Sometimes you think highly of a brand from just seeing in stores and reading about it, but you have never actually tried it yourself. Dr Bronner’s is one of those brands for me. On a recent trip to Real Foods in Edinburgh, I was mentioned to the store manager that as I was looking for a soap recommendation. Quick as a flash she took me to the shelf of Dr Bronner’s products. I was fascinated by their 18-in-1 claim, but I didn’t know where to start. I think I was slightly taken aback by all the writing on the bottle.
There were several fragrances to choose from, but following on from my love for all things rose at the moment, I came out of the store with a bottle of the Organic Rose Castile Soap. No surprise to hear that I love the smell of this soap. This concentrated Castile soap is a blend of simple, but effective ingredients that include organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, natural rose fragrance, organic fair deal hemp oil and organic jojoba oil. After reading the bottle i knew that this product is three times more concentrated than traditional soaps, so for my first try, I literally had a dot of soap in my hand.
I thought I was being a little too sensible, but as soon as I added water to it, I quickly realised that I had judged it spot on. This soap cleaned my hands really well and did not leave them arid. I have a young dog and two kids and wash my hands countless times a day. After using this soap I did not find myself reaching for hand cream immediately.
After reading up some more on Castile soap I learnt that it originates from Spain where it is naturally derived from plant oils. This is one of it’s many Fifi Friendly points. It is chemical free, which makes it fantastic for skin that is sensitive or eczema prone. Also, the sheer versatility of these soaps really took me by surprise.
So, I had one use of this Castile soap down, there were another seventeen to go! But what are they? Body wash, shampoo, fruit and vegetable wash, laundry detergent, household cleaner, dishwasher detergent, glass cleaner, bath cleaner, shaving product, plant spray, insect spray, brushing teeth, floor cleaner, dog shampoo and face wash. Some of these uses will require you to mix the soap with some other ingredients, but this list is nonetheless eyeopening.
There are several different fragrances to choose from including almond, peppermint, lavender, tea tree and baby mild, to list a few. I would imagine that there are some that you would find easier to brush your teeth with than others.
What is the deal with all the writing on the bottles? If I was in a rush in a store and looking for a product, I would want to quickly get to read about what the product does and hat it’s ingredients are. There are a number of sayings on the recyclable bottle which don’t appear to have much to do with the product at first glance. These are in fact the sayings of holocaust survivor Dr Bronner himself and they were put on all the products by his children in honour of their father. This puts such a different spin on the writing. It makes me want to read more of it.
Dr Bronner’s is now in my bathrooms and kitchen where we use it to wash out hands. I have also tried it as a face wash and as it is National Spring Cleaning Week, I am going to try this soap to tackle some dirty floors. I will will of course feedback. If you have not tried this Eco friendly, vegan, organic, cruelty free and fair trade soap then I would highly recommend it. Even if you don’t get beyond using it as a fabulous hand wash, you will most certainly enjoy using it. A little really goes a long way.
Thanks for the info on Dr Bronner's soap – I've been meaning to purchase a bottle for quite a while now, and this post just confirms the need to get some! I agree completely with you, the writing does seem way too much, but the reasons behind it as you've explained definitely make it significant and justified.
Let us know how you get on with it as a floor cleaner, I'd love to hear more.
Hi Fifi,
Thanks for the info on Dr Bronner's soap – I've been meaning to purchase a bottle for quite a while now, and this post just confirms the need to get some! I agree completely with you, the writing does seem way too much, but the reasons behind it as you've explained definitely make it significant and justified.
Let us know how you get on with it as a floor cleaner, I'd love to hear more.
Besma (Curiously Conscious)