GUEST BLOG: Dr. Bronner’s Classic, Magic Pure Castile Liquid Soap
by Jenni Simmons

For awhile, I hunted high and low for the perfect shower gel. I like bar soap just fine, but I normally prefer a liquid soap and shower puff. The problem is that it’s a real challenge to find a pure, healthy shower gel. I’d find one with no parabens, but it would contain sodium lauryl sulfate. Then I’d find a soap with neither SLS or parabens, yet it contained an artificial fragrance and phlatates. Or I’d find a seemingly safe shower gel, but I couldn’t pronounce most of the ingredient list due to gobs of chemicals. Finally, I glanced at Dr. Bronner’s Magic Pure Castile liquid soap at Whole Foods, picked up a bottle, and felt true relief.

First of all, I adore the crazy, old school labels. I don’t buy into Dr. Bronner’s philosophy, but if you take a few minutes to read the labels, they’re highly entertaining. I love how each soap smells, too - fresh and clean. I love that I don’t even need a shower puff to create a good, soapy lather. I just squirt a small amount of the liquid soap in my hands, rub ‘em together, and a small bottle of Dr. Bronner’s lasts me a long time. But what I love most of all are the ingredients. Take a look at my current favorite scent - tea tree oil:

Water, saponified organic coconut & organic olive oils (w/retained glycerin), organic hemp oil, organic jojoba oil, tea tree extract, citric acid, and vitamin E.

I should say here four more things that I love. One - the coconut & olive oils are certified fair trade ingredients. Two - all of the oils are organic (as you can see). Three - Dr. Bronner’s bottles are made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. Four - all of the soaps are completely biodegradable. Are you sharing my passion yet? I should hope so.

Seriously, those ingredients are so simple, yet genius. See, Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap doesn’t need nasty SLS or other foaming agents:

“Our soaps are 100% true pure-castile soaps. The high foaming lather of our soaps is from their high coconut oil content, which makes a more luxurious and rich lather than any detergent can ever create. ‘Pure-Castile’ is your guarantee that what you are using is a real ecological and simple soap, not a complex blend of detergents with a higher ecological impact due to the waste stream during manufacture and slower biodegradability,” says the web site.

My main use for these liquid soaps are in the shower or even sink-side as a hand soap. My other favorite scent besides tea tree oil is almond. I take the trial size on the road because most hotels provide crappy little bottles of paraben-filled shower gels. I got my husband hooked on peppermint for his shower time. We have a friend who once used the peppermint liquid soap as toothpaste. You can find other amazing uses for Dr. Bronner’s Magic liquid soap on this page, and right on the bottles, including:

• Light house cleaning.
• Heavy-duty grease-cutting.
• Shampoo.
• Laundry.
• For babies - the Baby Mild formula is perfect.
• To soak dentures.
• For shaving - both guys faces and gals’ legs (and pits).
• Speaking of pits, it can be used as a deodorant.
• On your pets.
• To wash your car. That’s impressive.
• And in a warm bath. Ah yes, it would make a great bubble bath.

But I know good and well there are many, many other homemade recipes for my beloved castile soap, and that I’m too lazy to Google such information. So, fellow Sustainable Scoop readers, how do YOU use Dr. Bronner’s Magic Pure Castile liquid soap? Please leave comments - Kerry and I want to know!