Long before I removed soap and shampoo from my own beauty regimen, I had several acquaintances that had been soapless for years. Unfortunately, that was exactly what took me so long to remove soap from the equation. Back then, I thought that not using soap meant only using water and I didn't have any knowledge of alternatives for cleaning the body — castile soap face wash, for example. I began to pay attention in natural, homeopathic stores and to my surprise, myself and some of my closest pals that "couldn't imagine a life without soap" had actually been "soapless" for years by using castile soap in the shower.
Despite having the word in its name, castile soap is not actually soap in the traditional sense. According to sources at Livestrong, this "soap" only has two ingredients — and neither of them are in the standard soaps many of us grew up with. Most often, castile soap contains olive oil and plant ash. Traditional soap has been made with animal fat, because it's much cheaper to produce in large quantities. According to sources at Crunchy Betty, even the humane forms called tallowate, a common soap ingredient, have an unfortunately high pH level of about 9.5 making that soap less than ideal for cleansing. Not to mention that these same soaps seem to have a boatload of extra unfriendly ingredients that many natural bloggers claim to have direct links to cancer, skin conditions, and hormonal changes. Blech.
I'm from the school of thought that a little bit of anything is probably fine. If I'm in a public restroom, I'm definitely washing my hands with whatever harsh soap they have. In some cases, I've wished that public toilet had some bleach I could drench myself in afterwards. However, when we're talking about treating your skin with love on a daily basis, that's where castile soap comes in.
Castile soap is super versatile. This vegetable oil based blend is mild enough for your face and for your dog to enjoy... not that I've met a dog that enjoys being bathed. Sources at Livestrong claim this castile soap is one of the most gentle cleansers on the beauty scene, which means it's superb for acne and sensitive skin.
Bad news to all the folks with castile soap as the only item in their shower: Castile soap is not going to cure anything on its own. No biggie! Castile soap is an excellent base for DIY cleansers and body washes and it's super easy to work with. Check out a few ways you can enhance your castile soap with these recipes below.
DIY Face Wash For Ultra Sensitive Skin
This cleanser really works those toxins out without over-drying or stripping your pretty face of natural oils. Start with one cup of castile soap, then add a half cup of brewed chamomile tea (use two teabags into one cup), and then add six drops of sage essential oil and four drops of lavender tea tree oil. With its natural astringents, anti-inflammatory properties, and antioxidants, this wash is a dope treatment for re-occurring acne. If you already know that your skin is sensitive to tea tree, use a test patch on the inside of your elbow before you introduce this recipe into your regimen.
DIY Face Wash For The Aging Beauty Queen
Yes, yes y'all, castile soap can be a dream base for calming puffy faces and smoothing wrinkles when mixed with the right ingredients — and nature has supplied us with many! Here's how I get down: I start with one cup of castile soap, add a half cup of fresh rose water, one tablespoon of raspberry seed oil (macadamia nut oil is an excellent alternative), and then add about four drops of jasmine essential oil and eight drops of lavender oil. It makes for a lovely cleanser that smells absolutely delicious.
Image: Fireballsedai/Flickr; Giphy
