Liquid Castile Soap

Introduction

Needless to say that survival food and water supplies are something we cannot live without, even in normal life, let alone survival situations. One’s ability to adjust to the situation and demonstrate well-developed survival skills is the way to maximize survival chances. What also matters is the proper survival gear one has in a survival bag. Also, one has to be able to use it properly for the best results. Another essential thing for long-term survival is substantial food storage, unavoidable for successful homesteading.

But on top of that is knowledge and skills, of course! Hygiene, for one, is crucial. But how to keep it at the right level during survival? Find it out reading our article!

To the point

Making DIY soaps can be a great hobby that can save your money, as almost all brands drive up prices without any reason. If chemistry was one of your favorite subjects at school, this hobby could become exciting for you. We tested several recipes of different soaps and upgraded them to receive the best texture and design. One of our subjects of interest was castile soap.

High-quality castile soap in a shop is around $14 per quart, while the ingredients are much cheaper. That is why we will tell you how to make a liquid castile soap by yourself for less than $2 for two quarts in this review.

Castile Soap Description

The specific feature of the castile soap is the origin of its ingredients — all components of the soap are natural. For instance, mostly all soaps presented in supermarkets today include chemicals and animal fat. Castile soap does not contain these mixtures but only plant oil such as olive oil or coconut. It means that castile soap is gentle to your skin and nature as it is eco-friendly and biodegradable.

Organic oils help to avoid drying the skin but, on the contrary, moisturizes it. However, producers of the castile soap set high prices for it because of the benefits described above. That is why some products of Dr. Bronner’s brand are so expensive. For example, they present various types of castile soap different in fragrances, such as Peppermint or rose. The average cost of 32 ounces of this soap is equal to $14 that is extremely expensive for the usual castile soap. They offer a bar soap for $4, but you can decrease the cost by making it yourself.

One more worthy soap brand

Another popular brand that produces castile soap is Kirk. They have been engaged in producing different kinds of soaps and washing means — for washing machines, too —since 1839, so now they have a trustable reputation on the market.

Here are the ingredients of the liquid castile soap of this brand:

• Coconut soap;
• Water;
• Glycerin;
• Coconut oil;
• Organic Fragrance.

If your skin is sensitive to fragrances, there is an option of castile soap without scent. Check the content and price of Kirk’s castile soap here.

Castile Soap Best Recipe

The recipe of the perfect and the cheapest version of the liquid pure castile soap is easy to repeat. Here are ingredients and instruments you need to prepare before making liquid soap:

• Bar of castile soap;
• Eight cups of hot water;
• Grater;
• Two quarts pot or bowl.

When you get all the products and equipment, you can start creating a liquid castile soap.

1. Cut the bar of castile soap into small parts with a knife (serrated knife will do) or vegetable grater. The soap is usually soft, so you do not need to use an electronic blender for this task.
2. Boil two quarts of water and pour it into the prepared pot or bowl. It is better to use distilled water if you have hard water in your house.
3. Add crushed castile soap to the pot and wait for one hour. This time, soap will fully dissolve in the water, and all the liquid will become soapy.
4. Transfuse the finished soap into several jars or containers to use in the future.

Make sure that you store the liquid in a warm place, as the soap can become harder in time if the temperature is cold. If the soap in containers becomes hard, you can warm it under the stream of hot water.

Also important

By the way, we noticed that the liquid was more concentrated when we used a grater instead of a knife to grind the soap. Probably, the usage of a grater for cutting allows the soap to dissolve in the water fully. Besides, you can estimate the number of ingredients you need with a special soap calculator online to ensure that the concentration of castile soap will be normal.

Another interesting fact about castile soap is that it does not produce a big amount of foam. So, do not expect your DIY liquid castile soap to foaming a lot because it is made of only organic products such as coconut oil and fragrance oils. The main component of hand soap or other liquid soaps that creates foam is sodium lauryl sulfates. If you want to keep soap friendly for sensitive skin, you cannot make it foaming a lot because of the lack of foaming agents.

Despite the lack of suds, this DIY liquid castile soap is effective for washing and does not make the skin oily after application.

Aroma Castile Soap

You can add part of creativity to the process of making DIY liquid Castile soaps with a carrier oil or essential oils. You can replicate Dr. Bronner’s soap mixing different essential oils and adding fragrances. All you need for this is 1/4 teaspoon of essential oil with a scent you like, a soap base, and some water.

We improvised and created one of the best soaps with saponifying oils on the market:

• Lavender;
• Tea Tree;
• Peppermint;
• Orange.

Engage your imagination in the procedure and make soaps with new fragrances.

If you want to add essential oils to the soap, you should follow this algorithm of castile soap creation:

1. Mix three TBL of the pure Castile liquid soap, one liter of water to dilute concentrated liquid, and 1/4 teaspoon of essential oil.
2. Pour the mixture into the bottle and shake it until the total dissolution of components.
3. Divide the liquid into several parts and pour it into containers for usage.

By the way, you can buy spray bottles for this purpose as they are convenient in using liquid soap.

Application of Liquid Castile Soap

You cannot imagine how helpful is castile soap at home as it can replace laundry detergent or dish soap. Here is the list of possible ways to use it:

1. Washing hands. If you put liquid castile soap to spray bottles instead of pump ones, you can use it as an antibacterial liquid. Add Tea Tree essential oil as it works as a sanitizer.
2. Body wash. Put some liquid castile soap on washcloths and use it like usual shower gel. Adding some extra oils to the soap will moisturize your skin and create pleasant feelings after the shower.
3. Cleaning house. Choose your favorite essential oils and wash surfaces at your home with the soap with these fragrances. It will leave a nice scent in the room and make it completely clear. Moreover, soap with orange oil is one of the best cleaners for greasy objects because of the components of orange peels.
4. Facial skin cleaner. The benefits of the natural ingredients in castile soap help clean makeup from the face better than some personal care cleansers. You can put several drops of the soap into a microfiber napkin and remove particles of makeup from your face.
5. Toothpaste. It is not the main way to apply castile soap, but it can work as toothpaste. You can use peppermint soap and take care of your teeth in the same way like you do with usual toothpaste.

Some other applications

1. Cleaning of glass things. DIY castile soap works great as a cleaner for mirrors and windows. You will not see any streaks on the glass if you apply liquid castile soap.
2. Cleaning eyeglasses. Castile soap is harmless for lenses, and that is why it can be a good option for eyeglasses cleaning. However, do not do this if you add vinegar to the liquid.
3. Shampoo for dogs. Just spray the soap on the wet dog hair and distribute it to the whole body. Dog hair will scent good after such a shower.
4. Cleaning shoes. Castile soap can renew your pair of shoes before the new season. Put soap on a shoe and scrub it — pair of shoes will look like new ones.
5. Dust cleaning. You can spray the soap regularly to get rid of dust in your house. It works even for TV and laptop screens.
6. Fruits and vegetable cleaning. Prepare food before eating by removing pesticides with castile soap.
7. Cleaning make-up brushes. You can spray castile soap to the brushes after every usage and just remove it with a cloth. Bristles will keep the shape and stay soft.

There is one more way to apply liquid castile soap, but we have not used it. You can increase the cleaning power of the liquid by adding baking soda to it. You can use this scrub as dish soap, and it will remove even the toughest dirt.

Summary

As you have already seen, liquid castile soap is highly useful at home. If you like to keep your place clean, this soap can become an essential part of your stocks. It is not easy to find Kirk’s soap as a soap base at the shops today, but you can explore stores around you or order it online. The price for DIY castile soap justifies the time you spent on its preparation as it is much cheaper than Dr. Bronner’s one. So, experiment with oils and fragrances and create a custom liquid soap by yourself. It will be the only soap you need as it has a dozen ways for application.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do you make liquid castile soap?

You need only a few ingredients to make a liquid soap based on a bar of Castile. Take water, a bar of soap, and essential oil with a scent you like more. Cut soap and add it to water. Liquid soap will be ready in one hour.

Why is castile soap bad for you?

Castile soap is one of the safest things for cleaning because it is olive or coconut oil without synthetic preservatives. The only case when it can be dangerous to use is spraying plants. Castile soap can destroy the natural coat of the leaves, and you will lose the plant.

What’s so special about castile soap?

Castile liquid soap is practical for both personal care and cleaning. It is environmentally friendly and gentle to sensitive skin. You can be sure that this soap will not influence the condition of your skin as it is an organic soap that does not contain harsh chemicals.

Is castile soap the same as liquid soap?

Castile soap is different from usual liquid soap because of the ingredients it includes. Castile liquid is considered the best soap because it contains only plant oils such as organic coconut oil, olive oil, or jojoba oil. Usual liquid soap is made of animal fats that are not so friendly for your