15 Castile Soap Uses You've Never Thought of Before
Clean your body, your countertops, and even your dog.
By Rebekah Lowin
May 1, 2020
If you're into home cleaning remedies, then you're more than familiar with the array of household products that can be used to clean a dishwasher, get that oven clean as a whistle, and fight unsightly mold. But move over white vinegar and baking soda. It's time to add another can-do product to our must-have list: castile soap.
Never heard of it? You're not alone. Allow us to tell you a little about this wonderful all-purpose soap. Unlike most soaps, castile soap is made from vegetable oil rather than "tallow" (a nice way to say "animal
fat"). That means castile's soap's nontraditional base makes it cruelty-free and completely biodegradable.
The product originated in S
Pain's Castile region (hence the name!), and olive oil was the traditional base
fat for this gentle, environmentally-responsible soap. But nowadays, it's made from a variety of vegetable-derived oils including coconut, avocado, walnut, almond, hemp, and more.
So now that you know what castile soap is, what can you do with it? We're glad you asked. We've got lots of ways to use castile soap in your everyday daily cleaning, , washing, and self-care routines.
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1.
Take a relaxing bath with it.
Add two tablespoons of castile liquid soap to a full bath for an all-natural cleansing experience. Unfortunately, castile soap doesn't bubble on its own, so if a bubble bath is a non-negotiable, just add a bit of vegetable glycerin in order to make that happen. You can also add essential oils for a stronger scent.
2.
Use it as a natural body wash.
You can use this foamy soap on its own as a body wash. Just like most other shower products, a single squirt on a wet washcloth will do the trick, and the water in your shower will dilute it to the proper potency. But if you'd prefer to add other active ingredients or scents, you can do that, too. Honey, sweet almond oil,
Vitamin E oil, and essential oils are all great options.
3.
Make your own laundry detergent.
Many commercial laundry detergents are full of unnecessarily strong chemicals. Instead, try adding 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of castile soap to any large load (if you have a small washer, halve these quantities), then add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
4.
Use it as baby soap.
Sensitive baby
Skin needs gentle soap, and we know just the thing. As with all things baby-related, we encourage you to consult your child's pediatrician before changing anything regarding their routines. But once you've got the green light, you can simply dilute one ounce of castile soap with two ounces of distilled water, then use it to wash your baby. Take care to keep the mixture far from the baby's
eyes.
5.
Use it in your garden.
Get this: You can actually make your own natural, effective
Insecticide and
Fungicide at home with castile soap. Will wonders never cease? Get the full how-to at Going Green With a Bronner Mom.
6.
Wash your dogs with it.
Dog
Shampoo can be overpriced and contain a needlessly long ingredient list. But if you make it at home, you can control exactly what goes in in�and save money. Wet your dog's coat first, then add a few small pumps of castile soap and give him or her a good scrub. Rinse, dry, and you've got yourself a shiny new dog at a fraction of the cost.
7.
DIY your own dish soap.
Not only will castile soap make washing dishes less expensive, it'll also give you zero reason to worry about the
Skin on your hands and arms every night. Ten parts warm water to one part castile soap is all you need to make the washing solution of your dreams.
8.
Clean your whole house with it.
Feel like getting totally carried away? Go right ahead! You can use the soap to make an all-purpose, clean-nearly-everything spray simply by adding 1/4 cup to 1 quart of warm water and pouring the mixture into a spray bottle. Then spray (dirt and grime) away!
9.
Get ants out of your home.
It's hard to believe that anybody doesn't love castile soap, but it's true: A few critters find it wholly displeasing. Luckily, we don't find them very pleasing. Say goodbye to ants by combining 1/4 cup of tea-tree castile soap with a quart of water. (Just don't spray it directly on plants; this less-diluted mixture is seriously potent and will harm them.)
10.
Mop your floors with it.
Half a cup of castile soap can be added to 3 gallons of hot water to make a delightfully simple DIY mopping solution.
11.
Remove your makeup naturally.
Equal parts of castile soap, witch hazel, and coconut oil make for a really, really good makeup remover. You'll never go back to the store-bought stuff�we guarantee it.
12.
Clean your makeup brushes.
Warm water and a little bit of castile soap make an excellent makeup brush cleaning solution. Simply dab the tips of your brushes into the solution, then run them under colder tap water until they're clean. Air dry, and repeat whenever you feel like your brushes could use a little clean-up.
13.
Clear your Sinuses with it.
If you've selected a soap containing essential oils (such as Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap or Dr. Bronner's Citrus Castile Soap), you'll find it has far more benefits than just cleaning and washing. Simply fill a large bowl with hot water, add a few pumps or squeezes of soap, and inhale the steam that emerges to open your nasal passages. Pro tip: Wear a towel or sheet over your head in order to keep the steam from escaping.
14.
Mix up a DIY foot scrub.
Who needs a nail salon? Make your own DIY foot scrub with 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of castile soap, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and a few drops of peppermint oil. Apply it to your tired feet before you polish, and you�ve got yourself a pedi that rivals the pros.
15.
Try it as shaving cream.
The Dr. Bronner site suggests the following measurements for a shaving cream made from castile soap. Face: 10 drops; underarms: 3 drops; legs: 1/2 tablespoon. Work it into a lather and get to it!
https://www.countryliving.com/home-maintenance/cleaning/a27534079/castile-soap-uses/
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Castile Soap Uses
Homemade Dishwasher Soap
You can use it to wash the dishes by hand, but you can also make your own soap for the dishwasher too. Try a citrus version as it not only smells amazing, but lemon essential oil has been shown to have anti-fungal effects on food-borne molds.
To create your own dishwasher soap, mix 8 ounces of Castile liquid soap with 1 cup of water, 3 teaspoons of lemon juice and 10 drops of lemon essential oil and shake gently.
To use, add 1 tablespoon of the above mixture into the �open� compartment of your dishwasher and add 1 cup of white vinegar to the �closed� compartment. If you have hard water, add a little more vinegar.
All-Purpose Household Cleaner
Using a spray bottle, fill it a quarter of the way up with white vinegar, fill it with water, then add just a squirt of Castile liquid soap, a few drops of tea tree essential oil and a few drops of orange or lemon essential oil. This mixture makes for a safe and natural yet effective household
Cleaner.
Homemade Glass Cleaner
Mix half a cup of white vinegar, 2 teaspoons of Castile liquid soap and 2 cups of distilled warm water into a spray bottle. You can add a few drops of tea tree and lemon essential oil to the mixture to make it a bit more effective. Blend well by giving it a good shake and spray onto your windows. Use newspaper to clean it, leaving it streak-free.
Homemade Tub Scrub
Fill a spray bottle with ? Castile liquid soap and ? water. Spread baking soda liberally around the bath and spray the Castile mixture on top of it. Scrub with a scouring pad or scrub brush for a squeaky clean tub.
Castile soap - Dr. Axe
For The Body
Homemade Face Wash
Using a foaming dispenser, add � cup of Castile liquid soap and fill it to the top with distilled water. Add 5 drops each of tea tree and frankincense essential oils. Both oils are known for helping to fight
Bacteria and can reduce
Acne.
Homemade Shampoo
Making your own Castile soap
Shampoo is so easy. Plus, you can avoid those pricey, surprisingly toxic
Shampoos (most of which are filled with chemicals that can cause lots of problems for your
Hair long-term).
Simply mix together 7 tablespoons of Castile liquid soap with 6 teaspoons of coconut milk and � teaspoon of coconut oil. This will make about seven applications. It will store best in the fridge for about a week.
Homemade Hand Soap
Fill a foaming soap dispenser with � boiled or distilled water and � Castile liquid soap. You can add 5 drops of tea tree essential oil for its
AntiBacterial properties and lavender oil for its fragrant and relaxing scent.
Castile for Shaving
For your face, use about 10 drops, for the underarms, 3 drops should do the trick and for the legs, use about a � teaspoon. Simply work into a lather in wet hands and then apply to area.
You can also add olive oil to the mix for some added moisture while shaving.
Castile for Your Teeth
Would you believe that potential Castile soap benefits include natural teeth cleaning? That�s right!
Put 1 drop of Castile liquid soap, 1 drop peppermint essential oil and a small dollop of coconut oil on your toothbrush and brush as normal. Just like with toothpaste, do not swallow.
This is a great way to reap Castile soap�s amazing cleansing and
Disinfectant properties! (Side note: Castile soaps are typically considered
Disinfectants rather than
AntiBacterial agents, but peppermint oil has inherent
AntiBacterial abilities just like tea tree oil has natural
AntiBacterial power, so when these oils are included, the cleansing and
Bacteria-fighting ability of the soap is increased!)
Foot bath
Use about 1 teaspoon of Castile liquid soap in a small tub of hot water and allow the feet to soak for 10�20 minutes. Add a few drops of tea tree essential oil and lavender essential oil for added benefits. Or you can use a version of Castile liquid soap that already includes these essential oils.
Clearing Congestion
A Castile liquid soap that contains essential oils like eucalyptus or peppermint can be used to help with nasal
Congestion due to the common cold or
Allergies.
Simply add a few drops of the liquid soap with essential oil to a bowl of steamy hot water. Breathe in the mist with a towel draped over the head. Of course, be careful as steam can burn your
Skin.
Where to Buy and Castile Soap Recipes
As noted, the most popular brand is Dr. Bronner�s, but there are other options available as well. Make sure to take the time to read the ingredients to ensure that it is made from pure, recognizable ingredients.
It�s not hard to find a Castile soap recipe online that you can start using in your life today! For example, this is how to make
Castile Soap Laundry Detergent:
Combine one bar grated, 2 cups washing soda, 1 cup baking soda and 30 drops of essential oil (optional) in an airtight container.
Use � cup per large load (adjust accordingly, especially for high-efficiency washers, for which you may want to wait until the water runs through the soap dispenser).
Precautions and Dangers
A few important warnings:
It�s not recommended for use on color-treated
Hair because it may strip the
Hair follicles of color.
For
Hair that is not color-treated, it can be used as a
Shampoo, but to avoid clean yet tangled or matted
Hair, it�s recommended to follow up with an
Acidic conditioning rinse that contains natural
Acidic ingredients like lemon juice. Another alternative is to use diluted apple cider vinegar after
Shampooing with Castile liquid soap.
Castile soaps are considered a base, and it�s not recommended to combine them with
Acids like vinegar or lemon juice (because the resulting mixture will be a curdled solution that will leave behind a film rather than clean surfaces well).
Castile liquid soap combined with hard water can also result in a white film being left behind when the mixture is used on surfaces.
Final Thoughts
What is Castile soap? It�s a versatile vegetable oil-based soap that is free of animal products and synthetic ingredients.
You can purchase it as an unscented soap in bar or liquid form. It�s also available with scents, typically from the inclusion of various essential oils such as lavender, peppermint and eucalyptus.
If you�re wondering where to buy Castile soap, you can find it at your local health store or possibly even at your closest grocery store.
You can also easily purchase a Castile soap bar or Castile liquid soap through various online retailers.
You can use Castile soap for
Hair, body and
Skin as a
Shampoo, body wash and facial cleanser.
Other uses include washing laundry, brushing your teeth, cleaning produce, as a general household
Cleaner � the list goes on and on.
If you�re looking for a soap that is natural, non-toxic, not expensive and extremely versatile, then you may want to consider trying Castile!
https://draxe.com/beauty/castile-soap/