Are You Putting Castile Soap In Your Shampoo & Skincare Recipes?

Ok. We are off onto the subject of castile soap. I am seeing this all over the internet with DIYers putting this into shampoo and facial wash recipes. I say recipes because these are not formulas and are not properly formulated. I am not here to knock DIYers by any means, God love them because they are trying to educate themselves for a healthier home, body and for their families: I started here too.

I wanted to educate myself on how to replace all of my commercial bought household brands to have a healthier home and started trying out what some of these guys online were doing. Then I started thinking...we really do need to educate people more about the ingredients we are putting on our bodies and cleaning our homes with. I am not here to talk about where I started but this is where most do start.

I went online and started looking for natural organic schools to see if there was a proper education out there and sure enough!! I found two great ones!

I am supposed to be writing about castile soap and why you do not want this in your hair or on your face. Simple: the ph is too high for both and will strip all natural oils from both. But I will break it down into more for you so you can make your own conclusion:

1. The pH level of Castile soap is typically around 9-10, which is alkaline. On the other hand, the pH of our scalp and hair is slightly acidic, ranging from 4.5 to 5.5. Your skin is around 5.5 (I will focus on skin next) Using a highly alkaline product like Castile soap can disrupt the natural pH balance of the scalp and hair, leading to dryness, frizz, and potential damage over time.

2. Castile soap is known for its strong cleansing properties. While this can be beneficial for certain cleaning tasks, it can be too harsh for the delicate balance of our scalp and hair. It can strip away the natural oils that are necessary to keep our hair moisturized and protected, resulting in dryness and potential scalp issues.

3. Castile soap can react with hard water, which contains high mineral content, leading to the formation of soap scum or residue. This residue can make the hair feel dull, sticky, or even greasy. Yuck!

4. Using a cleanser with a high pH can disrupt the acid mantle, which is a protective barrier on the skin's surface. Disruption of this barrier can lead to dryness, irritation, and potential damage to the skin's moisture balance. As I mentioned above; our skin is a ph of around 5.5. Huge difference.

5. The strong cleansing properties of Castile soap may be too harsh for certain skin types, especially sensitive or dry skin. It can strip away the natural oils that provide moisture and protection, leading to further dryness, tightness, and potential irritation.

6. Facial cleansers are often formulated with specific ingredients that cater to the needs of facial skin. These may include gentle surfactants, humectants, soothing botanical extracts, antioxidants, or skin-nourishing oils. Castile soap, by itself, lacks these targeted ingredients, which can compromise the overall effectiveness and benefits of a facial cleanser. Now I know some will argue with me here saying they add all these wonderful goodies to their recipes to make this less harsh. But no, the ph will still remain too high.

7. Depending on water hardness and skin type, Castile soap may leave a residue or film on the skin after rinsing. This residue can be undesirable for some individuals, making it difficult to achieve a clean and refreshed feeling.

Now you might be asking what would I use instead of castile soap. First....educating yourself on proper natural surfactants is where you want to start. My favourites are decyl glucoside and cocamidopropyl betaine. These are the gentle and easy to work with. I highly recommend getting a proper education from one of these schools so you are more confident with ingredients and proper formulations instead of recipes. There really is a huge difference and you really do not know what you do not know until you learn from people who know. I was mind blown with all of the education I received. Keep your family safe, keep your pets safe and keep yourself safe...go to school!