Redbud Remedies

Castile Soap

Posted on 03/28/2009 at 02:08PM +AddThis

Castile is a name used in English-speaking countries for soap made exclusively from vegetable oil (as opposed to animal fat), although many traditional soap makers believe Castile soap must be made exclusively or predominantly from Olive oil. Examples of other oils that are commonly used in Castile soaps include Coconut, Hemp, and Jojoba. Castile soap is also sometimes called Seafarer’s soap because of its broad range of uses.

Castile soap originated in the Spanish kingdom of Castile, where it was made exclusively with Olive oil. Importations of “Castile soap” through Antwerp appear in the London port books of 1567–68 (Dietz 1972), although no references to “Castile soap” appear earlier than 1616. In Castile, barilla (an impure form of sodium carbonate obtained from plant ashes) was boiled with locally available olive oil, instead of tallow to produce soap. By adding brine (saltwater) to the boiled liquor, the soap was made to float to the surface, where it could be skimmed off by the soap-boiler, leaving the excess lye and impurities to settle out. This process produced what was probably the first white hard soap known as Jabón de Castilla, which eventually became the generic name (Castile Soap). To an apothecary it was known as sapo hispaniensis or sapo castilliensis.

The French were quick to adopt the superior Castile soap making tradition in the 17th century. The Castilian method and small regional adaptations lead to what is known as Marseille Soap in France. In the 17th century, southern France had an abundance of olive oil, soda ash, and salt and therefore became the premier center for soap production in the world. In 1688, Louis XIV laid further groundwork for the French soap industry by enacting laws which prohibited the use of tallow (animal fat) in French soap. Those who did not use Olive oil in their soap risked banishment from Provence. The groundwork was laid for French Marseille soap to thrive and it did the world over until the 1940s.

The 1940s brought an end to the booming soap industry in southern France. The creation of the washing machine and the invention of synthetic detergents were the leading cause of the decline in Marseille soap (Castile soap). Several other factors contributed to the decline in use of Marseille soap such as the creation of supermarkets and more competition from other soap manufacturers in the world market.

The industrialization of body care products and the substitution of petro-chemicals for natural ingredients have led to further degradation of the Natural and Organic soap market. This has pushed soap products like Marseille soap (Castile soap) into boutique markets. In the 1940s, large companies and corporations began looking for cheap and inexpensive ways to produce surfactants that could be distributed in a cost effective manner. Commercialization of the soap industry lead to high volume production and a keen interest in the reduction of unit costs, thus leaving traditional soap making methods in the dust. Soaps made with petro-chemicals could be produced for a fraction of the cost of traditional Castile soaps thus solidifying a new direction for the next forty-years of commercial soap making.

Fortunately, the recent Organic and Natural products movement has created renewed interest in Castile soap. Supporting soap makers who use Organic and Natural ingredients and traditional soap-making methods is helping to revitalize our industry. It is important that we continue to push the industry in this direction in order to move away from petroleum based surfactants. These goals can be reached with your continued support of companies who produce Organic soap in sustainable ways.

1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castile_soap

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