Le Savon de Castille : ses bienfaits pour la peau et l'environnement

Castile Soap: benefits for the skin and the environment

June 2024 | by María Gutiérrez

It's only been a short time since Masaison discovered the Castile soapand we love it! Today we're going to tell you all about it. benefits Castile soap, not only for your skin, but also for the environment.

What is Castile Soap?

To understand Castile soap, you first need to understand soap. To make solid soap, we only need two ingredients: water and soap.oil (or vegetable butter) and caustic soda. We then choose our favourite type of oil or blend of oils and add caustic soda. This will saponify the oil (change its chemical structure) and if we leave it for a few weeks until it hardens, we get soap. Of course, most soaps contain additional ingredients such as essential oils or active ingredients, but it's the saponified oil that gives it its washing properties.

Le Castile soap is a soap that uses oil base 100 % olive oil. As its name suggests, this soap originated in the Castile region and is considered to be one of the oldest forms of soap.

In contrast, other popular soaps can be made with blends ofcoconut oil, palm oil, shea butter, cocoa butter and others. Each oil brings different characteristics to the soap.

Its benefits for the skin

The main characteristic of Castile soap is that it is more soft than other soaps. Nowadays, most soaps use at least a little coconut oil. Although this ingredient gives soaps very good properties, it can also be irritating. The use of 100 % of olive oil in Castile soap therefore gives a very mild soap. very mild soapperfect for sensitive skins.

The benefits

Hydration and softness Castile soap is very mild and moisturising, perfect for dry, sensitive skin.
Hypoallergenic Contains no ingredients likely to cause an allergic reaction.
Non-comedogenic Does not clog pores, helping to prevent acne and other skin problems.
Versatile It can be used on the body as well as the face, and even as a gentle shampoo.
Antioxidant Olive oil contains antioxidants such as vitamin E, which help protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals.

Its benefits for the planet

As you can imagine, the reason we like it at Masaison is because it's an ecological alternative, and we'll explain why:

Reduced Environmental Impact This soap is fully biodegradable, which means that it breaks down naturally without leaving behind residues that are harmful to the environment.
Pure formula Castile soap does not require the addition of chemical compounds such as preservatives, artificial fragrances or colourings.
Energy saving The cold saponification process used to produce it consumes less energy than hot production methods.
Sustainable sourcing Castile soap can be made from local oils, such as olive oil produced in France. This reduces the carbon emissions associated with transporting raw materials and supports local agriculture.
A single product for several uses Castile soap can be used for the body, hair, household cleaning and even laundry. This versatility helps to reduce the number of products purchased and, consequently, packaging waste and overall consumption of resources.
Non toxic Castile soap is non-toxic to plants and animals, making it a safe choice for natural and domestic environments.

When should it be used?

Here are the most popular uses for Castile soap:

Facial cleanser Castile soap: thanks to its mildness and non-comedogenic properties, Castile soap is a very good option as a facial soap. It washes and moisturises without stripping the skin of its natural oils.
Baby cleanser As one of the mildest soaps and with its simple composition, this soap is safe for washing babies' sensitive skin.
Household cleaning product Castile soap: if you or someone you know is very sensitive to household products, or if you have a baby who puts everything in his mouth and you're looking for natural alternatives, Castile soap could be the solution. It's perfectly possible to clean with this soap, but it's important to remember that it's still a mild soap. Be careful not to mix it with vinegar! The mixture is not dangerous, but it weakens the cleaning power of the soap.

Do you like natural cosmetics?

At Masaison we make cosmetics using French ingredients, natural, bio and above all seasonal. Our aim is to keep processing and waste to a minimum, so as to let the planet breathe, but also our skin. All the while guaranteeing effective, healthy moisturising.