Ingredients
Pure & Natural Ingredients
Our Ingredients Philosophy
Our Castile soaps are crafted using the highest quality plant-based oils, with extra virgin olive oil as the foundation. These oils — including coconut, castor, argan, jojoba, sweet almond, and avocado — are carefully selected for their skin-nourishing properties, lather quality, and environmental sustainability.
Through the traditional process of saponification, these natural oils are blended with water and lye, transforming them into a gentle, effective, and long-lasting soap. No lye remains in the finished product — only pure, moisturizing soap enriched with natural glycerin. By combining different oils in precise ratios, we create soaps that balance cleansing power, creamy lather, and skin-conditioning benefits, while staying true to the heritage of authentic Castile soap-making.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Our soaps are crafted with extra virgin olive oil sourced directly from our family’s groves in Balıkesir, Türkiye – a region renowned for producing some of the world’s finest olives. This high-quality oil is cold-pressed to preserve its rich content of antioxidants, vitamins E and K, and essential fatty acids.
Olive oil forms the heart of traditional Castile soap, creating a gentle, creamy lather that cleanses without stripping the skin’s natural moisture. Its high oleic acid content deeply nourishes and conditions, leaving the skin soft, supple, and hydrated. Rich in polyphenols, olive oil also helps protect the skin from environmental stress and premature aging.
In addition to skincare benefits, olive oil in soap improves the product’s overall longevity and creates a smooth, silky texture. While pure olive oil soaps produce a lighter foam compared to coconut oil blends, the lather is exceptionally mild, making it ideal for sensitive, dry, or allergy-prone skin. This balance of cleansing and moisturizing is what has made olive oil the gold standard in natural soap-making for centuries.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a key ingredient in our Castile soap formulations, adding rich, creamy lather and enhancing the soap’s natural cleansing power. Extracted from the kernel of mature coconuts, this oil is packed with medium-chain fatty acids, particularly lauric acid, which has natural antimicrobial and cleansing properties.
In soap-making, coconut oil helps create a firm, long-lasting bar or a stable liquid soap that produces abundant foam, even in hard water. While olive oil alone yields a mild, low-foam soap, coconut oil balances this by providing a more bubbly, luxurious lather that many customers love.
For the skin, coconut oil offers gentle yet effective cleansing without leaving a greasy residue. It helps dissolve excess oils, dirt, and impurities while maintaining the skin’s softness. Additionally, its conditioning qualities make it suitable for both body and hair cleansing, leaving hair light, clean, and naturally shiny.
When used in the right proportions, coconut oil enriches the sensory experience of natural soap while ensuring it remains mild and nourishing — a perfect complement to the moisturizing benefits of olive oil.
Castor Oil
Castor oil, extracted from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant, is a highly valued ingredient in natural soap-making due to its exceptional moisturizing and lather-enhancing properties. Rich in ricinoleic acid, this thick, viscous oil acts as a natural humectant, attracting and retaining moisture in the skin, which helps prevent dryness after cleansing.
In Castile soap formulations, castor oil plays a unique role in boosting lather quality. While olive oil produces a creamy but low-foam soap and coconut oil creates bubbly foam, castor oil contributes stability, creaminess, and density to the lather, making it last longer during use.
Its conditioning effect leaves the skin soft and smooth while providing a gentle cleansing action suitable for sensitive skin types. When used in hair care, castor oil can help nourish the scalp, promote healthy shine, and reduce dryness or flakiness.
By combining castor oil with other high-quality plant oils, we create a balanced soap that is not only gentle and moisturizing but also rich in texture and performance — a hallmark of our handcrafted Castile soaps.
Argan Oil
Known as “liquid gold,” argan oil is cold-pressed from the kernels of the Moroccan argan tree. Rich in vitamin E, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids, it deeply nourishes the skin while helping to improve elasticity and softness. In soap-making, argan oil adds a silky texture and boosts moisturizing properties, making it ideal for dry or mature skin. Its lightweight composition absorbs easily without leaving a greasy residue, leaving skin smooth and hydrated.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is technically a liquid wax extracted from the seeds of the Simmondsia chinensis plant. Closely resembling the skin’s natural sebum, it provides excellent hydration while balancing oil production. In Castile soaps, jojoba oil enhances conditioning properties, supports skin barrier function, and offers long-lasting moisture retention. It is especially beneficial for sensitive or acne-prone skin as it is non-comedogenic and soothing.
Sweet Almond Oil
Pressed from the seeds of the almond tree, sweet almond oil is rich in vitamins A, E, and B-complex, as well as omega fatty acids. It gently nourishes and softens the skin, making it an excellent choice for sensitive or irritated skin types. In soap-making, it enhances creaminess, adds skin-conditioning benefits, and creates a smooth, moisturizing feel that is perfect for daily use.
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil, extracted from the fruit’s pulp, is loaded with vitamins A, D, and E, as well as potassium and lecithin. It penetrates deeply into the skin, supporting hydration and promoting skin repair. In Castile soaps, avocado oil boosts richness, provides anti-inflammatory benefits, and improves the soap’s conditioning profile, making it ideal for dry, mature, or damaged skin.
Shea Butter
Derived from the nuts of the African shea tree, shea butter is renowned for its intense moisturizing and protective qualities. Rich in vitamins A and E, it helps restore skin elasticity, reduce dryness, and protect against environmental stressors. In soap-making, shea butter adds creaminess, hardness, and a luxurious feel, while helping to lock in moisture after cleansing.
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter, extracted from cacao beans, is a highly stable, nourishing fat with a rich chocolate aroma. It is packed with antioxidants and fatty acids that help soften and protect the skin. In Castile soaps, cocoa butter contributes firmness, a velvety texture, and excellent moisturizing benefits, making it a favorite for soothing dry or sensitive skin.
Natural Colorants
Our soaps are colored only with natural, plant-based ingredients, ensuring they remain free from synthetic dyes or artificial pigments. We use botanical powders such as spirulina for green, turmeric for golden yellow, paprika or annatto seed for warm orange tones, beetroot powder for pink, indigo powder for deep blue, and activated charcoal for rich black. These natural colorants not only provide beautiful, earthy shades but also bring additional skin benefits such as antioxidants, minerals, and gentle exfoliation.
Pure Essential Oils
We scent our soaps exclusively with pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils distilled from plants, flowers, and herbs. Options include calming lavender, refreshing peppermint, invigorating eucalyptus, purifying tea tree, uplifting sweet orange, crisp lemongrass, and aromatic rosemary, among others. These essential oils provide natural fragrance without synthetic perfumes, while offering aromatherapy benefits such as relaxation, mental clarity, and mood enhancement.
Water & Lye
Water and lye are essential for the traditional saponification process — the chemical reaction that transforms oils into soap. We use purified water and either sodium hydroxide (for solid soap) or potassium hydroxide (for liquid soap) to ensure purity and safety. While lye is necessary in soap-making, it is completely consumed in the reaction, leaving no trace in the finished product. The result is a gentle, safe, and naturally cleansing soap without any harsh chemical residues.
