(Posted by Helen)
I have been using Dr B soap as body wash for a year now and very happy with it. It doesn't work on washing dishes, house cleaning and in dish washer, it leaves a cloudy film on dishes, glasses and stainless steel sink. It might be that we have very hard water here in the Bahamas. I've just found Aubrey's Earth Aware Homecare all purpose household cleanser and tried it in the dish washer without any rinse aid and dishes came out sparkling. Soapnuts work very well for laundry.
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