Castile soap is a useful cleaning and beauty product to have around the house- it can serve so many different purposes. Dr. Brite offers a high-quality cleansing Citrus Castile Soap that can clean, nourish, and protect your skin. Plus, you can use it for cleaning at your home.
However, if you need castile soap right now or enjoy making your own products to use, it is nice to know that castile soaps can be made easily. If you want to try a new DIY, then be sure to read this guide on the best practices for making castile soap.
We are going to cover everything that you need to know, so let us begin!
Finding a Castile Soap Recipe
Castile soap is traditionally made from olive oil, however, you will need to use more oils to make your soap. That is if you want it to be good for cleaning and as a beauty product. Pure castile soap is 100% olive oil, which might not work well for you.
You will want to find a castile soap recipe that uses more than just olive oil in its ingredients. Coconut oil, water, lye, and castor oil are all great ingredients to choose from. They make a soap that foams up nicely and smells great.
Castile soap can be used for many different things- face wash, surface cleaner, and laundry soap are just a few of the more popular uses. When making your soap, you will want to consider what you plan on using it for, this might change the ingredients you use. Or, you could make your soap with it being a multi-purpose tool in mind.
If you are looking for a way to reliably disinfect the surfaces in your home, Dr. Brite has a variety pack that includes citrus castile soap and alcohol wipes. That way, you can be sure that all the surfaces in your home are completely clean.
Do You Want a Bar or Liquid Soap?
This is another important aspect to consider when picking out a recipe. As long as you know what you want beforehand, you can use the best soap making practices to create your goal.
Bar castile soaps are generally better for washing yourself than your home. They can also be cut up and used as a laundry soap. Liquid soaps typically can be used for anything well- cleansing you or your home.
As long as you know what you want, then you should be able to sort through online recipes much easier.
Best Castile Soap Making Safety Practices
When making soap, you will also want to ensure that you are being as safe as possible. There are some ingredients, such as lye (also called sodium hydroxide), that you do not want to get on your skin.
You will want to practice some safety guidelines when using that ingredient, as it is caustic- meaning that it can burn you. Be sure that you wear goggles, rubber gloves, and that your skin is covered with long sleeves and pants. It is better to wash lye off your clothes than your skin!
You will also want to be sure that you keep your gloves on until the soap comes out of the mold. That is when it is done processing and the soap is safe to use.
If you do happen to get lye on you, calmly rinse it off with white vinegar, and wash your skin with soap afterward. White vinegar is acid so that it neutralizes the lye. If you are having children help, be sure to stay alert and give them gloves and goggles too.
What to NEVER Mix With Castile Soap
Due to the basic nature of a lot of ingredients in castile soap, you will want to avoid mixing it with many acidic ingredients, since they will cancel each other out.
One of the most common mistakes that people make is mixing Epsom salt into their castile soap bars. This removes the benefit that you would get from both ingredients separately.
Vinegar is another common ingredient that should not be added to your soap mixture. Vinegar causes the soap to stay in oil form so that it never solidifies. Lemon juice will have the same effect as vinegar.
When it comes to these ingredients, they still do offer benefits with cleansing. You will just want to use them afterward- never mix them into your soap if you want them to work properly.
The Difference Between Hot and Cold Processes
Before you make your soap, you will want to choose between a hot or cold proces. This can determine how long it takes to make and how your soap turns out. Do you know the differences?
Hot process soap is thicker when poured into the mold. It has a more classic look when cooled and can be used right away.
Cold process soap can take weeks until it is in a state where it can be used. The longer that you wait, the longer that your bar will last. This is because there is more time for water to evaporate out of the soap bar.
Many people choose the cold process for the way that the soap looks. You can make designs and do all sorts of fun designs with this method.
When using the hot process, you will want to be sure not to stir the pot too much. This can result in air bubbles getting trapped inside of the soap bars, making them not as solid and durable as a result.
How to Cook the Soap
When using the hot process, you will want to know the best practices for “cooking” your soap. This is usually done in a crockpot so that the soap mixture does not get too hot too quickly.
First, set your crockpot to high and let it heat up for 10 minutes. After that, you can turn it down. Only stir your soap when you see the edges spreading up the sides of your pot. You can pour it out when the soap is being translucent or changing textures.
You can do this little test too, to see if your soap is done. Stir it quickly and see if any oil separates from the thicker mixture. If you see any oil, then you will want to let it sit for a little bit longer. Then, you can add your scents, mix, and pour into a mold.
While the hot process does not take as long as cold, you will still want to pay attention to what your castile soap mixture is doing. This will allow you to create a nice looking and effective soap on the first attempt.
Conclusion
When making castile soap, you will want to ensure your safety first. As long as you do that, you can focus on making your soap recipe. Many people enjoy creating their own designs and scents, it will be exciting to see what you come up with.
If you want a lot of castile soap, but do not have the time to make your own, Dr. Brite has got you covered with our gallon container of Citrus Castile Soap. It offers all of the same benefits as the smaller containers but gives you the soap in bulk.
Be sure to reach out to us if you have any questions about our castile soap products. We would love to help you find something useful.
FAQs
1. What ingredients should be in castile soap?
Castile soap contains water, organic coconut oil, potassium hydroxide, organic palm kernel oil, organic olive oil, lavender extract, organic hemp oil, organic jojoba oil, citric acid, and tocopherol.
2. Why you shouldn't use castile soap?
Although castile soap is an effective pesticide, it is important not to overuse it on your plants. In addition to damaging a plant's natural protective, waxy layer, spraying too much castile soap directly on your plants might make them more susceptible to diseases or even burn.
3. What is the difference between castile soap and regular soap?
Castile soap is the same as ordinary soap, except that it is significantly more eco-friendly. It is made with vegetable oils rather than animal fats, such as olive oil, and is hence called vegan soap. With Bronner's soaps, you get rich lather and gentle skin care in one.
4. Is dawn the same as castile soap?
Despite being a vegetable product (mainly) - castile soap is distinguished by the addition of olive oil - detergents contain a variety of harmful chemicals, including those that may cause cancer. Even though the amount necessary is minimal, it must be applied at an uncomfortably high level in the food chain. David Wolfe makes a special mention of Dawn.
5. How long does homemade Castile soap last?
Castile soap typically has a shelf life of three years. Check the expiration date before using. Your soap's shelf life is affected by how you store it. Liquid soaps, for example, if not well sealed and stored in a shower, are more likely to be contaminated.
Sources:
https://globalhandwashing.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04
https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-castile-soap
