Originally, castile soap was an olive oil based soap made in the Castile region of Spain. Today, “castile” refers to any soap that is made from vegetable oil rather than animal fat and synthetic substances. Liquid castile soap is natural, biodegradable, and versatile product with numerous effective applications. I know 12 great uses for castile soap, are there any I missed? I would love to hear your ideas!

1. Hand soap and everyday body-washing. Get wet and pour 2-3 drops of soap onto hands or washcloth. Lather up, scrub down, rinse off, and tingle fresh and clean.

2. Shampoo

Castile soap shampoo recipe 1:

• 1/4 cup liquid castile soap
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/2 tsp olive, grapeseed or jojoba oil
• ~5 drops essential oil of your choice

Dissolve the soap in the hot water. Stir in the oils. Enjoy your new natural shampoo.

Castile soap shampoo recipe 2:

• 1/4 cup liquid castile soap
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 tsp olive, grapeseed or jojoba oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Whip until smooth. Use immediately and put any leftovers into the refrigerator and use the next day or two.

3. Baby bath
Pour 1/4 cup of liquid castile soap in running water for a natural, gentle, and safe baby bath. As with any baby wash, be sure to keep it out of baby eyes.

4. Bubble bath
Luxurious castile soap bubble bath recipe:

• 1/2 – 1 cup liquid castile soap
• 5-8 drops essential oil of your choice
• 2 ounces of coconut oil

Pour the bubble bath mix into the running bath water. Relax!

5. Shaving

6. Pet shampoo

7. Laundry
Use 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup for one regular load. Adding a dash of baking soda makes it even better.

8. Household cleaner

1 part castille soap to 40 parts water for light cleaning, 1 part castille soap to 10 parts water for heavy duty cleaning.

9. Dishwashing detergent
Natural automatic dishwasher detergent recipe:

• 1/2 cup liquid castile soap
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup white vinegar

Blend all ingredients together. Store in a squirt top bottle. Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes, shake well before use.

10. Veggie/fruit wash

11. Toothpaste. I’ve heard that pure liquid castile soap can be used for brushing your teeth! Has anyone tried this?

12. Backpacking. Because castile soap is so versatile and biodegradable you can take one small bottle with you and use it for everything without fouling up the environment.

• 2 cups – Epsom salt
• 3 tbsp – baking soda
• 8 drops – essential oils

Choose 3 or 4 oils from these essential oils: cedarwood, chamomile, cypress, frankincense, geranium, lavender, mandarin, melissa, neroli, orange, rose, rosewood, sandalwood, ylang ylang essential oils.

Mix the ingredients very well. Add to tub of running water.

Energizing salt bath recipe

• 1 cup – Epsom salts
• 1 cup – sea salt
• 3 drops – eucalyptus essential oils
• 3 drops – rosemary essential oils
• 3 drops – peppermint essential oil

Mix the ingredients and add to tub of running water.

Relaxing minty bath oil recipe

• 1/2 cup – castor oil
• 1/2 tsp – spearmint oil
• 1/2 tsp – orange oil

Blend the ingredients together in a bottle by shaking them up, and add to warm bath.

Honey and oatmeal milk bath recipe

• 1/2 cup – powdered milk
• 1/2 cup – finely ground oats
• 1/2 cup – honey

Mix the ingredients, and add to warm bath.

Skin-softening bath recipe

• 1 cup – buttermilk
• 3 tbsp – Epsom salt
• 1/2 tbsp – olive oil or canola oil
• 3 drops lavender or geranium essential oil

Mix the ingredients and add to tub of running water. Soak for 15 minutes or so, relax and enjoy!

• Avoid processed foods, caffeine, alcohol, refined sugar and salt. Instead of using salt, substitute herbs and spices, such as oregano, basil, coriander, thyme, parsley, paprika or cayenne pepper, and season with lemon, garlic or vinegar, all of which support the detox process while adding flavour.

• Fresh, raw vegetables (e.g., broccoli, beets, leafy greens, cauliflower, onions, etc.) and fruits (e.g., lemons, grapefruits, tomatoes, pineapples, etc.), and whole grains (especially, oat) are a great food for detox since they help the body flush out toxins.

• Exercise regularly. Exercise (e.g. swimming, walking, yoga, dancing, etc.) is an effective method of cleansing many of your vital organs simultaneously.

• Drink plenty of pure water. You can also add some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, which have great detoxifying properties.

• Herbal teas are used as part of many detox programs because of their healing properties.

• Try this cleansing tonic to help strengthen your liver:

1 cup of pure water
juice of a lemon
pinch of powdered ginger
1 tbsp flax seeds.

• Make a purifying herbal tea from:

1 tsp nettle
1 tsp peppermint
1 tsp dandelion root
1 tsp clover
3 cups cold water
Combine everything in a saucepan, bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and sweeten with apple juice if you wish.

• Detoxify your body by adding half a cup of sea salt to your bath as it fills up. Not only will it stimulate your skin, you’ll float better in it, taking the strain of muscles.

You can also make apple cider vinegar or ginger detoxifying baths. Add 1-2 cups of pure apple cider vinegar or 2-3 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger in your bath and soak in the tub for about 20 minutes. Hot water works better for detoxification (But be careful, if you have cardiovascular system diseases!).

• Dry body brushing before showering has also been shown to stimulate lymphatic flow and circulation and remove dead skin cells.

• Other effective methods for detoxification include sauna, massage, reflexology, acupuncture and acupressure.

Related post: Herbal teas that detox

Healthy nutrition

In order to fight cellulite, you have to detox your body. Avoid sugars, saturated and hydrogenated fats, caffeine, refined and processed foods, alcohol, soda and tobacco use.Reduce the amount of salt in your diet, since salt is known to contribute to water retention, which promotes cellulite.

Eat little and often. Consume a nutrient-dense diet rich in whole, unprocessed, preferably organic, foods. Feast on fruit and vegetables, which are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Fiber is important, as it removes waste and toxins from the intestinal tract. Increase your intake of proteins (cold-water fish, lean meats, seeds, nuts, legumes) and wholegrain foods (bran, oat cereals).

Use spices that are effective in curing cellulite, owing to their antioxidant properties: cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic, ginger, juniper berries, peppermint, etc.

Drink 1-2 liters of still, pure water daily. Add fresh lemon juice for further detoxification. Drink detoxifying herbal teas of dandelion, ginger, burdock, red clover, etc.

Supplements
Vitamins C and E may help to reduce cellulite. Fish oil, gingko biloba, and soy lecithin are also effective supplements that provide positive effects such as improving blood circulation, boosting metabolism, and protecting against cell damage.

Exercise
It is better to combine cardiovascular exercises with strength training and stretching. Though this may be anything from walking and swimming to dancing and yoga. You can lose weight, tone your muscles and keep your heart healthy. To help speed up the cellulite reduction process, you can choose exercises that target the area that contains the cellulite. Exercise also helps your body eliminate toxins, another key to cellulite reduction. Moreover, regular exercise increases your serotonin level as effectively as an antidepressant. Make a habit of exercising for at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week.

Massage
A massage activates blood circulation and lymphatic system helping battle the cellulite. Perform cellulite massage in a circular motion from top to bottom. Massage with coconut oil proves to be very useful in treating cellulite. As well, many essential oils like cedar, juniper, rosemary can be added to your massage oil for better effect. Mixing 3 parts apple cider vinegar with one part of your massage oil is also effective.

Dry skin brushing
Regular dry skin brushing just before bathing gives excellent results. Start brushing your feet upwards and from your lower to upper arms going through your shoulders and back. It will increase blood circulation and improve the appearance of your skin. Wet skin is generally not recommended, as it stretches more on brushing.

Anti-cellulite creams
Anti-cellulite creams with botanical ingredients like ivy barley, kola nut, sweet clover, lemon, strawberry and fennel increase circulation and blood flow in the area, repair and fortify skin cells and connective tissue, therefore improving the skin texture and reducing the cellulite.

It is very easy to make an anti-cellulite massage cream at home. Mix coffee grounds with any vegetable oil or moisturizing lotion. Rub it on the cellulite areas for just a couple minutes a day and then shower it off. The coffee grounds will exfoliate the skin, while the caffeine will absorb into the skin and stimulate fat cells to release.

Anti-cellulite body wrap
Try to make an anti-cellulite body wrap at home (and safe at least $100 ). The body wrap will stimulate your fat cells and absorb toxins that have been built up in the skin. Take the warm coffee grinds or seaweed and smooth them out over the area of skin that has cellulite. Wrap the treated area in plastic wrap and some towels. You can also use gauze to hold the coffee grinds in place before applying the plastic wrap. Relax and leave it for about 30 minutes. Then, remove the towels and plastic wrap. Take a warm shower and enjoy your rejuvenated skin.

Aromatherapy
Soak yourself in warm bath with a mixture of about two cups of sea salt and 6-8 drops of essential oil for 10-20 minutes. While you are in a tub, massage your body with an upward motion. Essential oils such as juniper, rosemary, cedar wood, grapefruit and patchouli are useful in cellulite removal.

Stress reduction
It is vital to reduce unmanageable stress. Start to practice deep breathing, meditation and yoga right now.

Getting rid of cellulite is not a big deal, if you work to remove it on a daily basis! Wish you patience and good luck!

According to the astrology, human actions may be influenced and predicted depending upon the positions and relationships of the sun, moon, stars, and planets in the sky. Each of the twelve astrological signs has a companion herb plant you can use to create your own personal herbal bath to celebrate your birthday. You will feel refreshed, revived, and in touch with the sky above and the cycles of nature. You can also create a very personal gift to your friend by giving them a fresh bouquet or a jar of dried zodiac herbs.

• Aquarius – Mullein
• Pisces – Rosehip
• Aries – Rosemary
• Taurus – Mint
• Gemini – Parsley
• Cancer – Jasmine
• Leo – Chamomile
• Virgo – Fennel
• Libra – Yarrow
• Scorpio – Basil
• Sagittarius – Sage
• Capricorn – Comfrey

Add 1 cup of fresh herbs or ½ cup of dried herbs to the bathwater either by strewing the plants directly into the water or enclosing them in a mesh container. Wrapping the herbs in a piece of cheesecloth will ensure a cleaner tub after the bathing. When the tube is full and the herbs have steeped for about 5 minutes, bathe yourself in the warm herbal waters, and enjoy!

Source: Cox, J. Natural beauty from the garden.