Castile soap is a vegetable-based product that was originally made from local olive oil in the Castile region of Spain. According to Dr Bronner’s, this style of soap is now considered to be Castile soap when it’s made from any vegetable oil.
Iconic brand Dr Bronner’s has its own famous liquid Pure-Castile Soap which can famously be used 18 different ways. The product is made with organic and certified fair trade ingredients and is bottled in 100% post-consumer recycled bottles. You can use the soap for everything from shaving, washing and cleaning — it really is a bottle of liquid gold.
There are a number of different Pure-Castile Soap varieties including peppermint, lavender, green tea and unscented. If you’re using the soap for personal use, try to get an unscented or subtly-scented variety as you don’t really want peppermint soap near your eyes when you’re washing your face.
Here are a few ways you can use it in your everyday life:
☆ Face: Use as a gentle face cleanser by applying two to three drops on wet hands.
☆ Body: Squirt a small amount onto a wet washcloth or into your hand and lather up your body in the shower. It can also be used in the bath, simply squirt a small amount into the water as the bath is filling up. Just remember that the product won’t bubble up like bubble bath.
☆ Hair: Yes, you can wash your hair with the stuff. Squirt half a tablespoon into your hand and massage it into wet hair as you would regular shampoo.
☆ Shaving: Dr Bronner’s recommend using 10 drops of soap for face shaving, 3 drops for underarm shaving and half a teaspoon for legs. Drop liquid onto wet hands and lather up the area to be shaved.
☆ Teeth: This soap is gentle enough to be used as a toothpaste if you’re really desperate but it does taste like soap, so do with that what you will. The peppermint style of soap would work best for this purpose.
☆ Foot soak: Dr. Bronner’s recommends using the soap to soak tired and sore feet. Add one and a half teaspoons of soap into a small tub of hot water and let your feet soak for as long as you feel like.
☆ Makeup brushes: You don’t need a fancy brush cleanser to give your makeup brushes a good wash. Simply squirt a tiny amount of soap into your palm, then wet your brush and massage it into the soap on your palm. Once the makeup has run from the brush, give it another rinse and then let it dry.
☆ Dog wash: Get your furry friends in on the fun by using Dr Bronner’s Castile Soap in their next bath. The size of your dog or cat will determine how much soap you need but squirt a little soap into your hand to begin with and add more if needed.
☆ Clear congestion: If you’re feeling a little congested (thanks winter!), popping one tablespoon of Dr Bronner’s Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap in a bowl of hot water is a great congestion killer. Simply pop a towel over your head and the bowl and breathe in the goodness.
☆ Washing up: Squirt a small amount of soap into a sink of water and use to wash dishes or simply pop some soap on a scrubbing brush and wash that way.
☆ Washing clothes: One-third to half a cup of liquid soap can be added to a large load in a normal-sized washing machine.
☆ General cleaner: Squeeze one-quarter of a cup of soap into a spray bottle and fill the rest with water. Then, you can use as a normal spray and wipe cleaner.
☆ Mopping: Squirt a few drops of soap into a mopping bucket filled with hot water and you’re ready to go.
☆ Windows: For streak-free windows, mix one tablespoon of soap into a spray bottle and fill with water. For an even better clean, you can also add in a little vinegar.
☆ Toilet: Mix water and a few squirts of soap in a spray bottle and spray your toilet bowl with the mixture. You can also sprinkle some baking soda on a scrubbing brush and scrub the bowl. Then let it sit for 10 minutes and flush. You’ll be left with a sparkling throne.
☆ Fruit and veggie wash: Washing your fruit and vegetables when you bring them home from the supermarket has never been so important. Fill up your sink with water and add a dash of soap. Dunk your produce in and swish it around, then rinse with water. Dry off the fruit and veggies before popping them in the fridge.
☆ Plant bug spray: This soap can also be used as an insecticide, so you can get rid of bugs from attacking your plants. Pop in a teaspoon of soap into a spray bottle and you can also add in half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or cinnamon for an extra punch.
Simply spray down all your leaves (on top and underneath) to coat your plants in the solution and help make it less attractive to bugs. Don’t use any more soap in the mixture than what is prescribed as too much can burn the plants.
☆ Ant spray: To discourage ants from coming into your kitchen or bathroom, mix up a quarter of a cup of tea tree soap with water in a spray bottle and spray on any trouble spots around the house. You can also spray this directly on ants, but don’t put it on plants as it’s too strong and will burn them.
You can purchase Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soap from the Dr. Bronners website, Nourished Life and Adore Beauty.