Is Castile Soap Safe? For Body, Face, Hair and Kids
The short answer: for your body, face and hair, in the bath or the shower, castile soap is one of the simplest things you can wash with, as long as you use the right amount. Children and sensitive skin get a few extra rules, and there are two things worth knowing: it is alkaline, and scented bottles carry essential oils. Here is how to use it well.
directions
How to use castile soap
What is castile soap, and why use it with a little care?
Castile soap is true soap made from plant oils. The FDA describes ordinary soap as fats or oils combined with an alkali, and it notes that there are very few true soaps on the market today: most body cleansers, liquid or solid, are synthetic detergents. How castile soap compares with regular soap.
Being true soap is also why it asks for a little care. Soap is alkaline. Healthy skin is slightly acidic. Researchers who measured bathing soaps found most of them between pH 9 and 10, and they link high-pH soap to drier, more irritated skin. That does not make castile soap unsafe. It is the reason for every "the right amount" and "rinse well" in this guide.
Is it safe for your body, face and hair?
For most people, yes, with the right amount. Use it straight from the bottle as a body wash, in the shower or the bath. On your face, go half soap, half water. On hair it cleans the scalp. If your hair is dry, thick or colour-treated, follow with a conditioner. Castile soap has no synthetic conditioning agents, so hair can feel different for the first few washes.
The most common mistake is using too much. Castile soap is concentrated.
What about sensitive or eczema-prone skin?
Start with Unscented, which has no essential oil in it. Dermatologists recommend a mild, fragrance-free cleanser used only where you need it, a short warm wash, and moisturizer while your skin is still damp. The UK's National Health Service goes further for eczema and advises washing with an emollient (a moisturizing soap substitute) instead of soap. If your dermatologist has told you to use a soap substitute, follow that. The full guide to soap and eczema.
Is castile soap safe for children and babies?
For children, choose Unscented and use it the way you would for yourself: a small amount, kept out of the eyes (it is not tear-free), rinsed well. For babies, ask your pediatrician first, and always for a newborn. The American Academy of Pediatrics says soap can dry out a baby's skin. It advises using soap sparingly, rinsing it off right away, and, where a cleanser is needed, a mild, neutral-pH soap without additives. What we do and do not know about castile soap and babies.
What is in our bottle, and what do we leave out?
A soap is only as good as its ingredient list, so here is ours, the way it reads on the bottle.
ingredients
Seven in Unscented, including
Olive oil · Sunflower oil · Castor oil · Coconut oil · Organic aloe vera
Scented bottles add one more: the named essential oil. The full list is printed on every bottle.
never in the bottle
SLS & sulfates · Parabens · Synthetic fragrance · Tetrasodium EDTA · PEG compounds · Formaldehyde releasers · Phthalates
We are describing the formula, not promising a result on your skin. If you want as little as possible in your wash, Unscented is the one to start with.
Common questions
Is scented castile soap less safe than unscented?
The difference is the essential oil. That is the ingredient to think about for children, babies and reactive skin, so for any of those, choose Unscented. How the two compare.
Can I use castile soap every day?
Yes, as a body wash. Rinse well, and if your skin feels dry, use less or dilute it.
Is castile soap the same as "natural" body wash?
Not always. Many products sold as body wash or even as soap are synthetic detergents. Read the ingredient list, not the front of the bottle. What "clean" labels can hide.
Read more
Skin and hair
- Best soap for eczema: what to look for and what to skip
- Unscented castile soap for sensitive skin
- Which soap suits dry skin in summer?
- Castile soap for hair
- Unscented vs scented castile soap
- Castile soap vs regular soap
Children
Ingredients to watch for
- SLS and sulfates
- Tetrasodium EDTA
- PEG compounds
- Formaldehyde releasers
- Phthalates
- Hormone disruptors in everyday products
- What's in commercial soaps
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Frequently asked questions on soap.
- Tarun J. et al., Evaluation of pH of bathing soaps and shampoos for skin and hair care, Indian Journal of Dermatology, 2014.
- Lambers H. et al., Natural skin surface pH is on average below 5, International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2006.
- American Academy of Dermatology, Atopic dermatitis: self-care.
- National Eczema Association, Bathing and eczema.
- NHS, Atopic eczema: treatment.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, Bathing your baby.
