La Collección de Castilla

Home of the only Authentic Castile Bar Soap formulated with 100% extra virgin olive oil.

The only soap legally entitled to the Castile name is made exclusively with saponified extra virgin olive oil. Nothing else qualifies.

True Castile soap is made exclusively with saponified extra virgin olive oil, not coconut oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, pomace olive oil, refined olive oil, tallow, any other vegetable oils or synthetic detergent blends, essential oils or synthetic fragrances. Any soap not manufactured with the ingredients required for this very specific type of soap cannot be sold under the Castile name.

Extra virgin olive oil soap for sensitive skin

Authentic extra virgin olive oil soap produces a mild cleansing naturally-occurring surfactant primarily composed of sodium oleate, known for its low-lather and reduced lipid-stripping profile. A lower-foaming, creamier lather helps cleanse without the aggressive stripping often associated with highly foaming cleansers, making it particularly suitable for dry, sensitive, and reactive skin.

What makes ours different?

Frequently asked questions

Authentic Castile soap is made exclusively from saponified extra virgin olive oil, water, and lye (sodium hydroxide for bar soap, potassium hydroxide for liquid soap). No other oils, synthetic detergents, or additives are used in a true Castile formulation.

Yes. Castile soap made with extra virgin olive oil is one of the oldest and mildest soap formulations used for sensitive skin. Its fatty acid profile — high in oleic acid — makes it less likely to disrupt the skin barrier than soaps formulated with coconut oil or synthetic surfactants, which are more aggressive cleansers.

Most commercial soaps are formulated with coconut oil, palm oil, tallow, or synthetic detergents. These produce high foam but can strip the skin's natural oils. Castile soap uses only extra virgin olive oil, which produces a milder, lower-foaming lather that cleanses without aggressive stripping — particularly relevant for dry, sensitive, or compromised skin.

Yes. Authentic Castile bar soap and liquid Castile soap are mild enough for daily facial use, including for dry and sensitive skin types. Because they do not contain sulfates or high-foam surfactants, they cleanse without the tightness or dryness often experienced after washing with conventional cleansers.

Foam volume in soap is largely determined by the lauric and myristic acid content of the base oil. Coconut oil is high in both and produces abundant hot foam. Extra virgin olive oil is high in oleic acid and low in lauric acid, which naturally produces a denser, creamier, colder lower-foam lather. This is a property of the oil, not a sign of reduced cleansing performance.

Dr. Bronner's Castile soaps contain coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and other vegetable oils in addition to olive oil and in some formulas without it. By the original formulation standards of Castile soap — which require exclusive use of extra virgin olive oil — Dr. Bronner's soaps do not qualify as authentic Castile soaps nor pure Castile soaps, but a multi-oil vegetable soap.

By Valenti is manufactured following the strict formulation and process standards that define traditional Castile soap: extra virgin olive oil as the sole base oil, no synthetic detergents, no palm oil, no substitutions. The formulation combines Italian and Spanish family soapmaking traditions with a minimalist ingredient approach focused on skin compatibility.

Liquid Castile soap is a more modern format — historically, Castile soap was produced only as a bar. However, when manufactured with the same ingredient standards (extra virgin olive oil, no substitutions, no synthetic surfactants), liquid Castile soap shares the same cleansing profile and skin compatibility as the bar. By Valenti's liquid Castile soap uses the same formulation standards as the bar.

Castile soap can be used as a shampoo, though results vary by water hardness and hair type. In soft water, it rinses cleanly. In hard water, it may leave a film. A diluted apple cider vinegar rinse after washing can help restore hair's natural pH and improve rinse-out.

Not all olive oil soap is Castile soap. Castile soap specifically requires extra virgin olive oil and traditional manufacturing standards. Soaps made with refined olive oil or pomace olive oil share the same base ingredient in name only — the fatty acid profiles, unsaponifiable content, and skin behavior differ substantially. Castile soap is the highest-grade expression of olive oil soap.