Recipe for castile soap from scratch in a hot way. Do-it-yourself liquid castile soap: recipes, cooking method Which decoctions are best for castile soap

Castile soap is a cosmetic product made entirely from natural ingredients. For the first time it began to be produced in the Spanish region of Castile, from where it got its name. Initially, such soap was made only with olive oil, today various natural oils (shea, coconut, palm, tea tree, olive) can serve as the basis for the product. Combinations of 2, 3 oils are often used.

The special advantages of Castile soap include its environmental friendliness - the cosmetic product quickly decomposes, does not contain chemical elements that pollute the environment. The product has good soaping properties, the ability to clean and at the same time soften, nourish, moisturize the skin and hair.

Based on the method of manufacture, the cosmetic product is divided into two types: soft and hard. The soft type of soap has a pronounced aroma, is velvety to the touch. You can also distinguish its liquid and semi-solid form. This type of Castile soap is made in a hot way, in which the soap mass is subjected to heat treatment (soap making). The method allows you to save all the characteristics of essential oils used in the manufacture of the product.
Solid soap is smoother to the touch, has a less pronounced, but specific smell. The essential oils in it evaporate during the exposure time necessary for the formation of soap (6-10 months). A solid cosmetic product is made in a cold way.

What is real castile soap?

So, what is real Castile soap? You can recognize it, first of all, by its composition. It is 90% natural oil. If the percentage indicated in the composition is lower, then in any case it is a fake.

To date, in the manufacture of the product, proven premium ingredients are additionally used - useful amino acids, vitamins, various essential oils.

Real Castile soap lathers slightly when used, has a specific aroma, and in no case does not dry the skin.

Regardless of the method of manufacture, it is advised to store the cosmetic product in a soap dish that does not accumulate water, since with an abundance of water the product can get wet and turn into a mushy mass that is inconvenient for use.

Also, an indirect sign of the product is its price, which is quite high among other products for regular skin care. However, the cost fully justifies the high-quality, natural components in the composition of this product.

Important! After applying castile soap, you can not use additional skin care products. The product is almost 100% composed of oils of vegetable origin, which allows not only to clean the skin with high quality, but at the same time moisturize, nourish, saturate them with useful substances.

Useful properties of the product

Useful characteristics of the product are mostly associated with the main component in its composition - natural cold-pressed oil. Types of oils are used that have a special healing, moisturizing, nourishing effect on the skin, and in some cases, hair.

Among the most common bases are olive, shea, coconut, tea tree, and palm oils. Sometimes these are refined oils, more pleasant, softer for a cosmetic product. Often the basis of soap is unrefined, which contains a greater amount of useful substances.

The wonderful effect of using natural oils to preserve the beauty of skin and hair was noted in ancient times, when the inhabitants of Ancient Greece, Egypt, and India used them in many recipes. Due to their beneficial properties, these oils are a very common component of various natural cosmetics at the present time.

Natural oils contain a whole range of useful substances:

• base - vegetable fat (from 70 to 85%);
• vitamins (A, K, B, D, E);
• trace elements (calcium, iron, copper);
• fatty acids, phospholipids, phosphatides.

All substances in the composition of the product perfectly nourish and moisturize, soften the epidermis, improve metabolic processes, help to effectively deal with irritation of the skin, accelerating their healing. Natural oils are often used in cosmetics to care for dry and sensitive skin, as well as as an anti-aging agent, preventing the natural aging process.

Castile soap is ideal for especially delicate skin around the eyes. The product allows you to effectively clean it, while not overdrying, but moisturizing and nourishing the epidermis.

We should not forget about the beneficial effects of vegetable oils for hair - they prevent hair loss, nourishing the hair follicles, speeding up metabolic processes in the scalp, and also moisturize and saturate the shaft of each hair along the entire length.

Vegetable oils also have negative aspects - when used frequently on their own, or in the form of creams, they can form a greasy film on the skin, hindering its cellular respiration, clogging the sebaceous glands. Therefore, natural oils should be used with caution in oily and combination skin types, at a young age.
However, this negative effect does not occur when using castile soap. Exactly as much active substance as necessary gets on the skin, and the rest is washed off with water. This makes the product an excellent option for daily care.

What is soap used for?

The variety of forms of production of the product makes it the best tool for use in various areas of body care:

• Hand soap. The tool perfectly cares for hands, cleaning from dirt and bacteria. This prevents dryness, irritation, the skin is actively moisturized;
• Shower gel. Castile soap in liquid form is a good option for washing your body. It does not actively lather, but does not disturb the fat balance of the epidermis, cleanses dirt as well as artificial soap products, actively nourishes and moisturizes the skin due to the presence of oils in its natural form.
• Shampoo. Liquid cosmetic can be used to wash your hair. It can be used in finished form, or you can enhance the effect by mixing with other natural ingredients. The following recipe is especially effective: 6 tbsp. l. castile soap, half 1 tsp. coconut oil, 5 tbsp. l. coconut milk. This mixture is suitable for regular use and can be stored in a cool place until used up.
• Gel for the child's body. Free from harmful chemicals and preservatives, Castile soap is great for delicate baby skin from a very young age. The tool allows you to gently cleanse the skin of the baby, providing a softening and nourishing effect.

How to choose and buy real Castile soap: detailed instructions

Have you decided to treat yourself to a high-quality, natural product and are wondering where it is better to buy real Castile soap? You need to pay attention to serious online stores that have been offering proven products for a long time and have earned the trust of many buyers.

The largest site selling exclusively natural, high-quality products is iHerb. The online store works with manufacturers who have been engaged in the production of natural cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and vitamins for many years.

In order not to get lost in the variety of products, to choose the best option for yourself, you should familiarize yourself with the most popular products of the Castile Soap line according to customer reviews.

D.R. Woods, Tea Tree Castile Soap, 32 fl oz (946 ml)

The brand offers a 100% natural product. The product is produced in liquid form.

The active substance of the product is tea tree oil, which has strong antibacterial properties, which helps prevent the appearance of acne and skin rashes. The cosmetic product contains vitamin E (the strongest antioxidant that protects the skin), olive and coconut oils, which qualitatively nourish and moisturize the skin. The ideal combination of substances allows the product to be used for cleansing, moisturizing the face, body and hair.

Overview of reviews

A lot of positive reviews relate to the versatility of the product: buyers were not only able to get rid of skin and hair problems, but also use the remedy for household needs:

“I have a very oily face, I had to clean it up to 4-5 hours. The tool allows you to clean your face in 1 time, while not overdrying, without tightening it. I also use it as a shampoo, for washing my body, shaving, washing clothes, dishes, floors. And it's all in one bottle!

“I use soap to wash my hands, wash dishes, clean the sink, toilet, bathroom, etc. This remedy does not harm the environment or the body, it is of natural origin because it contains natural tea tree oil. The product takes a very long time, because for most purposes it is best to dilute the soap with water (otherwise it is difficult to wash off).”

“I use this tea tree oil soap instead of artificial antibacterials. Works great. I dilute it with water to lower the concentration and prolong the use, and even then it still cleans better than the regular liquid soaps I used to buy.

Kirk'S, Original Coco Castile Soap, 3 Bars, 4 oz (113 g) Each

The brand, which has been creating natural products for the beauty and health of the skin for almost 200 years, has created another cosmetic masterpiece - Castile coconut oil soap. Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, regenerating properties, deeply moisturizes, significantly rejuvenates the skin. The effectiveness of the product is confirmed by a large number of positive reviews. Here is some of them:

“This soap has a pleasant natural scent and lathers very well, even better than products with synthetic ingredients such as sodium sulfate. I like that the product has a minimum of ingredients, and the price is affordable.”

“I want to tell you my story about this excellent white soap. The tool is just amazing! I use it for everything, even washing dishes. This is the only soap free of carcinogenic chemicals that I have found. Super!"

"I have really, really dry skin and this is the only soap I've been able to use without the subsequent tightness and itching."

“I use the product as a homemade laundry soap - the effect is amazing!!! Clothes are clean and have a slight fragrance. The soap does not irritate my super sensitive skin and is also gentle enough for my baby's bath!”

Madre Labs, Castile Mint, Soap, Vegan, 5 oz (141 g)

The product, created by the manufacturer, consists of palm, coconut oils, with the addition of mint essential oil. The composition of the cosmetic product has a soothing effect on the skin, while cooling and nourishing it. The mint present in the cosmetic product has pronounced tonic characteristics, which allows the face to look fresh, toned and smooth.

Coconut and palm oils provide gentle care, moisturize and saturate the epidermis and hair with many useful substances. Using the product allows you to achieve the perfect balance: it eliminates both excessive dryness and excess oiliness. The product prevents irritation, rashes on the skin, gently cleansing and moisturizing them.

Customers were satisfied with the pleasant smell and effectiveness of the product. Here are some of the customer reviews:

“I am an older woman who still suffers from oily skin. And my 25 year old daughter still struggles with acne. In addition, I am allergic and suffer from skin rashes.

After a week of use, my hands were clean, my face was normal (grease gone!) and clean, and my daughter's acne was gone! We will always buy this soap from now on! By the way, the smell is also very pleasant.

“As a person who loves mint, I really liked the smell of soap! This is a great moisturizer, I use it not only for washing, but also for showering, after which my skin becomes hydrated!”

“Smells great and super hydrating.”

“Great soap without any harmful ingredients. The skin does not dry out.

“My skin is very dry in winter, and this remedy solves this problem. The soap is used for a long time and has a pleasant fresh aroma. My husband loves it too!”

Give your skin softness, tenderness and beauty with Castile soap. 100% composition of the product will not only qualitatively cleanse the skin without the slightest irritation and tightness, moisturize them, saturate them with useful substances. An added bonus is that you can use the product as a hair shampoo and even as a natural household cleanser.

Hello, my darlings!

Tell me, how do you choose your soap? What criteria are important to you?

I always take quite seriously what I wash my hands and body with, what I use in everyday life for washing, washing, etc.

And my criteria for today are the exceptional naturalness of such products, their effectiveness, and safety.

Well, and, of course, soap should be comfortable and easy to use, have a pleasant smell, pleasant texture, etc.

I tried a lot of things, and I stopped my choice on Castile soap.

This is what I want to tell you today, namely: what kind of soap is it, how to use it and much more.

I have been using this soap for a long time, and, you know, I don’t want to change it for another, it suits me in everything, more than suits me.

It is this tool that I use now, during my.

From this article you will learn:

Castile soap - useful properties and methods of application

Castile soap is the Aristocratic Luxury of the Middle Ages.

Yes, yes, my dear, exactly like that and without exaggeration! Try it and you will think so too, I'm sure! ☺

Castile soap has long been (and deservedly so) considered "the king of all types of soaps" that only exist in this world.

It was named after the region in Spain - Castile, where it was first brewed.

The softest and most gentle on the skin, which can only be found, expensive in its production. Soap that was always unavailable to us before.

And even now, real Castile soap is not always available for sale, especially considering that there are a catastrophic number of fakes of this soap!

Castile soap in the Middle Ages was worth its weight in gold, its cost was exorbitantly high, and, of course, it was available exclusively to "people from high society", that is, to aristocrats.

Then this soap was completely undeservedly forgotten.

And recently, recipes for its preparation have begun to revive, and we have the opportunity to purchase Castile soap, use it and enjoy its wonderful quality, aroma and effectiveness.

Castile soap is absolutely natural, has a lot of useful properties, besides, it is very multifunctional and can replace not only hand soap.

It can be used as a hair wash, body wash, shower gel, cleanser and more!

Which soap has the exclusive right to be called Real Castile Soap?

The answer is simple - only one that is 100% natural and brewed with 90% extra virgin olive oil.

The remaining 10% of the oils that make up its composition are, most often, either coconut oil or castor oil, which further enriches castile soap with its beneficial properties.

What is the secret behind the unique properties of Real Castile Soap?

It is that its main component is Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is unique in itself.

We all know that different vegetable oils contain different fatty acids in their composition, which are also very different in their effect on the skin.

Any knowledgeable cosmetologist will tell you that the more oleic acid in vegetable oil, the better it is able to moisturize, nourish and soften your skin, and soap, in which there is a lot of such high-quality vegetable oil, will be the best and softest for your skin.

Many vegetable oils contain oleic acid: almond oil, grape seed oil, etc.

But the real "champion" in the content of this acid is the first cold pressing. It contains 85% -90% oleic acid!

For this very reason, absolutely all soaps made from any other vegetable oils “lose” Castile soap in their softness and tenderness, in their usefulness for our skin.

And the second reason for the uniqueness of Castile soap is the presence of a very valuable non-saponifiable fraction in Extra Virgin olive oil.

What it is?

These are useful substances such as vitamins and antioxidants that can actively stimulate the regeneration of our skin, as well as many other useful substances that are dissolved in extra virgin olive oil.

That is why a soap that is brewed from refined olive oil will NOT at all have the qualities and effectiveness that will be made exclusively from unrefined extra virgin olive oil.

What are the benefits of using castile soap?

As for me personally, girls, it is very convenient that this soap is available both in liquid form and in solid form.

I love the liquid version, because it is more convenient to use it, there are a lot of options.

Ways to use castile soap for personal care and at home:

• Hand soap

I have been using this hand soap for over a year now. Honestly? Super! ☺

Well, it does not dry the skin at all and just perfectly cleanses it of dirt. And also one of its properties is an excellent antibacterial effect.

I would never use antibacterial soaps, especially those containing triclosan.

This is very dangerous for health and such soap, I think, should not be in the house!

• Dishwashing liquid.

I pay quite a lot of attention not only to what I put on my skin, but also to what I wash the dishes with, after all, all dishwashing detergents end up inside us.

All modern dishwashing detergents contain many dangerous toxic substances that are not actually washed off the dishes, but remain on its surface.

And then, along with food, they enter our body, causing serious health problems.

And real Castile soap, as I wrote above, is 100% natural, so it, like no other soap, is perfect as a dishwashing detergent.

From personal experience, girls, I’ll say that it copes with fat just “one-two-three”, and no problems! ☺

• For washing clothes

Do you want to wash with eco-friendly powder of your own preparation, without any chemicals and artificial flavors?

Please, here is the recipe for you:

• castile soap (1 cup)
• soda (1 cup)
• sea ​​salt (0.5 cups),
• water (2 glasses),
• 10 drops.

How to cook:

1. Dissolve baking soda and salt in warm water
2. pour this mixture into a suitable container,
3. add castile soap and your favorite essential oils,
4. Close the container and shake very carefully.

How to use?

Very simple: you can pour this product into the powder compartment in the washing machine. Can be washed by hand.

This amount is enough for a long time, everything is washed off perfectly, I personally have never had problems with this recipe, try it, girls!

• For dishwasher.

I don't buy synthetic dishwasher detergents. They are dangerous, and they are expensive.

My recipe is this:

• castile soap (1 cup)
• water (1 glass),
• essential oils (20 drops).

How to cook:

1. mix all the components together in some container (container) convenient for you,
2. shake thoroughly.

How to store: I store in an old castile soap bottle, very handy.

How to use: Pour one tablespoon of the product into the open window of the dishwasher, and a couple of tablespoons of ordinary white table vinegar into the closed window.

It washes dishes perfectly, cleans them, and even glassware then looks clean, shiny, no “turbidity” and streaks!

• Bathtub cleaning, toilet cleaning.

Here is my recipe:

• Mix 1/3 cup castile soap and 2/3 cup water in a spray bottle
• you can add essential oils of a pleasant aroma to you,
• shake.

How I use it: I apply baking soda to the surface to be cleaned, then spray the mixture of soap and water on top, scrub thoroughly and rinse. Everything!

It cleans everything perfectly, easily cleans dirty deposits, easily and simply, and most importantly - absolutely environmentally friendly and safe!

• Like hair shampoo.

If you wash your hair with Castile soap in quality, then this is just a great option for those who care about the health and beauty of their hair.

Castile soap, as a shampoo, can be used just like that, or you can prepare more nourishing mask-mixtures based on it, adding the ingredients you need to your hair type to the finished soap.

Here is one of my recipes for such a "Castilian mask":

• castile soap,
• coconut milk,

I don’t write proportions, so they are different for me every time, everything is “by eye”. You choose your best proportions. Experiment a little and decide, it's easy!

• Like shower gel.

There is nothing to invent here, just take liquid Castile soap and use it as a shower gel straight from the bottle, enjoying its aroma and then - the most delicate and fragrant skin of the body.

• For washing floors.

Add a dash of castile soap to a bucket of floor water. Perfectly launders both linoleum, and ceramic floor tiles, and even wooden laminate, no streaks, one cleanliness!

• Like pet shampoo.

It's convenient, safe and simple. Better than any so-called "special pet shampoo".

• For washing vegetables and fruits.

In order to thoroughly wash the surface of fruits and vegetables from "chemistry", you just need to add quite a bit of castile soap to the water, stir, and wash your fruits and vegetables with this composition. Then rinse with running water and that's it. Simply and easily.

• As a baby bath

For washing your beloved baby, castile soap for children is the best. What can you think of. Soft, gentle, caring, completely natural and safe. What can be done better?

Where to buy real castile soap?

Personally, by trial and error, I found for myself what I currently consider to be the best Castile soap in terms of price-quality ratio.

This soap is from the manufacturer of the brand Dr. woods».

I love this soap with lavender (great for relaxation), I take almond soap for the skin (I also use it as a hair shampoo).

There is a wonderful soap with mint, a series with oils (especially cool, as for me, this is a series with shea butter, super nutritious!).

This company is quite well-known, has existed for a long time, the quality is 100% guaranteed. And I convinced myself of this!

I tried many other Castile soaps of this brand, and was satisfied with absolutely all of them, therefore, as they say, “with a clear conscience” I can advise you

How to distinguish real Castile soap from a fake?

A very important point, girls, since there are just a lot of counterfeits of Castile soap now!

Well, firstly, for me personally, the guarantee of real quality is that I buy my soap exclusively in the ihearb store. This in itself is a solid guarantee.

And if you take it elsewhere, then pay attention to this:

1. If the manufacturer writes something “indistinct” on the packaging about what EXACTLY the olive oil is in the composition (refined or unrefined), and also does not indicate the EXACT percentage of oil, then most likely it is not “castile”, girls ... Down with such a purchase.
2. If the soap is super-white. In the case of REAL Castile soap, this is not possible. Real Castilian always has some shade of cream. It needs to be known.
3. If the soap is very easy to lather, while the foam with large bubbles. Real Castile soap does not lather immediately, unlike other soaps. And the foam itself is, you know, sort of “creamy” and rather slippery in feel.
4. If the castile soap in the solid version (piece) has a strong smell of synthetic flavors. Well, there are no comments, as they say ...

That's all for today.

So, if you have never tried using Castile soap, then try it, I recommend it from the bottom of my heart, you will definitely be satisfied!

And, if you used this "Castilian miracle", then tell us how you use it? Do you have any "secrets"? Very interesting!

Bye bye everyone, see you soon!

The luxury of the medieval aristocracy in our bathroom

Castile soap is the "king" of all toilet soaps. It is still extremely rare to see it for sale. It is the softest and most gentle on the skin, very expensive to manufacture, rather capricious to use, completely inaccessible to us before and extremely rarely available for sale now ...

All this is Castile soap, which was valued almost worth its weight in gold in the Middle Ages and undeservedly forgotten later, during the period of fascination with cheap "chemistry" in cosmetics. It is only now that the most effective of the old recipes for natural cosmetics are beginning to be revived, and Castile soap occasionally appears on the market. And, as often happens, a product covered in legends and unique in its effectiveness becomes the subject of falsification.

So what kind of soap has the right to be called Real Castile?

Only one - natural soap, brewed with 90% extra virgin olive oil (first cold pressed). The remaining 10% of the oils are most often coconut or castor oils to give the soap at least some hardness and improve foaming.

If the manufacturer writes that his soap has "a lot" of olive oil, or it is brewed with the addition of a "good portion" of olive oil, or "enriched" with it - this is not Castile. If the soap is made from refined olive oil (even with a high content of it) - this is not Castile and you will not wait for the effect on the skin that is characteristic of real Castile.

What is the reason for the unique properties of the Real Castile?

First of all, in the unique composition of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. From the school chemistry course, we know that different vegetable oils contain different fatty acids. And the effect of these fatty acids on the skin is also very different. It has long been known in cosmetology that the more oleic acid in vegetable oil, the better it moisturizes and softens the skin, and the softer the soap made from such oil is for the skin.

Many vegetable oils contain oleic acid (almond, grape seed, etc.). But the champion is olive - it contains 85% oleic! Therefore, soaps made from any other vegetable oils lose to Castile in terms of softness on the skin.

The second reason is the presence of a very valuable so-called "unsaponifiable fraction" in unrefined olive oil. These are useful substances (vitamins, antioxidants, substances that stimulate skin regeneration, etc.), which are dissolved in oil, giving it a yellow-green color and a characteristic smell. It is they, and not just the composition of fatty acids, that are "responsible" for the lion's share of the benefits of olive oil, which we have been told about since childhood. Therefore, soap brewed from refined olive oil will have the necessary softness, but will be deprived of the benefits of substances of the valuable unsaponifiable fraction.

Pros and Cons of Castile Soap.

It seems, what are the disadvantages of soap, which was once worth its weight in gold? In fact, it is unrefined olive oil that is responsible for the "cons" of Castile soap, which industrial surfactant soaps are deprived of.

The first is the price. The wholesale price of extra virgin olive oil is 2-2.5 times higher than coconut and palm oils (common raw materials for making natural handmade soap) and 6-7 times more expensive than refined animal fats (the main raw material for making premium industrial toilet soap).

The second disadvantage is the lack of hardness. Unfortunately, it is the high content of oleic acid that makes Castile soap quite soft initially and very prone to soaking in the soap dish. All natural soaps soak much more than industrial surfactant soaps, and Castile generally begins to behave indecently, turning into a slimy mass. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to store Castile in a soap dish with holes to drain the water and, if possible, to dry between uses.

The third minus is color, smell and weak foam. Since unrefined olive oil has a pronounced yellow-green color and a characteristic smell, these properties cannot disappear without a trace when soap is cooked. Castile soap without any additives already has a yellowish-olive color and a characteristic smell that some people like and others don't. All essential oils and fragrances added to Castile are superimposed on this original smell and change noticeably. In addition, Castile soap lathers quite a bit even in warm water and produces a very fine "creamy" lather.

How to distinguish Real Castilian from falsification?

After conducting a chemical analysis for the content of salts of various fatty acids, if 85% or more of them is oleic, then the soap is 90% from olive oil J)

Of course, only the above analysis will guarantee that the soap is 90% brewed from olive oil. But there are several characteristic features that will help, at a minimum, to distinguish a clear falsification.

In what cases can you be sure that this is not Castile?

1 - if the soap is snow-white, this color cannot be achieved from Castile, even if white pigment is added to it - titanium dioxide.

2 - if the soap lathers easily and foam with large bubbles appears.

Having washed at least once with real Castile, you will not confuse its foam with anything - it does not appear immediately, but if you intensively “wash” a piece, a very characteristic fine “creamy” and “slippery” foam appears on your hands.

3 - if the soap is solid, but at the same time has a pronounced smell of essential oils or fragrances.

Castile soap can only be hard when cold-processed, but in this case it must “mature” for at least 6 months, and preferably 8-10 months. During this period, any essential oils have time to almost completely evaporate. If the castile was made hot, then the essential oils and flavors will be preserved, but the soap becomes solid only after a few days of use.

Soap making is a fairly unusual hobby that has gained popularity not so long ago, largely due to the growing popularity of natural cosmetics. And Castile (olive) soap is a traditional cosmetic product for Mediterranean women, who have long been known for their luxurious soft skin...

At first glance, it may seem that the process of making soap at home is an extremely difficult task, in fact, soap making is no more difficult than, for example, baking confectionery at home. In addition, soap making has many advantages: with very low skills, you can make soap from natural ingredients that will be much more beneficial for the skin than cleansing cosmetics produced by cosmetic brands.

An example of such soap is the famous Castile soap, which is brewed with olive oil. Although soap making as a hobby is not so long ago, the history of Castile soap is rooted in the deep past. As early as the sixteenth century, in some regions of Europe, soap was brewed using olive oil rather than animal fat, resulting in a solid product whose white color did not change even after several years.

Soap is the product of a chemical reaction that occurs when fat and lye interact. However, in order to make soap at home, you don’t need to know all the tricks of chemical interaction at all. A successful result depends not so much on knowing the intricacies of the process, but on the right ingredients.

It was not for nothing that a few decades ago, home-made soap was completely unpopular - due to the low quality of the ingredients, such a product had an unpleasant odor, was harsh, and also provoked skin irritation.

However, today the most exotic ingredients can be easily purchased at the nearest store, and at home you can make soap that is not inferior in properties - or even superior - to the soap that cosmetic brands produce.

Luckily for beginners, castile soap is one of the easiest varieties to make, as it only takes three ingredients to make. And the result is a very mild soap that lathers well, but does not cause an unpleasant feeling of dryness and tightness of the skin. Castile soap is so gentle that it is suitable for the most sensitive and dry skin.

Before you start making Castile soap, you need to properly organize the workplace - that is, choose the dishes for cooking. Soap making requires utensils made of materials that will not interact with alkali and other components - for example, utensils made of stainless steel, glass, plastic, wooden spoons for stirring. Under no circumstances should aluminum or cracked enamelware be used.

Castile soap - recipe

To make castile soap, you will need the following utensils and equipment:

• Large stainless steel or glass bowl for mixing ingredients
• Heat Resistant Glass Container for Alkaline Solution
• Spoons for mixing the finished mixture - wooden ones are better suited for soap, and thick plastic spoons are better for lye
• A plastic mold or a regular plastic container for shaping the soap (before pouring the soap into the mold, it must be lined inside with parchment paper greased with odorless oil)
• Household thermometer – e.g. a meat thermometer
• Blender for whipping the mixture
• Rubber gloves (required when working with lye)

The recipe may vary, but it is best to stick to a certain ratio of ingredients: 60% olive oil - 40% other oils, such as coconut, palm, avocado oil, shea butter, finally, regular castor oil, or a combination of both. It should be noted that coconut oil and palm kernel oil improve the foaming properties of soap, but at the same time, dry the skin, so it is not recommended to use such oils in large quantities.

So, for example, in order to get about 4.5 kilograms of castile soap, in the simplest case, you need:

• About a liter of olive oil
• About 280 grams of coconut oil
• Half a liter of cold water (distilled or plain, purified)
• Approximately 200 grams of lye

Of course, the composition can be varied depending on personal preferences - for example, add cocoa butter or essential oils to the recipe for a pleasant smell.

With flavorings, however, it is quite easy to overdo it, so it is better to stick to the following ratio: 20 grams of light essential oil or 11 grams of strong essential oil for every 0.5 kilogram of olive oil.

For flavorings, this ratio is 14 and 8 grams, respectively. The basis of Castile soap is unrefined olive oil (this oil has a greenish color and a characteristic aroma). In addition, various fillers can be added to the finished product: bran, oatmeal, sea salt crystals to gently exfoliate the skin.

There are two ways to make soap at home - the "cold" method, which involves curing the finished product in air, and the "hot" method in a water bath.

Cold method for making castile soap

• Prepare the workplace: cover the desktop with sheets of paper (you can use old newspapers), put on rubber gloves (it is better to protect your eyes with goggles)
• Using a spoon, pour the lye into a container of cold water, cover the top with a lid and leave to cool for two to three hours until the temperature of the solution reaches 35-38 degrees
• Mix the olive oil with the extra oils in the castile soap recipe and heat the mixture in a saucepan to 35-40 degrees
• After reaching the optimum temperature of both mixtures, carefully pour the alkaline solution into the oil mixture, stirring with a steel spoon
• After mixing, the resulting mixture of alkali and oils must be thoroughly beaten with a blender or whisk until the consistency of a thick sauce is reached. The finished mixture is homogeneous, thick, opaque in color
• After readiness, add additional ingredients to the resulting mixture as desired - dyes, flavors

Pour the soap into the mold and leave to dry in the air for 24 hours (if the walls of the mold are not smooth, but with a pattern, the time increases by 24 to 48 hours). After take it out of the mold and leave to ripen in the air for 4-6 weeks.

Hot method for making castile soap

• Mix all the oils in the castile soap recipe and leave to heat in a metal saucepan on the stove
• Using a spoon, pour the lye into a container of cold water, cover the top with a lid and leave to cool until the temperature of the lye solution and the mixture of oils are the same
• Pour the alkaline solution into the oil mixture, stirring with a spoon
• Beat the resulting mixture with a blender or whisk until the soap thickens (the consistency of the finished mixture should resemble a thick sauce or pudding)
• Place the saucepan with the finished mixture in a large saucepan filled with water and leave on low heat until the soap becomes homogeneous and slightly transparent, resembling a gel in consistency.
• Additional ingredients can be added to the finished mixture - dyes, flavors, and then pour the soap into the mold, leaving it to harden for a while (depending on the size of the soap mold, the hardening time is 20-40 minutes)

Take the soap out of the mold and let it dry for 2-3 days (this step is not necessary, and in most cases the finished product can be used immediately after preparation).

Where to buy ingredients for soap making?

Most of all the ingredients can be bought in specialized laboratory equipment stores - there you will probably find convenient glass containers that can be used for soap making, industrial thermometers, and other equipment.

• Lye, or caustic soda, can be purchased at large hardware stores, chemical stores, or specialty gardening stores.
• Distilled, salt-free water, which is much more suitable for making castile soap than ordinary water, can be found at any pharmacy.
• Well, pure olive oil is sold in most major grocery stores.

The desire to make your own Castile soap from scratch is due to its popularity. It owes its name to the province of Castile, located in Spain, where it is traditionally made on the basis of olive oil.

Among the advantages of castile soap, the following characteristics are noted:

• when lathering, a gentle foam appears;
• beneficial and gentle effect on the skin;
• over time, it acquires even greater hardness, which allows it not to get wet, while maintaining its shape.

Delicate and non-irritating to the skin, some housewives prefer to use castile soap instead of a chemical agent when

Rapid production of solid soap from scratch

To make Castile soap with your own hands, it is advisable to use proven recipes. Considering that it traditionally matures up to 12 months, you can use the recommendations with shorter terms.

Starting the creative process, put on gloves, a respirator, goggles. This is important, since one of the components is alkali. The room must have exhaust ventilation.

1. Weigh water - 128 g. The liquid should be in a tall glass jar and be cold.
2. With constant stirring, with a glass rod, pour alkali (sodium hydroxide) - 76 g in small portions. Caution is exercised, as a violent reaction begins with the release of heat.

Attention!

The order described above is necessarily observed when alkali is poured into water, and not vice versa.

1. Putting the resulting solution for cooling in a sink filled with cool water, measure out vegetable oil - 605 g. Put it in a water bath (you can use a microwave oven) to heat it up to about 50 ° C.

Important!

By the time the alkaline solution and oil are combined, their heating should be the same. This will avoid splitting.

1. Pour the lye into the oil, filtering through gauze. For mixing, include a blender. With the exact selection of the number of components, the mass begins to thicken very quickly.
2. After reaching the stage of the appearance of a stable trace, the finished product is laid out in a mold. If desired, draw patterns with a glass rod.
3. The surface of the soap mass is sprayed with alcohol.
4. Having covered with a film, put the form in the switched off oven, which was previously heated to 60 ° and kept there for 24 hours.

After removing from the mold, if necessary, cut the soap into portions and lay out on white paper for further aging. This method allows you to use the finished product almost immediately.

Different ways of making soap

If preference is given to the accelerated hot method, then the soap mass after whipping is covered with a lid and placed in a water bath with slight heating for two hours, and then poured into molds. It hardens in about a day.

When whipped, the soap mass is not heated in a water bath, but is immediately poured into the mold. Some recommend mixing a few drops of your favorite essential oil into the mass before doing this.

Keep soap in molds wrapped in a scarf or towel in a warm place for two days. After that, the hardened piece is taken out and, if necessary, cut. A month later, the product is almost ready for use. But, given the peculiarity of Castile soap, over time it becomes more and more high quality. Therefore, it is advisable to withstand products for which the cold manufacturing method was used for a long time (6 - 10 months).

Making Liquid Soap

To make liquid castile soap, the prepared solid analogue is taken as the basis.

1. Rub the bar using a grater, or plan with a knife.
2. Store in a suitable container.
3. Put in a water bath. Keep stirring every 15 minutes until the soap is amber transparent.
4. Remove from the stove, pour in hot water in a volume equal to the amount.
5. Stir and cover the container with a lid.

After a day, you can pour into a suitable bottle equipped with a dispenser.

Soap recipe with additives

For classic castile soap, no additional ingredients are included in the recipe. But some home craftsmen offer more complex options.

According to one of them, an infusion of chamomile is preliminarily prepared. To do this, pour a handful of dry raw materials with a liter of olive oil and heat at 40 ° (you can put it on a battery) for 10 hours. After straining, you should get 800 g.

You will also need a decoction of chamomile, a tablespoon of which is boiled for 3 minutes in 400 ml of water and infused until cool. Filter, measure out 330 g of broth and put in the freezer.