Castile Soap Dilution Chart
This soap is 2 to 3 times more concentrated than ordinary liquid soap, body wash or cleanser. It is meant to be mixed with water, and using it neat is the most common reason people decide castile soap does not work. Nine recipes are printed on every bottle. Here they are in one place, with the ratio written out so you can scale them.
Purified or distilled water is worth using where the label asks for it. Hard water reacts with soap and leaves a film.
The nine label recipes
| Use | Soap : water | The label recipe | Full write-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body wash and hand soap | 1 : 1 | ½ cup soap, ½ cup purified water. | Body wash and hand soap |
| Facial cleanser | 1 : 24 | 1 tbsp soap, 1 cup distilled water, ½ cup witch hazel. Optional: 5 drops tea tree oil. | Facial cleanser |
| Shampoo | 1 : 8 | 2 tbsp soap, 1 cup purified water. Follow with an acidic rinse: 1 part lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to 8 parts water. Keep away from eyes. | Shampoo and the acidic rinse |
| Hand-washing dishes | a squirt | Add a squirt to hot running water in the sink, not onto the sponge. | Washing dishes |
| Fruit and veggie wash | ¼ tsp per sink | ¼ tsp in a sink or large bowl of water. Rinse produce in clean, cool water. | Fruit and vegetable wash |
| Multi-purpose cleaning spray | 1 : 16 | ¼ cup soap to 1 quart warm water, in a spray bottle. | All-purpose cleaning spray |
| Shaving | neat, a little | Rub a little between wet hands to lather. Face, underarms or legs. | Shaving |
| Laundry detergent | 1 cup per batch, ½ cup per load | Boil 4 cups water; dissolve ½ cup washing soda, ¼ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp kosher salt. Cool, add 12 cups water, stir in 1 cup soap. Shake before use. ½ cup per load. | Laundry detergent |
| Pet shampoo | 1 : 1 | 1 cup soap, 1 cup purified water. Massage into fur; keep soap out of eyes and water out of ears. | Pet shampoo and cautions |
Ratios are rounded from the label's measures. 1 cup is 16 tablespoons; 1 quart is 4 cups.
Two ratios that are not on the label
Foaming pump dispenser: about 1 : 3. Much thinner than the body wash recipe. Foaming pumps are built to aerate a thin liquid; the standard 1 : 1 mix is too thick and will clog the mechanism. Pour the water in first, then the soap, and turn the bottle end over end rather than shaking it.
If your skin reacts easily, go weaker than the label. Start thinner than the recipe and work up. Under-diluted castile soap is the usual reason it feels harsh. Patch test on the inside of a forearm and wait a full day.
How long a diluted mix keeps
Two to three weeks. The concentrate is stable on its own for three years from opening, but the water you add introduces microorganisms and there are no synthetic preservatives in this soap to hold them back. Mix small batches as you need them rather than diluting a whole bottle.
Do not mix castile soap with vinegar
Soap is alkaline and vinegar is acidic. Combined in one bottle they cancel out and leave a curdled residue. Vinegar belongs in a separate rinse, never in the same mix. This applies to the cleaning spray, the dishes, and the shampoo rinse.
Scaling a recipe
The ratios hold at any size. For a 16 oz pump bottle of body wash, that is 1 cup soap and 1 cup water. For a quart of cleaning spray, ¼ cup soap. For a gallon, 1 cup.
For external use only. Keep out of reach of children. Discontinue use if irritation, redness or discomfort occurs.
Shop Pure-Castile Soap 64oz · All nine recipes, written up in full
