All About Vegan Castile Soap

Castile soap is a vegetable soap traditionally made from 100 percent pure olive oil, water, and lye. It is a vegan product because it does not include the addition of animal fats as some other soaps might. It is believed to have originated from the Castile region of Spain, which is how it gets its name. Sometimes Castile soap is called olive oil soap. Castile soap is available in bar or liquid form. For some great brands to choose from, check out the top Castile soaps for green cleaning.

Composition

Several modern formulations have tweaked the time-honored original recipe with the addition of other natural ingredients:

• Aloe vera gel (for moisturizing benefits)
• Butters (shea butter)
• Essential oils (peppermint, lavender)
• Natural antioxidants and preservatives (rosemary extract, citric acid, vitamin E)
• Salt (used in bar soaps to make them harder and last longer)
• Vegetable oils (hemp, coconut, avocado oils)

True castile soap does not contain harsh synthetic detergents, and the best ones do not add any skin-irritating artificial colorants, fragrances, or preservatives.

Green Cleaning Uses

You can use Castile soap to clean your house inside and out. Castile soap is indispensable in green cleaning because it acts as a surfactant and helps lift away dirt and cut through grease. You can use Castile soap to clean your whole house from top to bottom.

Because it is eco-friendly and biodegradable, it is also perfect for cleaning outside your home. So, if you need to wash your car or clean your patio furniture, reach for the liquid Castile soap.

Make Your Own Castile Soap

You can make your own homemade eco-friendly cleaners with Castile soap. Check out these fantastic green recipes that are easy, fast, and cost-effective:

• DIY Castile soap multi-surface spray and disinfecting soft scrub
• Olive oil recipes for bar soap, which uses sodium hydroxide to saponify or harden the oils

Other Uses

Castile soap has many personal care uses, such as shampoo, shaving cream, body wash, and even toothpaste. It is ideal for washing your pets.

Shelf Life

Castile soap normally has a shelf life of about three years. Make sure to check the expiration date on the bottle before using. How you store your soap will affect its shelf-life. For example, if liquid soaps are not closed well and kept in a shower, then the possibility of contaminants entering the product increases. So this means the formulation may be compromised, especially if it does not contain any preservatives.

Safety and Environmental Notes

All-natural Castile soap is a green product because it is biodegradable, non-toxic, and safe to use for cleaning and personal care applications.