• About So True Castile Soap

About So True Castile Soap

Castile soap originated from the Castile region of Spain in the 1500s. True Castile soap is made purely from olive oil, and is considered the mildest soap there is. In fact, it has earned the nickname ‘newborn soap’, because it is mild enough for newborn skin.

One needs to check the ingredient list. Nowadays, ‘Castile soap’ is a term used loosely to mean any soap made from vegetable oils, not necessarily olive oil. These other oils are often used because they are cheaper, but can be harsh on the skin.

Some Castile soaps will list ‘sodium olivate’ (the INCI name for olive oil soap) but they actually use pomace, which is the final stage of extraction of oil from the pulp and pits of olives. A solvent is used to extract olive oil pomace, and is much cheaper than olive oil. Pure olive oil soaps (without colorants) make a white bar. Olive oil pomace soaps are greenish.

SoTrue Naturals Castile soap uses only premium ingredients to give you a truly luxurious, mild and conditioning soap that will not dry your skin the way other soaps can.

It does not contain toxic chemicals normally found in commercially-made bar soaps, such as sulfates, phthalates and petroleum-derived products, which have been identified as potential carcinogens and have been found to affect the way hormones work in our bodies, especially in young children.

What our soaps do contain are natural skin-nourishing ingredients that are known to be good for all skin types. One of these is glycerin, a naturally occurring byproduct in the soap making process. Glycerin is a precious commodity in the beauty industry, an emollient usually added to lotions and moisturizing creams. In commercial soap making, most (if not all) glycerin is removed to sell separately. In our soaps, it’s all there, waiting to pamper your skin.

All you will find in our soap are:

Saponified olive oil - pure olive oil that has been turned into soap

Fragrance – we use only pure essential oils or phthalate-free fragrance oils

All-natural additives – such as cinnamon or oatmeal

Iron oxides – nature-identical colorants. Iron oxides are found in nature, but the US FDA stopped the mining of iron oxides in the 70s due to contamination issues (traces of lead and arsenic and other toxic stuff were found in them). They have since been made in a laboratory, and have the same molecular structure as those found in nature, but without the bad stuff!

Organic means ‘derived from living matter’. Our soap contains organic ingredients: olive oil and essential oils. Some variants contain certified organic essential oils.

Natural means ‘existing in nature.’ Our soap contains natural ingredients. Aside from olive oil and essential oils, the addition of water is part of our soap making process.

Lye or sodium hydroxide is sodium chloride (salt) that had an electric current pass through it. Once this reacts with olive oil, it turns the oil into soap, and NO LYE/SODIUM HYDROXIDE is left behind.

You can’t make soap without it, but nothing is left of it in the soap.

Phthalates are synthetic components in fragrances that give it its staying power. Unfortunately, phthalates have been linked to early puberty, autism, and birth defects. Companies are not required to disclose phthalates in their labels, and unless specified as phthalate-free, you are likely to find this in products that contain the ingredient ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’.

Essential oils do not contain phthalates, and our fragrance oils are certified phthalate-free.

Definitely. While soap bubbles have nothing to do with soap’s cleansing abilities, SoTrue Naturals Castile soap does create bubbles. But they are very tiny, resulting in a rich, creamy lather.

Soap molecules have two ends: an oil- and dirt-loving end and a water-loving end. When you apply soap to the skin, one side attaches itself to the mucky grime and when you rinse, the water-loving side attaches to the water and all of it gets washed away. So yes, you are definitely getting clean!

Our soaps do not contain artificial hardeners, and its high glycerin content will naturally attract moisture. Left in a puddle of water (no matter how small) or in an area in the bath where water can get to it, it will definitely turn into a mucky mess. But if you keep it as dry as possible in between uses (some clients even cut their bars in half), you will find that your soap will last you a long time.

And if you read this too late and found your soap a mucky mess, don’t throw it out, it’s still good soap! Apply it on your skin using a soap sponge or loofah. Think of it as bath gel!