Basic Soapmaking

Basic recipes and instructions for making soap

Castile Soap Recipes

olive oil and soap

Castile soap’s main ingredient is olive oil. Olive oil recipes are named ‘Castile’ for the region in Spain where this type of soap originated.

We define Castile soap as an olive oil based soap where olive oil is the main ingredient. Certain companies and soapmakers call soap that has over 40% olive oil a  ‘Castile’ soap.

They are many definitions of what is REAL castile soap and some feel that Castile means 100% olive oil. I read that Castile soap (spelled with a capital C) is made with olive oil and castile soap (spelled with a lower case c) adds vegetable fats.

Certain people also call olive oil soaps with a small percentage of other oils bastile soaps.

For the purpose of talking and learning more about Castile soaps, we wanted to simply share simple recipes that have olive oil as the main ingredient (at least 80%).

Please note that Castile soap should needs a longer cure time, 4 to 6  months is suggested and the lather is lower when your main ingredient is olive oil, the longer is cures the better it lathers.

Here is a favourite Castile soap recipe that I use a a facial soap: Charcoal Castile Soap.

I use castor oil to add that extra lathering effect. I also find that Castile soaps are softer so I add a tablespoon of beeswax at trace to harden the bar.

5 castile soap recipes

Castile Soap Recipes

Olive- Coconut

INGREDIENTS

Fats, oils andbutters

  • 480 grams olive oil
  • 120 grams coconut oil

Lye – Water solution

  • 83 grams lye (sodium hydroxide)
  • 228 grams distilled water

Olive-Coconut-Palm

INGREDIENTS

Fats, oils and butters

  • 480 grams olive oil
  • 60 grams coconut oil
  • 60 grams palm oil

Lye – Water solution

  • 80 grams lye (sodium hydroxide)
  • 228 grams distilled water

Olive – Shortening

INGREDIENTS

Fats, oils andbutters

  • 480 grams olive oil
  • 120 grams  shortening

Lye – Water solution

  • 77 grams lye (sodium hydroxide)
  • 228 grams distilled water

Olive- Castor

INGREDIENTS

Fats, oils andbutters

  • 540 grams olive oil
  • 60 grams castor oil

Lye – Water solution

  • 77 grams lye (sodium hydroxide)
  • 228 grams distilled water

Olive Pomace

INGREDIENTS

Fats, oils and butters

  • 600 grams pomace olive oil

Lye – Water solution

  • 76 grams lye (sodium hydroxide)
  • 228 grams distilled water

for all the above recipes

Scent and additives  at light trace

  • optional: 20 to 36 grams of your favorite essential oils or fragrance oils (you will need a little over 30  milliliters bottle the equivalent of about one fluid ounce).
  • If you are interested in adding some color and/or textures for exfoliation see soap making ingredients and natural soap colorants.

These recipes make about 2 pounds of soap which will produce about 6-7 bars of natural soap.

Cold process soapmaking instructions

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