Update May 2022 —I’ve added a few uses to both the Sal Suds and Castile Soap Cheat Sheets. Plus: All four Cheat Sheets are now available in Spanish! (See the side bar to download or print.)
Dilute! Dilute! OK!* But how much? Here is a quick reference. None of this is a hard and fast rule. If your stuff is really dirty or your water is really hard, then you may want to use more than the recommended amount. However, this should get you started. You’ll notice that for some applications, I recommend pre-diluting the Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap—combining the soap with water in a container. For other applications, the soap is diluted by the water present in the situation. It’s a matter of personal preference. Keep in mind that if you predilute, you are also diluting the preservation system (tocopherols – vitamin E), so the shelf life drops. Use within a couple weeks. And yes, there are 18+ uses here.
* Long time Dr. Bronner’s users will remember this expression from the old labels.
Body Uses
Face: 2-3 drops on wet hands, applied to wet face.
Body: One small squirt on wet hands or washcloth, applied to a wet body.
Foaming Pump Dispenser: Dilution of one part soap to 3 parts water.
Wipe-Off Castile Body Wash Spray: Use when running water isn’t an option due to illness, large cast or bandage, or when hiking, camping, etc. Combine 1 ½ tsp. (7.5 mL) soap and 1 c. (240 mL) room temperature water in a spray bottle. Spray body wash lightly on skin, and wipe with a wet (not dripping) cloth. Dry skin.
Makeup Removal: Wet face and lather several drops of soap into hands. Massage into skin. Rinse.
Hair: A couple drops for close-cropped hair or up to ½ Tbsp. (7.5 mL) for long hair, either worked directly into very wet hair or pre-diluted in a cup of water. Follow with a capful of Dr. Bronner’s Citrus Organic Hair Rinse diluted in one cup (240 mL) of water or dilute apple cider vinegar in half with water.
Bath: Completely depends upon water amount, but approximately 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) soap in an average sized tub. (Doesn’t bubble, but still cleans.)
Shaving: Face—10 drops; Underarms—3 drops; Legs—½ tsp (2.5 mL); Work to a lather in wet hands, apply to area.
Teeth: 1 drop on a toothbrush. (Yes, it tastes like soap.)
Oral Appliances: Removable retainers, nightguards, etc. & dentures: Wet device. Add 1-2 drops of soap to a soft toothbrush. Brush gently, then rinse.
Foot Bath: ½ Tbsp. (7.5 mL) in a small tub of hot water.
Clearing Congestion: 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) Peppermint or Eucalyptus Castile soap in a bowl of steamy hot water. Breathe in mist with a towel draped over the head.
Household Uses
Dishes (Handwashing): Pre-dilute 1:10 with water. Squirt on a scrub brush. Alternatively, add 1-2 Tbsp. (15-30 mL) Castile Soap in a large sink of water. Use a small squirt of soap for one pot, or more if needed. To avoid water spots in hard water conditions, dry dishes by hand.
Laundry: 2–4 Tbsp. (30–60 mL) for HE washers. Add ½ c. (120 mL) vinegar to the rinse cycle. Optional: For whitening/deodorizing, add ¼ c. (60 mL) baking soda to wash cycle. Double these amounts for standard washers.
Handwashing Delicates: 1 capful (1 Tbsp. or 15 mL) Castile Soap in about 1 gallon (4 L) cold water. Swish gently. Let soak 10 minutes. Swish again. Rinse with clean water. Gently press out excess water with a towel. Hang or lay clothing flat to dry.
Mopping (Wood, Laminate, Vinyl, Stone & Tile Flooring): 2 ½ Tbsp (38 mL) of soap in 1 gallon (4 L) of hot water. Dunk mop (microfiber, preferably) and wring thoroughly. On wood and laminate, avoid excess water and mop up wet areas.
For smaller areas, add 2 tsp. (10 mL) Castile Soap to a quart (1 L) of water in a squirt bottle.
All-Purpose Cleaning Spray: ¼ c. (60 mL) soap in a quart (1 L) of water in a spray bottle. Optional: For extra microbial punch, add ¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) tea tree essential oil. Use on any surface that is safe in contact with water-stone countertops & tile; wood (painted or sealed, not waxed); plastic toys and such; stainless steel; sinks & toilets; and more!
Windows: 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) soap in a quart (1 L) of water in a spray bottle. Spray and squeegee. Follow up with pure club soda, or half vinegar/ half water and squeegee.
Toilet: Predilute 1:4 with water in a squirt bottle. Add ¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) tea tree oil. For best results, empty toilet. Spray or squirt 2-3 drops of Castile Soap directly on toilet brush. Sprinkle baking soda on the brush, scrub bowl, let sit 10 minutes, turn water on, flush.
Other Uses for Liquid Castile Soap
Fruit & Veggie Wash: 1 dash (approx. ¼ tsp.) in a bowl of water. Dunk produce and swish. Then rinse in clear water.
Dog Washing: Wet dog thoroughly. Massage in enough soap to create a good lather. (Amount varies based on size, hair type, and overall dirtiness.) Really massage it in down to the skin. Your dog will thank you for it. Rinse thoroughly.
Cleaning Makeup Brushes: Wet the make-up brushes in water. Add 1-2 drops soap to the bristles. Massage in gently for 10+ seconds, then rinse. Repeat as needed until water runs clear.
Plant Spray for Bugs: 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) in a quart (1 L) of water. Optional: Add ½ tsp. (1.25 mL) cayenne pepper or cinnamon. Spray plants twice daily in the cool of the day until infestation clears.
Ant Spray (Not on plants): ¼ c. (60 mL) Tea Tree Castile Soap in a quart (1 L) of water. (This concentration will burn plants.)
I’ve tried to keep this short and sweet. If you have any questions, please ask away!
Not sure when to use Sal Suds or when to use Castile Soap? Head over to my blog post, Sal Suds or Castile Soap—Which to Use?
If you’re interested in using the Castile Bar Soap for house cleaning, check out my Bar Soap Dilutions Cheat Sheet.
Further reading
- Sal Suds Dilution Cheat Sheet
- Sal Suds or Castile Soap – Which to Use?
- GIY All-Purpose Cleaning Spray
- Bar Soap Dilutions Cheat Sheet
This dilution and many more are in my book, Soap & Soul: A Practical Guide to Minding Your Home, Your Body, and Your Spirit with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, available now in hardback on DrBronner.com or at your favorite bookseller, and as an eBook and audiobook (read by me!) from wherever you download or listen.
Can you tell me the best way to deal with Rosacea with Castille soap?
Hi Marilyn – The Tea Tree Castile has helped a good many people battle rosacea. It does a great job at balancing out all sorts of skin maladies. If you find this is too strong, you can also check out the unscented Baby-Mild Castile. Moisturizing is a good option as well. I use a weekly overnight coconut oil masque – massage about a pea sized amount all over the face. Wash off in the morning.
What is the PH level in your liquid Baby Oil Soap?
Hi Cat – The pH of our unscented Baby Mild Castile liquid soap is 8.9.
Hi Lisa, is it ok to add tea tree oil or lavender to the diluted soap. I’m thinking 4 parts water to 1 part Castile soap and 5 drops of tea tree or lavender oils.
Sounds lovely!
Is Dr Bronner’s considering making the new fragrances green tea and cherry blossom permanent and available in the stores for us to buy off the shelf? fingers crossed
Hi Jean – Aren’t they great?! Yes, we are definitely considering that. We are currently conducting a market test to gauge the demand, and doing so on our company website was the best way for us to have better control as we have limited supply. I’ll keep my fingers crossed, too!
Peaceful greetings. I’ve been reading a lot of negative comments in regard to using castile as a shampoo, particularly for locked hair. As the negative statements seem to be against all natural, plantbased products in general, with death- and chemical- laden brand names often being recommended in their place, I’ve grown increasingly suspicious of this apparent majority opinion. I would appreciate some feedback from the natural, plantbased side. Thank you.
Hi Rebecca – Dr. Bronner’s bar soaps (which are vegan and plant based) work great on locked hair. The unscented Baby-Mild makes an extra moisturizing lather. Then, follow up with a diluted apple cider vinegar rinse (1/4 cup ACV in 2 cups water).
Hi Lisa,
Your timing is perfect for me!
Thank you for doing this!
I want to make a large batch of vegetarian liquid laundry soap for friends. The last batch I made was based on ‘other’ soap base, but was highly chemical laden, and through research, I’m finding that perhaps using Bonners for large batch might be an issue for shelf life.
The recipe I was planning to use is this (times about 20):
½ cup Washing Soda
½ cup Baking Soda
Blend with about 6 cups of water, pour in
¾ cup Castile Soap
Store in jar for up to 4 months
I’m wanting to end up with a product that has a shelf life of at least six months because I like to make it for myself just once a year, twice would be ok. But since others want me to make it for them, I’m concerned about adding water and causing grossness to ensue.
Could I make it concentrated by not adding water and just use less in the laundry?
Would the baking soda and /or washing soda cause any chemical reactions with the castile soap?
Perhaps and probably just using Sals Suds would be easier! It’s amazing what research leads one to!
Your thoughts are appreciated!
Thank you!
Heidi
Hi Heidi – I have a couple thoughts on extending the shelf life. One is to add vitamin E as a preservative. Trader Joe’s sells a bottle of it for not very much. A second thought would to use grated Castile bar instead of the liquid and avoid the water altogether. If you try to leave out the water and just use the castile, you’ll get a very dry and hard to mix paste. The washing soda and baking soda will not react with the soap. Personally, I just use the Sal Suds and throw in some baking soda for extra icky loads. I also use vinegar for extra icky loads in the rinse cycle. Hope these thoughts help!
What is the dilution ratio that you use for laundry soap?
Hi Jewel – For the Castile soap in the laundry, use 1/3-1/2 c. of soap for a large load in a normal washer. Add ½ c. vinegar to the rinse cycle. Use half of these amounts for HE
What do you recommend for hand soap Dilutions?
Hi Novia – Straight from the bottle, use a couple drops per hand washing. You can also dilute the soap for foaming pump dispensers at a ratio of 1:3. The Castile soap does not work in a regular pump. It inevitably clogs the pump.
Can scented oil be added to these dilutions for a little aromatherapy? I have Dr. B’s Castile Soap. Thankyou!
Hi Michele – Yes! That’s a lovely thing to do.
[…] a handy dandy dilution cheat sheet that I found […]
[…] The backbone of most of my cleansing based DIYs is Dr Bonner’s, a vegetable based Castile soap, because of its amazing versatility. You can make anything from laundry soap to floor cleaner to human (or dog!) shampoo to this face wash! It comes in lots of varieties, but I use the Unscented Baby type. I paid about $13 for a 32 oz bottle on sale at Target and it should last me at over a year. Check out all your options with Bronner-based products. […]
Ola
I have by now wasted 2 gallons of a soap just trying to make a decent face wash and I just can’t seem to get it right on how much soap with how much water in a foaming pump?!?!?!?!
Does anyone have any advice?
Reply
Try 1 part soap to 3 parts water.
Hi Lisa,
I’m confused about how to dilute the Baby Unscented Soap for hand dishwashing. I want to use it to wash my baby bottles, pacifiers, etc. The ratio on your cheat sheet is 1:10. What does that mean exactly? 1 capful of soap per 10 cups of water? Can you please clarify so I can make sure I don’t over soap the baby items or that it could leave a soapy residue? Thank you!
Angie
Hi Angie – That means 1 part soap to 10 parts water. You could dilute this in an empty bottle, or in a spray bottle. Generally for dishes of any sort, I just put the soap on the washcloth or brush and then scrub the bottles and rinse.
Is this liquid soap anti bacterial? Does it kill germs? Is it safe for sensitive skin? What are the ingredients? Is every ingredient organic?
Thanks,
Sarah Eloise
Hi Sarah – No, it is not antibacterial. In order for a product to be antibacterial, it must contain a pesticide, which our soaps do not. However, soap works by bonding with grime and dirt and carrying it away.
[…] mild castile soap because it is gentle enough to use for my boys who has sensitive skin and eczema. Here is a dilution cheat sheet. For an added anti-bacterial boost to your homemade cleaners, Dr. […]
So sorry, but what does “Pre- dilute 1:10” mean, actually? 1 cup of what to 10 cups of what?
I’ve been using Dr. Bronner’s since 1969! I am sort of embarrassed to say… but… I had saved one of the very original bottles for many many years, just for the label’s text. Then, the boyfriend found it under the sink… and recycled it because “it was empty.” It is the only time in 10 years he actually recycled anything. sigh. Will you ever post the original kooky label? It was fascinating!
Thanks!
Hi there – That is sad! I commiserate with you! We have tried to preserve as much as we can of my grandfather’s original label while still complying with federal labeling laws. I don’t know if we would ever post the original label, but we do have a compilation of my grandfather’s writings in a book here, https://shop.drbronner.com/moral-abc.
1:10 means 1 part soap to 10 parts water. This is meant to be a starting point, and feel free to tweak it to your water hardness and level of dirtiness.
Hello, I was wondering if the castile liquid soaps can be used for washing cars, motorcycles, etc. If so, which scents? The water in my area is alkaline.
Hi Elizabeth – No, I do not recommend the castile for cars and motorcycles as it can react with minerals outdoors or in hard water and leave a slight film. Instead, our Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner is designed for such uses and is all I use on our vehicles. It is a fantastic all purpose house and stuff cleaner – https://shop.drbronner.com/sal-suds-biodegradable-cleaner.
How should I dilute to use for baby
Hi Nancy- For babies, I like to put a small squirt of soap on a wet washcloth and wash them down. This helps keep soap out of their eyes and doesn’t use too much. I wrote a post specifically about washing my little ones: https://www.lisabronner.com/using-castile-baby-mild-soap-on-babies/
What should I use for VERY hard water and are your products be safe for septic tanks. We have a water softner but we still have white spots on everything, even my dark clothes. HELP
Hi Linda – For very hard water, I recommend the Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner. This was designed specifically to be completely clean rinsing even in the hardest of water. Both the Sal Suds and Castile soaps are safe for septic tanks. We have biodegradability certifications on both.
Can’t see my question that I recently posted so I’ll try again.
If I was to dilute the castille soap to be used in a pump dispenser as a handwash for my 2 year old at kinder, what would you suggest?
Thanks.
Hi Matt – The Castile only works in a foaming pump, and not in a regular pump. Dilute at a ratio of 1 part soap to 3 parts water.
Are the different scents across from the “recipe” they should be used with or is it whichever we’d like? 🙂
Hi Melissa – Sorry for the confusion! No, they are just there to be pretty. You can use whichever scent you like.
I was wondering if it would be okay to add more tea tree oil to the tea tree liquid soap?
Hi Alberto – Sure!
hi,
Can I add Essential oil (Like Baby Powder smell, or Fresh Cotton Smell/All ORGANIC) to the solution of D/Bronner Castile soap(UNSCENTED for BABY) + water??
I would love to know-
Same question applies for the Citrus rinsing conditioner solution, after dilution, can I add few drops of Essential oil ? even like Tea Tree oil ?
Many Thanks
Ella
Hi Ella – Yes! That’s a fun thing to do to make it your own!
Hi Lisa!
I have been using Dr. Bronner’s Castille soap for my kitchen sink dish washing finding that when I used it in the automatic dishwasher it did not work as well as 7th Generation. Now I’m looking to replace my laundry detergent, homemade using Borax/fels naptha/Arm&Hammer Washing Soda (reason, we are noticing our kitchen towels are not picking up water off our dishes, it’s as though they have a film on them, they are wonderful new from Kohl’s but after laundering they don’t dry dishes, just smear the moisture around). So my question is how/what do you recommend for washing towels/clothes in an HE Westinghouse front loader? I purchased both Sal’s Suds and more Castille Soap (lavender this time, I usually get lemon for my kitchen sink dish washing formula). I was thinking to use Sal’s Suds straight, but when I purchased it I thought I had run across a recipe for a mix using Sal’s Suds as a base. Sounds like I could just use Castille Soap straight as well for laundry. Thanks,
Hi Nikkea – Use the Sal Suds straight in the laundry. It is exceedingly clean rinsing and won’t leave a film on your towels. For an HE machine, you only n eed 1-2 Tablespoons of the Sal Suds/large load.
How can I make up a gallon of Sal suds ready to go in one of the previous Gallon detergent for say 110 washes.
Hi Foy – For Sal Suds in laundry, I just put in 2-3 tablespoons undiluted directly in the load. You don’t need to predilute this. You can find a pump for the gallon on Amazon and screw that on to your gallon of Sal Suds. You can measure how much it dispenses so that you don’t have to measure in a cup. You’d just know that 1 pump is 2 Tbsp. or so.
HI Lisa,
I have used the peppermint soap bar for years on and off as availability allows and swear by it. I now have a son that is 2 years old and they use liquid hand soap at the kinder that he of course loves using. However after reading the ingredients I have asked them to no longer let him use it and that I will find a substitute.
I was wondering if it possible to use one of the 18 in one castille liquid soaps in a pump bottle dispenser for him and if so, what would I dilute it with and how much?
I am considering getting him the sugar soap but am concerned that it might get wasted as kids play with it and I cannot afford that so I’m hoping to use the castille soaps.
Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.
Matt
When mixing hand soap and other mixes for cleaning (countertop spray, floor cleaner, etc) how long is their shelf life for? Thank you for always taking time to answer our questions. I’m so amazed and incredibly thankful for your customer service!
Hi Amanda – Oh dear! What a moment for me to drop the ball in answering promptly in light of your kind words! I hope my response is still helpful! The shelf life for a dilution such as the All Purpose spray is probably a couple fo months. I’ve never had it go back before I use it up. And the hand soap, with a dilution of 1:3 in a foaming pump, that’s going to last even longer since that’s a very high concentration.
Just wanted to add that I am a person with very sensitive skin and contact dermatitis so I am making my own laundry detergent with only three items including one bar of shaved baby Bronner soap bar(Shave on a metal shredder) 3 cups of washing soda and 4 cups of baking soda mixed together. You can also use one of Bronner scented soaps if you like a scented detergent.I use 1 tablespoon for my HE washing machine and my clothes are nice and clean and have all natural ingredients. This also came about after using a so called clear and free Major brand laundry detergent and breaking out in hives.
Our washer does not let me add the vinegar in the rinse cycle. It goes right in with the wash cycle. Does it matter?
HI Susan – It’s not a good idea to mix the castile with the vinegar. They react with each other and the vinegar unsaponifies the soap – turns it back into oils. I would either leave the vinegar out, or use the Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner instead, which doesn’t have this reaction with vinegar.
But there’s sodium laurel sulfate in this product!
Hi Peggy – The Castile soaps do not contain sodium lauryl sulfate. These soaps are designed first and foremost for body care, and we agree that SLS should not be there. However, you may have seen that our Sal Suds does contain SLS, which is often confused with its cousin SLES, sodium laureth sulfate. BEcause of the great concern about this, I wrote a post that helps clarify the issue: https://www.lisabronner.com/there-is-no-cancer-risk-from-sls-sodium-lauryl-sulfate/
Thank you for making this easy and clear!
Does vinegar have to be added, when using for laundry?
Thanks,
Lindsay
Hi Lindsay – No, the vinegar is optional.
The 18-1 for hair works as a shampoo or conditioner????
Hi Kat – The 18-in-1 Castile would work as a shampoo, and you would need to follow up with an acidic rinse such as apple cider vinegar or the Dr. Bronner’s Citrus Hair Rinse.
Hi, I was wondering what the dilution recommendations were for washing hands . Thank you for this cheat sheet I replaced so many products with the liquid castile soap .
Hi Mari – Glad to hear it! For hands, use a couple drops straight from the bottle on wet hands, or you can dilute it in a foaming pump dispenser at a ratio of 1:3.
I made the dish soap for hand washing and it is not working well. I even added some lemon essential oil to one sink of dishes. The dishes just aren’t getting cleaned well. Any ideas of how I can fix this. I would really like to switch all my household cleaners and soap but I need some ideas to help it work better in my water.
Hi Renae – I have found that for washing dishes, I put the soap solution on my washcloth instead of directly into the sink. I end up using much less soap that way and the dishes get fully clean.
is there a way to thicken for dish soap? I find that it is too watery with simple dilution. Please advise. thanks,
Hi Miriam – There really isn’t a way to thicken it.
Do you dilute the bronner’s liquid soap before adding it to a HE washing machine? 1/3 cup seems like an aweful lot and would be an expensive laundry detergent. I love your site! first time visiting it.
Hi Theresa – 1/3 c. is the amount of undiluted soap. You could check out the Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds which makes a slightly more fantastic laundry wash, and at half the needed amount. https://shop.drbronner.com/sal-suds-biodegradable-cleaner
[…] would want on your floors, so there are different “recipes” for every use. Here is a list from Dr. Bronner’s website of the dilution recipes and how to be sure you are creating the […]
Hi, I have a problem with bedbugs in my apartment. I was thinking about using Bronners to at least repel them. I wanted to put some in water and use it in my carpet cleaner. I know it may not actually do much bug killing, but I want to see if it is practical for this purpose. I already bought your SalSuds and the Hemp Tea Tree oil products. Please advise me if you will. Thanks!
Hi CJT – A Couple posts I’ve written may help you here – this is one on Sal Suds with carpets: https://www.lisabronner.com/cleaning-carpets-with-sal-suds/. I think you could use the castile instead of the Sal Suds. Still keep the concentration very low so that you’re not stuck with a ton of bubbles. Maybe like a teaspoon. And then here’s one on dustmites, which applies to the bedbug situation as well: https://www.lisabronner.com/dust-mites-and-castile-soap/
[…] je po svojih 18 načina uporabe. Prilažem zgodan popis ako nekoga interesira (https://www.lisabronner.com/dilutions-cheat-sheet-for-dr-bronners-castile-soap). Važno je samo naći omjer za razrjeđivanje i možete ga koristiti na razne načine. Ne morate […]
was thinking of recycle my liquid hand soap by reusing the container and mixing Dr Bonner’s with water, what amount should I use (formula)? the container is 7.5 oz.
Hi Brenda – The Castile only works in foaming pumps, and not in regular pumps. For foamers, use a ratio of 1 part soap to 3 parts water.
Thanks!
Hey There!
I just recently started using Dr. Bronner’s Almond as shampoo and my hair is totally freaking out! It has this strange waxy texture and it doesn’t seem to fully wash out no matter what I do! I am trying to make this transition to a healthier more natural lifestyle, but this is a struggle! I have dark curly hair, but now it looks like crazy snake medusa hair! HELP!
Thanks!
Hi Pheobe – The acidic rinse is a crucial step after washing hair with the soap. AFter you’ve rinsed out the soap, apply either 1 cup of diluted apple cider vinegar (1/2 c. water, 1/2 c. ACV) or use the Dr. Bronner’s Citrus Hair Rinse. Your hair is not liking the pH and you need to lower it with a little acidity. Here’s what I wrote about my transition: https://www.lisabronner.com/from-shampoo-to-soap-%E2%80%93-my-story/.
Hi!
I love this “cheat sheet”. I’m curious how to do the laundry detergent one……..I see that it says to add vinegar during the rinse cycle…..if I add both at the beginning will it not work correctly?
Hi Jennifer – No, vinegar and castile soap react with each other and should not be mixed directly. Here’s more on that topic: https://www.lisabronner.com/a-word-of-caution-about-vinegar-and-castile-soap/.
I just diluted my liquid castile soap with water and no suds in the sink or sponge. What dilution ratio would I use to make suds?
Hi Lisa – It’s never going to bubble like a detergent because it does not contain synthetic foaming agents. I recommend squirting your dish dilution on to your washcloth or sponge and using that on the dishes.
Hello, i hope your doing great… How much DR. BRONNER’S should i use if i was to dilute it in a 32 oz. bottle trying to make diy shampoo for me and the family. Thank you 🙂
Hi Daniel – For hair, I use 1/2 Tablespoon directly on wet hair, and then after it is rinsed out, follow it up with an acidic rinse. You can read more about my transition here: https://www.lisabronner.com/from-shampoo-to-soap-%E2%80%93-my-story/.
I have an old fashioned ‘tippy’ soap dispenser- ( wall mounted and must be tipped to dispense soap) . The soap must be thin enough to run through the eye of dispenser. Can you suggest what ratio I should use please.
Hi Tania – The Castile doesn’t work well in this kind of dispenser. Even diluted, it’s going to clog the opening. The only type of dispenser that works well is the foaming pumps. Use a dilution of 1 part soap to 3 parts water.
When you rinse with ACV, does it get the tangles out? I need something that helps with tangles. I lose enough hair with regular conditioner!! Thanks!!
Hi Lori – Yes, the ACV will smooth out the tangles. Let it sit on your hair for a few minutes before rinsing it out.
Hi there, thanks for your response, i truly appreciate it. I think I meant to say dilute the whole mix (castile soap + butters/oils) with some water.
My skin felt very squeaky clean and it dried up quite a bit after using it, even with all the oils, hence my question whether dilution with water would be advisable.
And on another note, if I dilute castile and water, do i need a preservative? I looked for info on this all over the net but couldn’t find my answer. I’ve gone through tubs of castile as i make my own foaming handwash with castile, a bit of a carrier oil, distilled water and essential oils, and i love it, but lately I’ve been wondering if my soap is contaminated with all sorts of yucky stuff that we can’t see. They look, smell and feel fine (lovely!) on the skin but who knows what’s really in that soapy water?
Not sure if the bacterias and yeast, mold, etc, would survive the soap ph and whatnot. Anyhow, any tip would be (again) appreciated.
Hi Thais – If the soap is smelling and working fine in your dilution, it is not going bad. If you let it sit in dilution for a couple months, it might turn, but in that case, you would notice an off smell.
Thanks!
Time for true confessions, folks. It is February 9, 2017, and I have missed several months of comments for the simple reasons that things went a little crazy around here. I very much apologize. I am tackling them now for the sake of those faithful and new readers who might actually read them all. I am going to start with the most recent. Bear with me.
great!
I have used this for over forty years. I miss the old formula before it was so diluted but still a great choice for all the uses
Hi Steffani – It’s great to hear from a long time customer! I hope my explanation can assure you that we have not diluted the soap. The soap is lighter than it was before since now we use colorless but more effective vitamin E (tocopherols) and not dark brown rosemary from years past, and the viscosity is a little different because of a higher olive oil content, but the soap is just as concentrated as it was before at 39% solid. Absolutely no dilution has occurred. You can determine this by pouring similar quantities of our older conventional and newer organic liquid soaps into separate cups, and observing that exactly the same amount of solid soap is left behind when the water evaporates. In fact, this sometimes accidentally happens when the cap is left open and the water content that keeps it liquid evaporates, leaving solid soap behind to clog the hole. All in all, the integrity of our soaps is higher than they have ever been. We have now converted all of our oils to organic and Fair Trade sources, which means that we are supporting lots of sustainable farming and farm-worker health now. The cost to us has been tremendous, but we felt the earth was definitely worth it. Besides, this was an endeavor Dr. Bronner would definitely have supported if he were alive today.
Dear Lisa
Thank you for your writings; very good, and also you look healthy!
I have been using Ecover laundry liquid and fabric conditioner but my laundry never smells pleasant. Google suggested Dr Bronner peppermint castille liquid soap. Would this be your recommendation, we have sensitive skin? What do you do about a fabric conditioner? I use one as it softens clothes.
What would you recommend Dr Bronner wise for smelly drains? I’m using white vinegar and bicarb at the moment.
Keep up the good work everybody X God and family are also my first priority x
God bless and thanks x
Hi Jane – Thank you for your kind words! I have a couple of options for you for your laundry. The Peppermint Castile – or any of the scented Castiles – are great options. I follow them up with vinegar as a fabric softener. Another great choice is Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds (https://shop.drbronner.com/sal-suds-biodegradable-cleaner), which is what I use most of the time: https://www.lisabronner.com/sal-suds-in-the-laundry/. It’s very effective, scentless, and very clean rinsing. You can still add the vinegar to the rinse cycle.
For drains, I too use the vinegar and baking soda, but it’s also a good idea to make sure there’s no blockage in the drain which could be causing the smell. I have directions for clearing that at the end of this post: https://www.lisabronner.com/deodorizing-the-sink-with-vinegar-and-baking-soda/.