Bubbly Castile

A few days ago, I was talking with our neighbor from across the street.  Winter is just about over and people are coming out of their houses again.  Despite long winters, and a 30 year difference in age, this neighbor and I have become pretty good friends over the years.  And like any good neighbor, he came to ask a favor. 

I told him about our little soap company and said I’d give him some.  He said he only uses one brand of soap, the same brand he’s used since he was a kid, in Texas.  He talked about how bubbly it was and how he couldn’t stand soaps with a lot of perfume and junk in them.  He said it was a castile soap. 

While he tried to remember what it was made out of, the properties of olive oil soap ran through my mind:  Hardness value of 17 (soft).  Conditioning, 82 (high).  bubbly, 0.  Well, maybe he doesn’t love bubbles all that much after all.

“Coconut!” he said, a bit too loudly, as he finally remembered. 

“Coconut?” I repeated.  “Coconut soap has great bubbles, but I thought Castile was made of olive oil.”

“Nope,” he said, “coconut.  I’ll go get you one.”

“No,” I insisted.  But he was already headed down the driveway. 

Back a few minutes later, he produced a paper-wrapped bar.  “This is for you.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking it and reading the ingredients. “ . . . Coconut.”

Later that night, I thought about how much I’ve learned about soap over the past 5 months.  At the same time, I’m also finding I have so much more to learn.  Who would have guessed that the subject of soap had so much to offer?

Oh, just so you know, to the soap purist, traditional Castile soap is definitely olive based. 

I think I’ll go make some.