What is Castile Soap?

Castile Soap is a natural liquid soap made from plant oils, named after the Spanish region of Castilla where it was first produced in Europe centuries ago. At a time when most soap was still made from animal fats, Castile soap was an exception: made from olive oil and plant oils, mild and pure. The recipe has been preserved through the centuries and is still valued today for its simplicity and versatility.

Our Castile Soap is organically certified and made from saponified coconut oil and sunflower oil. A completely plant-based product, without animal fats and without palm oil. The soap is biodegradable.

What's in it?

Water, organic saponified sunflower oil, organic saponified coconut oil, glycerin, potassium citrate and citric acid. Nothing else. No synthetic surfactants like SLS or SLES, no parabens, no phenoxyethanol, no PEG, no propylene glycol and no synthetic fragrances or colorants.

The glycerin in our Castile Soap occurs naturally during the saponification process and is not removed from the finished product, as happens with many commercial soaps. This makes the soap gentle on the skin.

Benefits of Castile Soap

Versatile in use
One product for countless applications: hand soap, body wash, shaving soap, dishwashing liquid, floor cleaner, laundry detergent and all-purpose cleaner. This means you need far fewer different products in your home.

Gentle on the skin
Due to the plant oils and naturally present glycerin, Castile Soap is mild and suitable for virtually every skin type.

Completely natural and plant-based
No synthetic ingredients, no animal fats, no palm oil. Our Castile Soap is organically certified.

Biodegradable
Castile Soap is biodegradable and therefore an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic cleaning and personal care products.

Can be combined with essential oils
Customize the soap to your preference or purpose by adding essential oils to it.

How do you use Castile Soap?

As hand soap
Dilute the soap with water in a ratio of 1 to 3 (for example 100 ml soap with 300 ml water) and transfer to a pump or foam bottle. Add a few drops of lavender or tea tree for a pleasant scent and extra purification.

As body wash
Dilute in the same ratio as hand soap and optionally add a teaspoon of glycerin for extra hydration.

As dishwashing liquid
A teaspoon of Castile Soap in a dishwashing bowl with warm water is sufficient for hand washing. Optionally add a few drops of lemon oil for a fresh scent and extra degreasing action.

As all-purpose cleaner
Mix 3 tablespoons of Castile Soap with 500 ml water and optionally 10 drops of Tea Tree or lemon essential oil. Transfer to a spray bottle for a simple natural all-purpose cleaner.

As laundry detergent
Use 50 to 100 ml Castile Soap per wash, depending on water hardness and how dirty the laundry is. Do not combine with vinegar in the same wash cycle, as this disrupts the soap.

Not recommended as shampoo

Although Castile Soap is often recommended online as hair shampoo, we do not recommend this ourselves. The pH of Castile Soap is around 9 to 10, while hair and scalp need a much lower pH to stay balanced. When used on hair, the high pH causes the scales of the hair shaft to swell and stand open, leading to dull, dry and frizzy hair. For washing your hair, it's therefore better to choose a real shampoo with a skin-friendly pH.

Tips when using Castile Soap

• Castile Soap is alkaline (pH around 9 to 10) and therefore does not react well with acidic ingredients or products like lemon juice or vinegar. That combination makes the soap ineffective. Use them in separate steps or products.
• Always dilute before use. A higher concentration than necessary only wastes product and is not gentler on the skin.
• Store in a tightly sealed bottle at room temperature. Keeps for up to 12 months after opening.

Points of attention

Castile Soap is a mild product and is generally well tolerated. When in doubt or with sensitive skin, test on a small area first. Avoid contact with eyes. Keep out of reach of children.