WHY  CHOOSE  CASTILE  SOAP  FOR  A  HAND  AND/OR  FACIAL  WASH

                                                                                    By: Karin Parker

                                                                                           Essentially For You 

Castile soap is a non-toxic, biodegradable soap - originally made from olive oil from the Castile region of Spain, hence its name. These days although it remains a plant-based soap, it may be crafted from other plants such as coconut, hemp, avocado and others.

It lathers and cleans just like “normal” soap but without all the toxic chemicals. I choose to use Organic Castile Soap from Centaur Packaging to ensure it is truly “clean” – and this one is derived from vegetable and coconut oils.        

I have sensitive skin and am always looking to improve what I use to cleanse and protect it, without irritation. With the latest fad in foaming pump cleansers, I decided here was my opportunity to make the total switch from store bought hand soap and face wash to making my own! Brave, heh?!

Turns out it may have been brave…..but more genius!! I will share my recipe with you below, but first let me share some of the benefits I have learned about using Castile soap as a cleanser!

# Gentle cleansing without chemicals. Castile lathers naturally due to the  compounds within the plant based ingredients.

# Safe for all skin types – it is made from plants!

# It can help with acne-prone, dry, and irritated skin conditions. It cleanses without drying out the skin, and the plant oils help replenish the moisture within the layers of the skin. Naturally, that means getting a deep cleanse, leaving your skin supple, hydrated, and smooth without any oily residue. No more dry, flaky areas.

# Pores are left clean and clear. There’s nothing synthetic added, so your skin can shed their dead cells and dirt, and be left to breathe without anything left behind to clog it up!

RECIPE  FOR  DAILY  FACE & HAND  WASH

• 1 x 450ml PETG Foamer Pump bottle* (Centaur Packaging stocks these and other foamer styles)
• Store bought shells (ensure they are absolutely clean) or even pebbles, if you wish it to look decorative
• 80mls Organic Castile Liquid Soap (Centaur Packaging stocks this)
• 10mls Fractionated Coconut Oil (you choose what your skin needs and loves….other options are jojoba, vitamin E, almond oil, rosehip oils)
• 280mls distilled water

*Note – this foamer pump bottle comes with a C- Clip !!!  Yay!! That means I can pack it in my overnight bag and take it with me and not worry about it leaking!

This recipe for a successful foaming wash is to make your ingredients a 1 part soap to 4 parts water ratio, as closely as possible…..too much soap and the foamer will clog, not enough soap and the foam will be too watery. Also – leave around 15% space in the bottle….the pump has to be added back in, and air is needed to create the foaming action!

Add the shells to the bottle, then the Castile soap, then the added oil of choice, then the distilled water. If you try to add the water first, you will end up with a frothy mess! If you don’t have distilled water, then boil and cool some fresh water. Using distilled water means there are no impurities – I want to avoid adding bacteria to my skin, and be able to keep it until I use it up without adding preservatives.

Now place the pump back on, give it a gentle shake, and it’s ready to use! If you are keen, you could add some pure essential oils to scent it also. I love the after feel…..my skin is soft and conditioned and feels just as it should, balanced.

How pretty does this look in the bathroom?!! I like that I have personalized mine!

TIP: Please don’t add any botanicals or anything that is really small as you will end up clogging your pump!