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April 18, 2007 55 Comments

Castile Soap for a Simpler Life (and blemish-free face)

One, simple idea. One bottle. One product to suggest: Castile soap, a product is made with vegetables and herbal oils. The one I use (Updated 2012: I originally used Trader Joe’s Pure Peppermint Castile Soap in liquid form, but several years ago switched to Dr. Bronner’s, which I love except for all the strange messaging printed on the bottle) adds a touch of Aloe Vera “for its soothing, healing qualities.”

It’s pure and simple, with no animal or synthetic ingredients. Most of all, castile soap is a versatile product with numerous effective applications.

This will probably horrify all Arbonne and Mary Kay representatives, but I use it as a face and body wash.

The occasional blemish that would erupt on my chin or nose from month to month? No more. Not a one. Since I’ve been using castile soap, my complexion is better than ever. I know several readers who will just shake their heads at me—they’ll warn me that I shouldn’t use, well, soap on my skin. But, hey, it’s working great. It’s cheap, my skin looks and feels great, and after I use it on my face, I can use it to clean the shower, mop the floor and wash the dishes.

Yes, this product is so flexible, I’ve used it for everything that the back of the bottle suggests, except as a shampoo. I tried that and didn’t like it, but I have long hair and I’ve heard it’s better for people with short hair (and good for dandruff).

I use it for the following (I’m typing directly from the Trader Joe’s label):

  • Body: Use directly on loofa, washcloth, or sponge for an invigorating shower or bath.
  • Bubble Bath/Baby Bath: Pour one capful in running water for a luxurious bath. It’s also a gentle, safe way to bathe your baby (note: as with any baby wash, be sure to keep it out of their eyes).
  • Fruit Wash: A couple of washes in water cleans pesticide residues off your fruits and vegetables.
  • Hand Soap: Gentle on your hands and tough on dirt.
  • General Use Cleaner: Its naturally powerful cleaning ability will get your floors, counters, bathrooms, and kitchen utensils spotlessly clean.
  • Travelers, Backpackers, Campers: The perfect all-in-0ne cleaner. One (biodegradable) soap does it all without fouling up the environment.

This lady has some personal observations from using the actual Dr. Bronner’s brand, and mentions that some versions are better than others for specific uses (some have a high oil content and she observed oil stains when using it for laundry). She (and many others) also dis-recommends using it as a toothpaste. My Trader Joe’s bottle didn’t even bother suggesting that application.

I love how it simplifies life. And it’s safe for the environment: the makers are careful when producing it to be environmentally friendly; and when I put it to use, no harmful fumes or residues are wafting around my home.

You could try a bottle and see what you think. It’s concentrated, so one bottle lasts a while. If you don’t like it for one thing, you can use it for a dozen other uses until it’s gone and be done with it. Or maybe, like me, you’ll find that you’re hooked.

Please visit Rocks in My Dryer for more great ideas!

My previous Works-For-Me-Wednesday Ideas:

  • Post-It Annotation for Library Books
  • Everyday Mom-Mobile Essentials & Travel Notebooks
  • Money-Motivated Kids
  • Drawers-by-the-Door
  • Make the Most of Internet Lag Time
  • Storing Dishes: How Low Can You Go?
  • Crepes? Mais, Oui!
  • Containerize Kids’ Laundry
  • Let It Snow, Let Us Slow (Crockpot Steel-Cut Oatmeal)
  • Family LoveFest
  • Joy of Lifelong Learning–For Free!
  • MP3 Accompanist
  • MP3 Note-taking

Filed Under: creativity, frugality, home, simplicity, travel, works for me wednesday

Comments

  1. Amanda says

    April 18, 2007 at 12:13 pm

    Hmmm…I love Trader Joe’s. I’ll have to try it!

    Reply
  2. irrationallove says

    April 18, 2007 at 1:42 pm

    We’ve been using castile soap for a while and we’re hooked too. Interesting note: my cousin’s new puppy chewed a ballpoint pen and left the entire contents on their new carpet. She found castile soap to be the only thing that would remove the ink and did it completely!

    Reply
  3. Karen Hossink says

    April 18, 2007 at 2:40 pm

    You had me hooked on reading this WFMW when I saw the “(and a blemish-free face).” I am 35 years old and still getting blemishes – more than *occasionally*. It isn’t fair!!!

    I may try this castile soap idea…

    Reply
  4. Mrs.A says

    April 18, 2007 at 4:29 pm

    I love castille soap. I use it for everything. I use it on my face and body. It is also a wonderful all purpose cleaner around the house too!

    Reply
  5. Fiddledeedee (It Coulda' Been Worse) says

    April 18, 2007 at 10:14 pm

    How I miss Trader Joes!!! I need to find this product though. As I type, I have a small wad of toilet paper stuck to the side of my nose to stop the bleeding from a freshly popped pimple. Too much information?

    Reply
  6. Tricia Ares says

    April 19, 2007 at 4:37 am

    Thanks for the tip Ann. It sounds great. I can’t find Trader Joe’s online, though. Where do you get it?

    Reply
    • Maria says

      March 22, 2010 at 9:09 pm

      I saw it at Target in the make up section.

      Reply
  7. annkroeker says

    April 19, 2007 at 7:27 am

    A quick note to all: The most famous brand of liquid castile soap is Dr. Bronner’s, and it’s available at most health stores. You can phone first to see if yours carries it, but I’ll bet they do. It’s well known in those circles.

    I just wanted to be honest that I was using the Trader Joe’s version of the stuff. Dr. Bronner’s is the best known name brand–so much so that some people would say “I use Dr. Bronner’s when I shower” meaning “I use castile soap,” kind of like saying, “I need a Kleenex” when referring to tissues.

    Reply
  8. Jenny says

    April 19, 2007 at 9:29 am

    Thanks for the info! I didn’t know this existed, but my skin is suffering from “regular” bar soaps, and I didn’t know what to do. I’m going to Google it now!!

    Reply
  9. Robin says

    April 20, 2007 at 12:27 am

    I used TJ’s castile soap to bath my little guy when he was little but forgot about it as he got bigger. I saw it last time I was shopping (next to TJ’s all purpose cleaner – which I LOVE) and was thinking I’d pick up a bottle next time. Thanks for confirmation.

    Reply
  10. Erin says

    April 27, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    Hi,

    Will someone give me a recipe for using concentrated Castile Soap for bathing/facial cleanser?

    Thanks,

    Erin

    Reply
  11. Cheryl says

    June 11, 2008 at 3:00 pm

    I found this page while searching for my favorite castile soap – my local groceries don’t carry it. I have tried Dr. Bronner’s and Trader Joe’s concentrated liquid soaps and don’t care for them because they don’t lather well in hard water (which I have), and because I don’t like soaps with fragrance. I use Kirk’s Natural castile soap, which is available in a bar form or as a liquid, and it’s wonderful. It makes lots of rich foamy lather in hard water, rinses off clean and does not dry my skin out as much as the other brands. So just FYI, if you have a problem with dry skin like I do, or if you live in a dry or hard water environment, the Kirk’s brand may work well for you even if the others do not.

    Reply
  12. greg says

    July 17, 2008 at 12:59 am

    I slightly despise dr. bronner.

    The trader joes brand is a much better deal. Approximately half the price of Dr. B and almost double volume.

    I dont get the Dr. B love fest.TJs is better.

    Reply
  13. Nina says

    August 4, 2008 at 5:18 pm

    I’ve just begun using the TJ castile soap and I love it! I bought it for body washed and was surprised at the many other uses (including shampoo). I’ve tried it as shampoo and it’s one of the first I’ve tried (and I’ve tried many shampoos) that doesn’t leave my super dry scalp itchy. Yay! I’m going to try it for all sorts of other things. It’s working on my face so far and I am a Mary Kay rep. I love my MK, but this stuff works really well.

    Reply
  14. HeatherRai says

    August 5, 2008 at 5:44 pm

    I make soap and it’s so much better for your face, body and hair than anything I’ve ever had from a store. Castille soap is gentle enough for babies skin 🙂 Plus no chemicals to leech their way into your life!

    Reply
  15. Jade says

    October 10, 2008 at 12:34 pm

    well, I’ve been using pure castile soap that I bought from Mountain Rose Herbs, and I really love this stuff so far. It’s working very well as a facial cleanser, and doesn’t overly dry out my skin too much. I might take your advice and use it for my house cleaning too. =]

    Reply
  16. Brian says

    November 11, 2008 at 12:47 pm

    I am a male vocalist and marketer (and herbalist-in-training) who stands by Castile Soap. Not only does it do wonders for the cleaning and nourishment of the skin, but it is ALL – PURPOSE like these comments suggest. No chemicals and only good natural stuff the body can USE. I use Tea Tree Castile Soap, which helps the skin fight fungus and blemishes, and I was told the tea element absorbs directly into the skin to rejuvenate and tighten pores (possibly the caffeine in the tea). All I know is, it makes my skin glow and I can keep it moving (not worrying about bags under my eyes). You can even combine it with water, put it on to dry and use it for shaving! It makes the hair come off much easier for a REALLY clean shave, and keeps away the bumps and burns in the process. I could have avoided a lot of razor burns if I had known this sooner. A really amazing product!

    Reply
    • Fang says

      July 28, 2013 at 2:36 am

      Tea tree, not tea; completely different and no caffeine.

      Reply
      • annkroeker says

        July 29, 2013 at 11:46 am

        Good catch.

        Reply
  17. Sarah says

    December 1, 2008 at 7:49 am

    I have just dis­cov­ered Dr. Bron­ners prod­ucts and I have fallen in love with them. I had never heard of them or even castile soap before! I dis­cov­ered them about 5 or 6 months ago when I started get­ting inter­ested in making my own house­hold clean­ing prod­ucts. I have com­pletely phased out com­mer­cial clean­ing chem­i­cals with the excep­tion of borax (which has been said to be mildly toxic). Once I dis­cov­ered that I could make my own I com­pletely stopped using my com­mer­cial prod­ucts. I didn’t even want to wait until they were empty!! Now I am inter­ested in phas­ing out com­mer­cial chem­i­cals and detergents-(which is what your com­mer­cial soap actu­ally is) as well. I thought that the Dr. Bron­ners soaps were basi­cally for the use of house­hold clean­ing prod­ucts and just dis­cov­ered that I could use them in my hygiene rou­tine as well! I am still look­ing for recipes and ideas and (kind of newly) open to all sug­ges­tions!

    I also want to add that we don’t have a Trader Joe’s anywhere in my area so I don’t have that option to try out. But Dr. Bronners attracts me because of the environmental standpoint as well.

    I am 28 years old with three…going on four chil­dren (9, 8, and 14 months) and I just wish that I would have dis­cov­ered this at an ear­lier age! 🙂

    Reply
    • GabachoMike says

      November 25, 2012 at 6:50 pm

      Sarah –

      You can have your local grocer contact them directly for distribution:

      DrBronner.com
      Box 28
      Escondido, Ca – 92033
      760. 743-2211

      – OR – buy from them direct, online:

      http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/SFNT.htm

      Happy Holidaze!

      Reply
  18. Jennifer says

    April 14, 2009 at 8:40 am

    I used Dr. Bronners on my face for the first time last night — been bathing with it for a long time. I had read in Edgar Cacey’s readings that it was the best thing to use on the skin, so I thought what the heck. I have had a problem with swollen sabacious glands in my face and to my astonishment, the biggest one disappeared after using this soap the first time on my face. What a great find — I have been buying really expensive face washes!

    Reply
  19. Maggie says

    June 9, 2009 at 12:03 pm

    I love Dr. Bronner’s soaps, and have been using them for many years. I’ve just started using them on my oily acne prone face. It cleans well, but is very drying and then my skin becomes very oily after an hour (especially my chin). I’m hoping that it will help my “break outs” but still too soon to tell. I use it for shampoo – it cleans well and adds lots of body to my fine textured hair, but after a few washes it becomes a very tangled mess and near impossible to brush (even after conditioning), so i don’t use it exclusively. I’ve never tried Trader Joe’s version, but will definitely check it out.

    Reply
  20. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  21. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  22. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  23. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  24. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  25. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  26. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  27. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  28. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  29. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  30. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  31. Alicia Lane says

    September 28, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Castile soap is amazing for skin–but I tend toward the dryer side so I like something that is castile ONLY based (nothing but olive oil). I would recommend checking out terressentials.com. They make the best products I’ve EVER found. Kinda expensive though.

    Reply
  32. George Tuggle says

    December 14, 2009 at 2:12 pm

    I learned recently that Trader Joe’s is discontinuing their ‘brand’ of castile soap. A TJ’s employee said that sales weren’t that good, so all TJ’s stores will no longer carry it.

    Reply
  33. T Sharp says

    March 26, 2010 at 2:31 am

    I wholeheartedly agree, I love TJ Castile Soap, I’ve been using it for years as a a face+body soap….

    However, my stock was running low so I went to the store to purchase more TJ HEAVEN in a little cheap bottle… THEY DISCONTINUED IT!!!

    I went to several TJ stores around my area, and I live in the Bay Area of CA and I talked to one floorman and he told me that they discontinued the soap because it wasn’t selling as much? This is awful. Even Amazon doesn’t have the products available for purchase.

    CAN ANYONE tell me where to buy more of this beloved soap????

    Reply
  34. Gilbert Prutzman says

    November 2, 2010 at 11:57 pm

    I read some thing comparable to your “Castile Soap for a Simpler Life (and blemish-free face) | Ann Kroeker. Writer.” post at some other site I frequent… in any case, I believe apple is usually overrated but has a lot of good products too.

    Reply
  35. topons.com says

    November 26, 2010 at 9:44 pm

    Yeah,also there are many kinds of face soap you can try.For instance,castile soap and so on.Wash off your superfluous natural oils and leave your face feeling dry and light.

    Reply
  36. ink for printers says

    May 25, 2011 at 3:43 am

    At this time it sounds like Drupal is the best blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?

    Reply
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    Reply
  38. roofing sheets says

    September 14, 2011 at 3:43 pm

    for the person who posted last week re the cost of steel ,it realy depends where you go to buy it, galvinized is around £740 per metric ton and standard is around £650 per ton- hope this helps

    Reply
  39. Ketan Inamdar says

    December 5, 2011 at 2:59 pm

    Please check our our company. We make mildest castile soap.
    Thank you.

    Reply
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    December 30, 2011 at 7:25 am

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    February 17, 2012 at 11:52 am

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    Reply
  42. GabachoMike says

    November 25, 2012 at 6:45 pm

    If you can’t find the soap at T-Joe’s, try Whole Foods.

    i first heard/saw of Dr. Bronner’s back in 1982…and, after looking at the label, thought our hosts (people we were spending a couple of nights with, while we found our own place), were part of some odd cult…turns out – this stuff is pretty cool.

    You can also have your local grocer contact them directly for distribution:

    DrBronner.com
    Box 28
    Escondido, Ca – 92033
    760. 743-2211

    – OR – buy from them direct, online:

    http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/SFNT.htm

    Happy Holidaze!

    Reply
  43. Samantha R. says

    July 19, 2013 at 3:11 pm

    Castile soap is always better alternative for the environment rather than the harsh chemicals that come along in the other soaps. Finding it from an affordable place isn’t always easy and you never know what your going to get. I tested out a few sites myself to find the best place to get castile soap and came across http://www.naturalwayorganics.net and their castile soap has been the best so far. Worked wonders on my hair and skin an I highly recommend it.

    Reply
    • annkroeker says

      July 19, 2013 at 4:54 pm

      Thanks for sharing your experience and resource, Samantha! Love to know where to find quality products!

      Reply
  44. reta says

    February 28, 2014 at 3:27 pm

    Hi every body,
    I used to have big problems with washing my face, but am getting in better shape now. Here’s a good site I found that really helped. It gave me great workouts and useful information tips and showed me what I was doing wrong before…there’s even lots of free articles on the site…http://ernolaszloseamudsoapreview.blogspot.com/

    Reply
    • Ann Kroeker says

      February 28, 2014 at 4:07 pm

      Thanks for the tip, reta!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Works for my Daughter « Ann Kroeker says:
    June 13, 2007 at 9:43 pm

    […] Castile Soap for a Simpler Life (and blemish-free face) […]

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    August 1, 2007 at 10:28 pm

    […] Castile Soap for a Simpler Life (and blemish-free face) […]

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  3. Psalter/Proverb Devotional Reading Plan « Ann Kroeker says:
    September 26, 2007 at 3:10 pm

    […] Castile Soap for a Simpler Life (and blemish-free face) […]

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  4. Homemade Cleaning Products - Mom Talk says:
    October 22, 2007 at 3:54 pm

    […] permalink Well, we used it when we went camping for everything — dishes, wiping things down, body wash (though not shampoo, I just can’t do that!). At home, I squirt some straight onto the shower or tub and scrub with a crocheted scrubber my mom made me. The mix I listed I use on the kitchen counters and bathroom counters. You can add it to warm water and vinegar to clean the floors (though I have hardwoods so I just use vinegar & water as the soap leaves a film on the wood). You can use a squirt for the toilet bowl. Here’s a tip sheet that shows some uses http://www.tpchd.org/files/library/81d45ec2a0e09801.pdf And this gal’s blog goes even further (using it as a blemish reducer!) Castile Soap for a Simpler Life (and blemish-free face) « Ann Kroeker […]

    Reply
  5. Five Days of How-To Posts: A blog experiment offering helpful information in bullet-point form « Ann Kroeker says:
    May 8, 2008 at 10:42 am

    […] Castile Soap for a Simpler Life (and blemish-free face) […]

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