Castile Natural Soap and Going Green

If you’ve been following the latest “going green” trends, you might have come across CASTILE SOAP.

What is castile soap?

Castile soap isn’t a brand but a type of soap made exclusively from vegetable oil rather than animal fat or synthetic substances. The purists feel it should be made from olive oil but there’s a wide variety of castile variants that use oil from plants such as coconut and jojoba. The simple nature of the soap means a lesser environmental impact due to reduced waste stream during manufacture and faster biodegradability.

While castile soaps can have additional synthetic ingredients, usually you will find if it is marketed under that name, it’s a natural sort of product.

This soap is made from vegetable oil and enriched with the addition of coconut oil, oilve oil, almond and jojoba. Doubtless the Vitamin E and UV spectrum present in this soap not only makes it a moisturizer base for bubble bath but also a rejuvenator. An article points out further addition of coconut oil and hemp. But it is not required as this homemade soap has all the natural ingredients in form of emollients required for dry skin.

Castile soap can be flaked and then added to the bubble bath. You can follow this natural bubble bath with a shielding lotion to moisturize dry skin in the most natural way.

Bubble baths are well known to be therapeutic for relieving stress and relaxing. Though the addition of certain ingredients can be harmful for the skin, yet with the addition of essential oils and natural moisturizers it can turn into one of the most functional therapies for individuals with dry skin. The latest and most effective addition to the natural bubble bath is castile soap.

Castile soap - so versatile

Castile soap has many uses aside from washing your skin - it is also known as seafarer’s soap due to its versatility.

You can use an olive oil-based Castile in place of shampoo and skip the conditioner according to some.

It can also be a bonus to skip sorting through the dozens of shampoo brands at the local supermarket trying to translate all the darned. Castile soap can be found in a simple paper based box that also saves on packaging. Another benefit is that castile soap is far cheaper than other fancy label soaps and shampoos!

If you’ve ever tried using normal soap to wash your hair, you might have likely found your hair very dry afterwards, but for some have claimed they do not experience that with castile soap - it’s likely because the glycerin content is retained, whereas in normal soaps much of the glycerin is removed and sold separately in moisturizers.

Liquid castile soap uses

While bar castile soap is amazing stuff, in a liquid form it’s even more versatile.

- Liquid castile soap can be used for a shaving lather

- It can be used as a pet shampoo

- Great for washing clothes and diapers

- General cleaning, diluted and used in a spray bottle

- Heavy duty degreasing

- I’ve heard that pure liquid castile soap can even be used for brushing your teeth! But of course, don’t swallow the stuff. I don’t think it would kill you in small doses but I’m sure it would taste pretty yuk.

- It can also be used in place of dishwashing detergent and even in your automatic dishwasher! “Green” automatic dishwasher detergents are hard to come by, but a Green Living Tips reader, Kathy Stevens, contributed this recipe (Thanks Kathy!):

Ingredients:

1/2 cup liquid castile soap

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 drops tea tree oil

1/2 cup white vinegar

Method:

Stir all ingredients together until blended. Store in a squirt top bottle. Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes, shake well before use.

End of Summer Skincare and Mild Soap Cleansing

By Van Le | Labor Day can be bittersweet since it offers an always-welcomed three-day weekend, but it also marks the unofficial end of summer. In other words, after one last frolic at the beach, it’s time to put away the swimming suits and flip-flops, and wake the winter coats and boots from their hiatus. The seasonal closet makeover is a no-brainer, but there’s another place that needs attention: your makeup and skincare cabinet. Towards the end of the year, your skin needs protection from cold weather and reduced humidity. Switching to winter-friendly products can keep your skin looking healthy and beautiful.

Hot, humid weather during the summer can cause pores to expand because sebum is more fluid in this environment. As a result, deep cleansers and foamy cleansing products are appropriate, since they are able to reach deep into the pores, eliminating dirt and oil buildups. During the winter, however, cold temperatures can lead to dry and cracked skin. Switch to a mild soap, and your skin will feel smooth and soft as opposed to dry and tight after washing. Products that contain natural moisture such as Aloe vera are also excellent, since they are not harsh on dry, winter skin.

Winter air literally sucks moisture from your skin, so moisturizing is a crucial step in winter skin care. Even more important to moisturizing is choosing the right product. Products containing mineral oil, almond oil, or avocado oil work especially well since they keep the skin hydrated without clogging pores. Flaxseed oil is another beneficial ingredient, since it is not only rich in omega-3 fatty acid, but also has the ability to hydrate the skin from the inside out. Moisturizing right after a warm shower will help seal in the water and prevent dry skin. Also consider using a humidifier in your room or office, since it returns the moisture into the air and help the skin stay hydrated.

Just because it is cold outside does not mean you should toss your sunscreen tube. Even when you can’t feel the heat, the sun is still emitting harmful UVA and UVB rays, so it still important to protect your skin. Apply a moisturizer that contains an SPF of at least 15, or use products containing zinc oxide, which acts as a natural barrier between your skin and the sun. Surprisingly, the sun’s reflective power on snow can be as high as 80%, so it is possible to be sunburned after spending a day on the ski slopes without sun protection. Moreover, don’t forget to help your lips battle harsh winter conditions with plenty of lip balm. Packaging is also important when deciding on a lip balm. Little tins and jars can spread germs since you are using your fingers to apply. Tubes can be a healthier and more convenient option. Remember to keep your skincare products readily available in your purse, car or desk so you can reapply throughout the day.

Winter skin care may differ from summer skin care in the type of products used, but the regimen for healthy skin is the same year round: cleanse, moisturize and protect.

Van Le is a staff writer for the CSU paper the Daily Titan and writing intern for Vivoderm Laboratories in Los Angeles, California. She is currently pursuing a Journalism degree at California State University, Fullerton.

For the latest findings on natural skincare link to http://organicskincareinfo.net

Natural Soap and Dry Skin Tips

If you are one of those who buys a great smelling moisturizing soap at a department store on a cold, dry, winter day, run a bath and try to soak away
your dry itchy skin only to find that you felt worse than before and suffered that deep down-in-the-skin itch.  It may be the artificial fragrance, color or
preservatives (or something else) causing a negative reaction in your skin. If you tend to have these reactions, you may want to try a natural soap.

Hot summer days and dry winter air and central heating can zap moisture from your skin and may leave you with dry, itchy, irritated skin. Pay attention
to these suggestions for preventing and treating dry skin:

Natural soap can be made from many ingredients, but generally, take the form of a solid and and oil along with essential oils or natural plants - this can
be beeswax, shea butter, coco butter, coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil and a myriad of natural fragrances and essential oils, such as rosemary,
lavender or orange.

·    Liquid soap tends to dry skin more than bar soap.

·    Hot showers tend to dry skin. Try turning down the hot water a bit when showering.

·    Try soaking in the bath for a short time. While you soak, your skin is being hydrated.

·    Apply moisturizers as soon as possible after showering/bathing while the skin is hydrated to help trap in moisture.

·    Use moisturizers with little or no water in the ingredients. Many lotions and moisturizers list water as the main ingredient which is evaporated soon

after applying.

·    Avoid harsh soaps. Antibacterial soaps can be especially drying. Commercial soaps often extract the beneficial glycerin and add synthetics that

contribute to dry skin. Try using natural soap.

·    Adding lots of olive oils and other good oils to your diet aids in keeping skin moist and supple.

·    Drink lots of water to keep your skin hydrated.

·    Use a humidifier in your home.

·    Wear natural fabrics such as cotton next to your skin.  Cotton sheets are also a good choice.  Synthetic fabrics (and wool) next to your skin can
cause irritation.