What’s the Difference Between Olive Oil Soap and Castile Soap?
A quick Google search for “best soap for sensitive skin” will offer up countless soap products, all marketed as fragrance-free, clear of harsh chemicals, ultra moisturizing, hypoallergenic, and even dermatologist-approved. However trendy these products are, they can’t all boast that they have passed the test of time. Time-tested, all-natural, and relatively affordable, olive oil soap (and its very close cousin Castile soap) is a top-tier option for skincare. Even better, it can also be used for laundry, kitchen cleaning, pet care, and countless other everyday purposes.
What is Olive Oil Soap?
Simply put, olive oil soap is soap that features olive oil as one of its three primary ingredients.
Traditionally, soap is made with just three ingredients: water, oil, and lye. Lye on its own is a toxic, alkaline chemical, but when mixed with a fat like oil, it is neutralized. While a variety of different fats can be used to create soap, many makers of traditional or handcrafted soap rely on olive oil. When water, olive oil, and lye are combined, the result is olive oil soap.
What is Castile Soap?
In traditional soapmaking, "olive oil soap" and "Castile soap" are two different terms for the same product. In today’s soapmaking landscape, however, the definition of Castile soap has expanded. Whereas Castile soap used to be made with only olive oil, today it can incorporate a variety of plant-based oils as its fat component.
Historically, the two most common fats used in soapmaking were olive oil and beef tallow. Popular lore suggests that olive oil soaps, which have long been associated with luxury, originated in Europe, specifically in the medieval Castile region of Spain, which gave olive oil soaps the name “Castile soaps.” Many historians and soapmakers, however, believe that olive oil soap may have actually originated in the Middle East and been brought back to Castile by Crusaders. Castile soaps were special not only because they contained olive oil, but also because their lye component was barilla, an alkaline power made from plants found only in the Castile region. While Castile soap containing olive oil and barilla was once the gold standard and highly sought after, developments in soap production methods and shifting political and religious allegiances in the Castile region lead to Castile soap's fall from popularity by the early 17th century.
Today, leading soapmakers define Castile soap as soap that contains only plant-based oils. While olive oil is often the primary oil component, other high quality oils like coconut oil and castor oil may be included. Frantoio Grove’s selection of high quality Castile soaps are a great example. While our traditional 100% Superfat Olive Oil Soap contains only olive oil, some of our other castile soaps like our Black Soap, our Rose Clay Soap, and our Papaya Turmeric Soap contain a blend of high quality olive, coconut, and castor oils.
Do Olive Oil Soap and Castile Soap Offer Different Benefits?
Olive oil soap and Castile soap are both very safe, non-toxic and highly-effective soap options. Since both feature only plant-based oils, they’re considered safe for a wide variety of uses, from cleaning your skin, to laundry, home care, and pet care.
The best soap for senstive skin is made with 100% olive oil. 100% olive oil soap is known to be good for acne prone skin, and can even help soothe conditions like psoriasis. Using olive oil soap on your skin is also an excellent way to access the antioxidants present in olive oil, which convey a wide variety of health benefits. If you’re a grooming minimalist, you may also be interested to learn that olive oil soap is considered a natural 2-in-1 product, functioning as both a soap and a moisturizing lotion all at once.
High-quality Castile soaps are even more versatile: one mainstream Castile soap producer even suggests that Castile soap can have upwards of 18 different everyday uses.
Is Castile Soap Right for Me?
At Frantoio Grove, we have a handmade Castile soap that will match your needs, no matter your needs. When selecting a soap, consider whether you’d like a soap that contains a natural fragrance or a soap without any additives. If you like fragrance, our Lavender Soap is a great choice. It’s gentle on skin and will smell fresh and calming whether you use it on your body or for laundry.
When selecting a soap, it’s also important to consider your lather preferences. Olive oil soaps always have a smooth, gentle lather whereas soaps that contain castor oil will have a richer, more cleansing lather.
Shop Our Castile Soap Collection
