Should I dilute the Pure-Castile Bar Soap?Updated an hour ago

While you can dilute our Pure-Castile Bar Soap, it's not necessary for most uses, and mostly comes down to preference. While some may prefer just lathering the bar between their hands for handwashing, others choose to dilute it and use it in a foaming pump. Just keep in mind that our soap is 2-3 times more concentrated than most on the market; therefore, less is definitely more. 

If you are diluting our Pure-Castile Soap, we recommend diluting only the amount you plan to use within 2 weeks to a month. We do not add any harsh preservatives to our products, which allows them to last longer than 1 month after dilution. Alternatively, dilutions with distilled water can last up to 6 months and even reduce natural soap separation that may occur with hard water.

It's also important to note that our diluted Bar Soap doesn't work well with pump dispensers. We've tested a variety of pumps and dilutions over the years with little success. Inevitably, the very concentrated soap clogs the pump. We recommend keeping the soap in its original form and just lathering it between your hands for each handwashing. 

However, our diluted Bar Soap does work well in foaming dispensers. Foaming dispensers “thicken” the soap with water and air. If you decide to use a foaming dispenser, we encourage making a soap creme first and diluting it at a ratio of 1 part soap to 1 part water.

For an extensive guide on recipes and applications for our products, we highly recommend checking out Lisa Bronner's blog, Going Green with Lisa Bronner, especially her incredibly handy dilution cheat sheets.