Homemade Skin Care Recipes: Liquid Castile Soap

Castile soap, or soap with a large percentage of olive oil, was named after a region in Spain in which it was originally produced. Nowadays, castile soap refers to any soap made with all vegetable oils. Regardless, most types of castile soap are incredibly gentle, even for use on babies. Making your own liquid castile soap for use in skin care recipes is quite easy although it does take some patience.

Ingredients
- 1 cup firmly packed grated Castile soap (about two 4 oz. bars)
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable glycerin

Before you begin, grate the castile soap with a cheese grater. Try to shred it as fine as possible since it will take less time to melt the soap down if the pieces are small.

Mix the grated castile soap with the water in a large pot. Set over low heat, stirring occasionally until the castile soap has dissolved. Add glycerin. Keep your eye on it! Once dissolved, transfer to a jar and cover tightly. This makes a thick liquid soap. For a thinner liquid soap, add more water until desired consistency is reached.

So now that I have liquid Castile Soap, what can I do with it?

Bubble bath is always a great use for liquid castile soap. To the liquid castile soap recipe, add your favorite fragrant oils or essential oils, about 5 to 10 drops total. Pour about a cup or so of the bubble bath mix into the running bath water.

To make a really decadent bubble bath, add 2 ounces of coconut oil to the mix. The oil will help moisturize your skin. Good skin care includes relaxation and lots of bubbles! (Be careful getting in and out of the tub as the oil will make things slippery.)

Shampoo is another use for liquid castile soap. In a blender, blend together a half cup of liquid castile soap with a beaten egg, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Whip until smooth. Use immediately and follow with a hair rinse. Put any leftovers into the refrigerator and use the next day.

Use it as a facial cleanser. For dry skin, mix about a tablespoon of liquid castile soap with a teaspoon of honey, for cleansing and moisturizing. For oily skin, mix a tablespoon of liquid castile soap with a teaspoon of cornmeal to wash, exfoliate and absorb oil all at the same time. For normal skin, mix a tablespoon of liquid castile soap with 2 tablespoons of melted beeswax, a quarter cup of Jojoba oil, and 3 tablespoons of water. Skin care was never so easy!

Where can I find the ingredients?

Castile soap can be found at most health food stores and online. Even Amazon.com offers a wide variety of castile soap for very reasonable prices. Look for Dr. Bronner's, Kirk's Natural Soap, and Kiss My Face. All carry a variety of pure, natural, vegetable-based soaps. If you are really feeling adventurous and would like to support small scale soapmakers, check out Etsy.com. It's an online auction site where you can purchase and sell handmade items. Check out it's fabulous bath and beauty section.

Vegetable glycerin can be found at your local health food store or at the major super market. Look in the pharmacy section.

Beeswax is sold at craft stores or in the craft section at major super markets. Use the white variety for skin care products. If you are vegan, you can substitute candelila wax for beeswax in this recipe in the same measurements. I have yet to see candelila wax offered in local stores, so this is an item you may have to purchase online.

Your local grocery store carries many different types of oils that you can use in your skin care products. Coconut oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil, and olive oil (to name a few) can be found on their shelves. If you have nut allergies, stick to jojoba oil or grapeseed oil.

Essential oils, the highly concentrated essences of aromatic plants, can be used to scent your liquid castile soap. You can find many different types of essential oils at your local health food store as well as online. Some good essential oils to use for skin care products are chamomile, sandalwood, lavender, peppermint, and rose.