While our Pure-Castile Soap tends to get most of the spotlight, you may have noticed another body care product we make: Organic Sugar Soap! Why do we make another soap when the Castile is so versatile and all-encompassing? Read on to find out!
Table of Contents
- What Is Castile Soap?
- What Is Organic Sugar Soap? What Makes It Different from Castile Soap?
- How to Choose the Right Soap for the Job
What Is Castile Soap?
If there's one Dr. Bronner’s product you're likely familiar with, it’s probably the Pure-Castile Soap. Castile soap, originating from the Mediterranean and named after the Castile region in Spain, is crafted solely from vegetable oils, excluding animal fats. This makes it vegan, safer, and biodegradable. Its soap molecules bond to water, effectively removing dirt, grime, and grease when applied to surfaces.
Castile soap is often considered a "true soap" due to its blend of natural oils and fats combined with a base like potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. Its made with organic oils, making Castile soap a safer choice for various cleaning tasks, such as cleaning the body, home, pets, repelling insects, and more. For a deeper dive into this topic, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide What Is Castile Soap? What Are Its Uses and Benefits?
What Is Organic Sugar Soap? What Makes It Different from Castile Soap?
Through the years, we’ve received quite a bit of feedback from customers requesting an additional soap product that had qualities not found in our Liquid Castile Soap, such as:
- A thicker consistency
- Enhanced moisturization
- Dispensed via a hand pump
- USDA Organic Certification
We took this feedback to heart, and the result is our line of Organic Sugar Soaps! Organic Sugar Soap builds upon the foundation of Castile soap but adds additional elements.
Instead of using water found in the Liquid Castile formula, the Organic Sugar Soaps contain organic white grape juice, organic sucrose, and organic Shikakai powder. These blend together for the following benefits:
- Organic White Grape Juice: Serves as a humectant, aiding skin in retaining its natural moisture.
- Organic Sucrose: Also functions as a humectant, and prevents the soap from coagulating and blocking a pump.
- Organic Shikakai Powder: Conditions both skin and hair during cleansing, derived from the Acacia concinna tree in South Asia, historically used in traditional Indian body care for its moisturizing properties. It also acts as a thickening agent.
Note: In the US, the term "sugar soap" has a different definition than in the UK [1].
Our Sugar Soaps are USDA Certified Organic
For a product to meet the standards for the USDA organic seal, it must contain at least 95% organic materials. However, in our Pure-Castile Soap production, we need to incorporate over 7% of alkali (sodium or potassium hydroxide) into the oil blend for the process to function properly. It's important to note that substances like water, salt, and hydroxides are inherently inorganic, originating not from plant sources. As a result, the term "organic" cannot be applied to them. The water content in the Castile Soap isn't factored into the organic percentage calculation.
While our Pure-Castile Soap bears the label "Made with Organic Oils," Organic Sugar Soap opts for organic white grape juice instead of water, as previously mentioned. This substitution enables the organic white grape juice to contribute to the organic calculation, ensuring that the pump soaps surpass the 95% threshold for organic content.
How to Choose the Right Soap for the Job
Hair, Face, Hands & Body
The Organic Sugar Soap offers enhanced moisturization and operates efficiently in a traditional pump dispenser. It exhibits a distinct texture and scent from the Liquid Castile, and its effects vary across different skin types. If you adore Castile soaps, you might not favor the pump format. Conversely, if you've shied away from Castile soap due to dryness or intensity, the Organic Sugar Soaps provide an alternative solution. Beyond that, choosing between the two largely depends on personal preference.
House Cleaning
The Liquid Castile Soap stands as the optimal choice for household cleaning. Most household surfaces don't require moisturization, and the ingredients providing a moisturizing effect may complicate rinsing off hard surfaces. Additionally, the slight graininess of the Shikakai powder (akin to cinnamon) in the Sugar Soaps might cause spray bottle clogs.
Is the Organic Sugar Soap as Effective as the Castile Soap in Eliminating Germs?
Yes! The cleaning efficacy of Organic Sugar Soap matches that of Castile soap. Both effectively adhere to germs and grime, facilitating their removal.
Special thanks to Lisa Bronner of Going Green for this content!
