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
Hmmm…I love Trader Joe’s. I’ll have to try it!
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!
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…
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!
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?
Thanks for the tip Ann. It sounds great. I can’t find Trader Joe’s online, though. Where do you get it?
I saw it at Target in the make up section.
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.
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!!
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.
Hi,
Will someone give me a recipe for using concentrated Castile Soap for bathing/facial cleanser?
Thanks,
Erin
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.
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.
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.
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!
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. =]
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!
Tea tree, not tea; completely different and no caffeine.
Good catch.
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! 🙂
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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????
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.
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.
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?
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Please check our our company. We make mildest castile soap.
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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!
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.
Thanks for sharing your experience and resource, Samantha! Love to know where to find quality products!
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/
Thanks for the tip, reta!