As a professional soap maker, the topic of castile soap is one of my personal pet peeves. It simply doesn’t mean what it used to. Originally produced in Spain, it was made from pure olive oil only. Today, companies use the term to describe a soap that is made using just one type of oil. I’ve seen others have a variety of oils in the ingredient list and put the word “castile” on the label. Oh well, enough ranting. Here’s a recipe for pure olive oil soap.

44 oz. olive oil
13.2 oz. water
5.6 oz. lye
(optional) 3 oz. of your favorite essential oil

(Keep in the mind that certain essential oils like clove and cinnamon can seize a batch of soap, especially when using 3 full ounces in a 44 ounces of oil base.)

follow standard soap making instructions found on our HOW TO MAKE SOAP page.

I was surfing the web today and found another site with a pure Castile recipe. I’m glad to find someone else out there that knows and appreciates what real castile soap is. Also, her recipe includes beeswax. In 11 years of soapmaking, I’ve never incorporated beeswax into a batch of my soap. But her recipe has me intrigued. Now I want to try it. Hey, after a decade of making soap, you have to try new things to keep the craft fresh. Her recipe is found on her blog here: http://titus2keeperathome.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/make-your-own-castile-soap/