By Terence Sheridan

Are you using a shower wash that contains a battery of chemicals?  Chances are…you will answer yes.

For about a year, I used Neutrogena. I loved the smell and clean feeling it gave me, but I noticed that if I didn’t use it for a day my skin became scaly and dry. I continued using the shower wash, in combination with virgin coconut oil

Our resident nutrition and healthy products guru, recommended Dr. Bronner’s soaps to me as a replacement.

Packaging / Container

The first thing you notice as you pick up the bottle are the bright hues of purple, green, yellow-orange, and blue. Next, you’ll see the prison cell-esque writing of words of “devotion” in no particular order that don’t seem to make any sense at all and are a good morning laugh. If you have a second, read some of them and you’ll see what I mean. With all the random distracting language scattered all around the bottle, it would be difficult to find the ingredients list if they hadn’t put it right in the front underneath the product name.

The thickness of the plastic container strikes you as a bit hefty for a bottle of all natural soap and is quite difficult to squeeze for the smaller travel size. However, the container is actually made from post consumer recycled plastic so to me it mattered very little if it was a bit harder than some to squeeze.

Soap Consistency / Lather

The soap has the same viscosity as water, running freely out of the bottle and all over everywhere if you’re not careful. If you get a larger bottle, watch out when you’re pouring it since it is so runny it will run right through your fingers as you are flipping the cap shut (note: I hope I’m not alone in my lack of morning dexterity). However, if you quickly apply it and start lathering it up, surprisingly the runny liquid will turn nicely into thick bubbles. Sorry, Sodium Laureth Sulfate! This soap received major points there as some “natural” and “organic” soaps will lather poorly.

Ingredients

Dr. Bronner’s has obviously committed to providing the best product they can. They don’t test on animals. Their supply chain, from what I could find, is flawless; they even have a page of their site devoted to Organic certification cheaters and a chart helping you understand the Organic and Natural Personal Care Standards of the US and Europe. Sri Lanka, Ghana, and “The Holy Land” all host Organic Fair Trade farms that supply their ingredients. Their website, www.drbronner.com, is a transparent source if you are interested in finding out more information on their activism and ingredients.

Impression / Conclusion

After two months using the soap I have found my skin more pliable, thick, and healthy. Since it’s the summer and I try to stay outside as much as possible, I have found that I also hold a tan a lot longer. I have been using the Citrus variety mostly in the summer but I might switch to the Peppermint in the Winter, both of these scents come from Organic Oils which is very satisfying. Overall, this product is a great option if you are looking for a new soap. I would recommend diluting it a bit, which is what the bottle recommends…but be sure to stay lucid when considering following the rest of the directions!

Rating: 9.5/10

Pros:

• Fantastic Scents
• Fair Trade, No Animal Testing, Organic
• Cheap
• Lathers easily

Cons:

• Unwieldy bottle
• Runny liquid