Consumed{More Soap}

In Consumed Part 7 I went over 6 different ways you can use castile soap. Hopefully you’ve gotten started and are now ready to learn even more ways to put that soap to use!

In this post I’m going to tell you some things castile soap can do but I will also talk about a few other products that you can use along side or in place of it. First up…

Face wash! Wet your face and lather 3-4 drops in your hands and apply to your face. I noticed if I went over that 3-4 drop ratio it was drying but if I stayed within that ratio it wasn’t stripping at all! I love this as a face wash because it’s super straight forward and pure. I am a firm believer in the less you do to your skin the happier it is. That being said, I understand people want to have some restorative ingredients in their facial care products. If you’re one of those people I recommend trying Desert Essence Creamy Oil Cleanser!

The ingredients are AWESOME. It’s comprised of organic oils like Argan, Evening Primrose and Jojoba which load it with antioxidants and fatty acids. I love this cleanser because it’s very gentle and doesn’t disrupt your PH balance by stripping your skin. Like castile soap, a little goes a long way. Although you use more than 3 drops you definitely want to err on the side of less.

Body wash! This is probably the most common way people use castile soap! A small dash on a wash cloth or sea sponge and you’ll be squeaky clean. If you’re a body wash person I would strongly encourage you to get a sea sponge instead of the standard plastic loofah. Sea sponges are sustainable and compostable. Plus they look way cool!

If you’re a bar person, like myself, Dr. Bronner’s makes the castile soap in bar form!

Laundry! I have some opinions on using it for this method. I only hand wash my delicates in castile soap because it calls for 1/4 cup in a standard washing machine. I feel like that could get pretty spendy. It would be more cost effective if you have an HE washer because then you use half that amount. I also think that if you are someone that is having a lot of topical reactions to detergents then ABSOLUTELY use castile soap for laundry because I know money is no object when it comes to feeling comfortable in your skin. Throw in some vinegar during the rinse cycle to keep your machine free of build up! Right now I’m using Biokleen laundry detergent. It doesn’t have any synthetic fragrances or dyes and is far less toxic than Tide but I can’t say I’m too crazy about the ingredients as a whole. I think when I’m done with the bottle I will try soap nuts! I have been so curious about them and they seem like the ultimate green solution to laundry soap! Maybe one of you can give them a try and let me know your thoughts?

Shampoo! Here’s another one with a lot of angles. The first angle is no poo. This is the angle I’m working. I haven’t washed my hair with anything but water for a month. I have fine hair and dread washing it because everything weighs it down so much. Dry shampoo is my go to hair product for fine/flat hair! Not only does it give you volume and texture, it wicks up any excess oil you’ve accumulated from not washing your hair. No need to look like a total slime ball. Acure’s Dry Shampoo ingredient list is beautifully simple and they make a brown tinted one for brunettes too!

If you’re not convinced you want to stop washing your hair, not to fear. You can use castile soap! I still do when I get my hair/scalp really dirty working on Mander. How much you use depends on your hair length/type. I use maybe a dime size amount for my short fine hair. If you want to get away from toxic conventional shampoos that are loaded with fragrances, synthetic foaming agents, artificial dyes and preservatives, make the switch to castile soap. I recommend you buy Dr. Bronner’s citrus rinse to use with it. It has really nice ingredients like Shikakai and citrus oils to help soothe and condition your locks.  This is also a concentrated product so it’s very economical. Give your hair some time to adjust! Remember what you’re putting on your scalp is going into your body!

Shaving! If you don’t need a lot of protection when you shave, castile soap should do just fine! I talk with a lot of men and women that use nothing more than castile to shave with. If you’re like me and have more dry, sensitive skin, I would steer you towards Dr. Bronner’s shave gel. This stuff does a really great job protecting and moisturizing the skin! It’s the only thing I’ve ever shaved with that doesn’t leave me feeling itchy and running for lotion. Men rave about this product so it must be just as good on their faces as it is on my legs!

If you want a moisturizing, super frugal, no fuss method for shaving, you can use plain coconut oil. Which I talked about here!

Although there a numerous more ways to use castile soap, these last two posts covered the ways I find it most useful. If you still want to expand your uses, there are so many recipes out there in internet land! I have my eye on one for making your own baby wipes. I think they will be very handy when I’m living in Mander and could use a little of that fresh feeling in between showers. I hope you have integrated castile soap into your home and in turn, have tossed out a lot of toxic nonsense!

P.S. Brush wash! As I’m getting ready for the day I remembered another way I use Castile soap. I wash my makeup brushes in it! I run hot water in a cup and squirt in a generous amount of soap. Agitate brushes in soapy water then rinse!