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Just tried Kirk's Castile soap

Always on the lookout for soaps with natural ingredients that won't affect my eczema, I found this in a 3 pack at the local store the other day. With only 6 ingredients- the main being 100% Coconut Oil- I had high expectations. This did not work for me at all. My plan was to use it as a nightly face wash. It was extremely harsh on my face with a slight burning sensation but the worst part was how drying it was afterwards. It felt like I had been outside in a windstorm all day.

I make some of my own melt and pour soaps occasionally and add my own oils to the bases to get what I want. One of them is coconut oil for the moisturizing effects and it also adds hardness and lather to the bar. For fun, I looked up a soap calculator to see how a 100% coconut oil soap would work out. The results are below. No wonder it didn't work for me.

They've been making it since 1839 so it must work for a lot of people. Sadly, I'm not one of them.

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ajkel64

Check Out Chick
Staff member
Thanks for the review. I used to like trying different soaps but I have an issue these days with some soaps. I like the feel and scent on many but I find that after a few uses they give me skin rashes. I have found that the only one that seems to work for me is anything Dove.
 
Thanks for the review. I used to like trying different soaps but I have an issue these days with some soaps. I like the feel and scent on many but I find that after a few uses they give me skin rashes. I have found that the only one that seems to work for me is anything Dove.
Dove is the only thing I can buy locally that I can use on my face. Luckily, the fragrance in the original one (probably my favorite scent of all time) doesn't cause any irritation. The unscented Dove is getting harder and harder to find here. Olive oil based soaps work wonders for me, but I have to buy on-line. I stock up on them like other guys do shave soaps on here.

I shave with Dove, the olive oil soaps and African/Moroccan Black soaps 99% of the time. I can use MWF and Tabac occasionally but not days on end. Arko, another scent I love, I have to use even less than the others but that still gives me plenty of options so I'm not stuck with just one thing. :)
 
I've never shaved with Dove. Now I have to try it.
It'll surprise you. I shove a bar down in a mug and use a synthetic brush and face lather for the best results. It doesn't dissipate as quickly as other bath soaps and is super slick. Just don't expect mounds of lather like a traditional shave soap. I'm all for slickness in the way I shave. Cushion just gets in the way for me.
 
Yes a soap made from 100% coconut oil can be harsh and drying on your skin. When I make soap I try to keep it to around 20-25% maximum because of that reason. Coconut oil will produce a nice bubbly lather. However, 100% coconut oil soaps are the only soap, to my knowledge, that will lather in salt water.

I am sure that there are people that can handle high amounts of coconut oil in the soap, but certainly not all. Besides I think the name of the soap is wrong. Referring to a soap as a castile soap, when it is not 100% nor even majority olive oil is just incorrect in terms. Just my 2 cents.
 
Always on the lookout for soaps with natural ingredients that won't affect my eczema, I found this in a 3 pack at the local store the other day. With only 6 ingredients- the main being 100% Coconut Oil- I had high expectations. This did not work for me at all. My plan was to use it as a nightly face wash. It was extremely harsh on my face with a slight burning sensation but the worst part was how drying it was afterwards. It felt like I had been outside in a windstorm all day.

I make some of my own melt and pour soaps occasionally and add my own oils to the bases to get what I want. One of them is coconut oil for the moisturizing effects and it also adds hardness and lather to the bar. For fun, I looked up a soap calculator to see how a 100% coconut oil soap would work out. The results are below. No wonder it didn't work for me.

They've been making it since 1839 so it must work for a lot of people. Sadly, I'm not one of them.

View attachment 1572012
Maybe you need to look into some Pine Tar soap to help you with your eczema. There are some manufacturers of it out there, but you can also make it yourself. One you could try is Grandpa's Soap Pine Tar.
-Boris
 
Maybe you need to look into some Pine Tar soap to help you with your eczema. There are some manufacturers of it out there, but you can also make it yourself. One you could try is Grandpa's Soap Pine Tar.
-Boris
I have! It's good stuff but not available locally. I'm having great success with the olive oil based soaps and Dove right now. Hopefully that doesn't change. 😉
 
i used PdP for years until it got too expensive and I started looking for alternatives. Tried Kirks and had high hopes.. and wanted it to be good but it just didnt do it for me... not specific reason why but it just wasnt great. Now months later down the path it clearly seems like Dove bath soap is the winner for my showers. Decent scent, lasts a reasonable length of time, lathers well, rinses clean, and doesn't dry my skin... oh yeah ,.... it very affordable and readily available. win win win.
 
i used PdP for years until it got too expensive and I started looking for alternatives. Tried Kirks and had high hopes.. and wanted it to be good but it just didnt do it for me... not specific reason why but it just wasnt great. Now months later down the path it clearly seems like Dove bath soap is the winner for my showers. Decent scent, lasts a reasonable length of time, lathers well, rinses clean, and doesn't dry my skin... oh yeah ,.... it very affordable and readily available. win win win.
Agree with you 100%. I looked up the scent profile the other day. Without trying to remember all of the exact details, it was basically Floral and Sandalwood. I love it and like the fact that it hangs around a while, too. The Wal-Mart Equate bars have a stronger scent and are bigger with the same moisturizing properties to me. Add another win to your list.

My PdP was replaced with this:


You're stuck with just the unscented variety, but four 9oz bars for a price similar to 1.5 bars or so of PdP. I rotate between Dove and stuff like this. The Greek soap is actually better than my PdP bars for my skin.
 
Maybe a YMMV thing, but I just tried this soap in the shower, and it burned the heck out of my face. I've since read that Castile soap has a very high PH number and usually should not be use on faces. I will stick to my green label cerave face wash. For body it's OK
 
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