Like vinegar and baking soda, castile soap is extremely versatile. Carolina Castile Soap is just that. These soaps are made from a mixture of oils (mainly olive) as well as cocoa butter. Many if not all of the oils included in the making of soap are organic. No fake dyes or scents are used in the soaps and they do not contain sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate as many big name brands do. Carolina Castile Soap is also animal and environmental friendly, a big plus! They also do not use false foaming agents, something that can not be said about many soaps/shampoos/etc. found in big box stores. After all, it isn't the suds that clean. ;)
As mentioned earlier, castile soap is very versatile and multi-purpose. Here is just a small list of some of its uses:
Shampoo - Hand Soap - Dog Shampoo - Laundry Detergent - Face Wash - Dish Soap - Mopping Floors - General House Cleaner - Cleaning Wipes - Vegetable Rinse - Carpet Cleaner - Dishwasher Detergent - Shaving Cream - Baby Shampoo/Wash - Body Wash - Bathroom Scrub
While Carolina Castile Soap offers many fragrances available on their website, I was sent the Gentle Unscented variety to review (plus share an awesome DIY) and giveaway. This specific castile soap is made with 7 ingredients. SEVEN. Plus, I can pronounce all of them. I'm told by a very wise one (thanks momma!), that if you can't pronounce the ingredient, it probably ain't good for ya! In case you're curious, here is the ingredient list:
Organic Olive Oil - Organic & Fair Trade Cocoa Butter - Organic Coconut Oil - Citric Acid - Potassium Hydroxide - Tocopherol (Vitamin E) - Water
So anyway, my first goal was to create a shampoo recipe. I scoured Pinterest to find a recipe and gave a few a try. I just made enough of each for a single use to test them out. It turns out that there were things I liked and didn't like about each. Therefore, I took it upon myself to try my own combinations to see what I liked best. Please keep in mind that all formulas work differently with individual body chemistry. If this doesn't work for you, try tweaking the recipe until you find something that does. I will post substitutions below the recipe for you to experiment with. Lastly, don't freak out when you mix your ingredients and see that they are a consistency between water and shampoo, this is normal. I actually prefer this over the cream/gel as it isn't so heavy for your hair.
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Castile Soap
1/4 Cup Distilled Water
1/4 tsp. Vitamin E
5-10 Drops Essential Oil (I used Lavender & Orange)
Directions:
1. Pour all ingredients into a glass bowl
2. Gently stir to avoid excessive foaming
3. Store in a squeeze bottle (I just recycled an empty one)
4. Enjoy
Substitutions:
○ If you are missing ingredients, Carolina Castile Soap can be used alone
○ You may substitute the Vitamin E (though it helps preserve) with Aloe Gel for the extra moisture
○ Use all Lavender oil to soothe scalp, including helping w/ dandruff
○ Peppermint oil will provide an invigorating perk to your scalp as well as help with oily hair
○ Cedarwood provides an earthy, musky scent that may help w/ hair regrowth
○ Use any mixture of essential oils that you think smell nice
Then there's the fun part! Carolina Castile Soap was super generous in offering a 32 oz. Gentle Unscented bottle to one of my readers! Enter using the widget below.
32 oz. Carolina Castile Soap Gentle Unscented Giveaway
-Open to U.S. residents only-
-Entries will be verified-
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I received the castile soap complimentary for review purposes. Nonetheless, all opinions are 100% my own.
I absolutely LOVE trying new shampoos and conditioners so you can imagine how excited I was to have the opportunity to try this!
While a tiny detail, I was really pleased to see that all 3 items came shrink wrapped through the mail. I don't know how many times I have received lotions/shampoos/conditioners/other liquids in the mail and had them leaking everywhere. Such a pain to clean up. Also....I will tell you from my experience...you have to take the shampoo/conditioner top off to remove a foil piece. With my first use, I was wondering why it was so difficult to get the shampoo out. It turns out, the foil was partially opened and that made it hard to squeeze. Silly mistake! Anyway....let's get down to the nitty gritty!
Arvazallia Repair Moisturizing Shampoo:
This product is specially made to repair, restore and strengthen hair that has been previously damaged. It also helps lock in moisture and gives your hair a nice shine! While I do not often use much product or heat tools in my hair, it still shows a bit of damage. My hair is very long and tends to get tugged around on by kids, pets and who knows what else. While I probably haven't used the system quite long enough to notice a huge difference, in the short term, I have noticed that my hair is much more smooth and less frizzy. The shampoo is also Sulfate free and therefore is much more gentle on your hair. While not a make a break factor, the scent is also AMAZING! It is quite strong, so if you're sensitive to scents, you may not appreciate this. However, it has a very fresh, maybe slightly floral scent. My only very slight issue with this is that (aside from the foil issue above) it is still a bit difficult to get the product out. The bottle is quite tall and the product is thick enough to where it is a bit difficult to 'shake' to the opening. But then again....maybe I'm just picky!
-Purchase on Amazon-
Arvazallia Repair Daily Conditioner:
The conditioner is also made to accomplish the same goals as above, plus detangling. I really appreciate the fact that the brand also included argan oil in the conditioner as well as the shampoo. Double the oil, double the moisture. When it comes to detangling, I always apply the product and comb my fingers through my hair. With this conditioner, it was very easy to get the knots out and smooth my hair. As far as issues, the only thing I noticed is the very minor problem that I mentioned with the shampoo.
-Purchase on Amazon-
Arvazallia Hydrating Argan Oil Mask:
Star of the show! Out of all three products that I was able to try, this was my favorite! Best deep conditioner I have tried by far. Once again, this was created for the purposes mentioned above. However, to me this works like something that would cost twice the price! You know that feeling when you go to the salon and get your hair cut? It feels super smooth and 'new'? That is what this did to my hair! Instantly when I applied it in the shower, my hair felt like silk! Plus, it is super easy to use! Just apply it, comb through, let it sit for a few minutes and rinse it out. Once dry, my hair had volume, shine, moisture and lack of frizz! I was so pleased with this product and will definitely purchase in the future!
-Purchase on Amazon-
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If you have damaged hair, this would definitely be something that you should try out. If nothing else, at least the deep conditioning mask! Or, if you're looking to start with sulfate free shampoo, or change your current, this product would be a great, affordable alternative!
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I received the mentioned products complimentary for review purposes. All opinions are 100% my own.
