I have been buying Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soaps for a long time. I remember back when they were very difficult to find and the paper labels were not stuck on the containers very well. Dr. Bronner had a most fascinating life. He was ejected from his parents' home back before Hitler took over Germany and tried to take over the world. His parents were angry at him for mixing the generational soap business with politics. He was very vehemently protesting the Nazi party and warned of what was happening but his parents didn't want to hear it and were convinced it would never happen. Dr Bronner ended up in the US, where he was very vocal in protesting any dictatorship that would try to take peace from the world. One of the most poignant moments of the Dr Bronner's story was his receipt of a postcard from Germany when everything was censored and life was horrible. On that post card were the words, "You were right" His parents were murdered in the concentration camps. Dr Bronner was a master soap maker who was so affected by what happened in Germany that he spent the rest of his life trying to insure world peace. If you have ever seen a Dr Bronner's label, you will see a ton of teeny tiny writing of all kinds of statements that seem like rambling and raving. Dr Bronner put his heart and soul into producing his liquid soaps since way back in the mid 1900s after escaping from a mental institution. His random raving but heart felt passion captured the hearts of many during the hippie days in California. His soaps captured the passion for a simple purchase to use for just about any job from dishes, to laundry, to hair, and tooth brushing. There are many different scents, including a scent free version. Although the formula has changed a bit to include hemp oil (for its high essential fatty acids) , it is still pretty good and versatile. You have to remember to DILUTE it, however, or it will be too harsh. Effectiveness I always make sure to have a stock of Dr Bronner's in our household. It is fantastic to use for cleaning floors, dishes, brushes, and even laundry. I also use certain scents to battle rashes on my skin and combined with a Clarisonic, the results are amazing. The key to using Dr Bronner's, is to find the right dilution to use for the right process- don't use this full strength. On the side of the bottle which has become more simplified since the old days, you will find a chart for how to dilute the soap for each use. I have had great results using Dr Bronner's soap for many different uses, and I also have had great results using it for a flea bath on our cat. It rinses out well, does not leave skin very stripped or tight, and I even use it diluted in our hand soap bottle. Scent I have used every single scent that Dr Bronner's has come out with over the years. The Peppermint is fantastic (love how it tingles on the skin) and is probably one of our favorites. Eucalyptus is also a great scent and good for putting in steaming water and inhaling during a cold. Tea Tree and Lavender are great scents and extremely helpful in battling rashes. Almond is a different scent which is nice to use and brings a nice brisk feeling when using it, and the baby scent was also really nice too. I like to get the unscented version and make my own scents using essential oils, which work beautifully. All scents smell natural and not fake in any way. I have not seen the rose scent lately so I am thinking it might have been discontinued. That one was not overly strong, but I did like it.

Caprig

Podunk, NY

Dr. Bronners Lavender Oil Magic Soap.  A friend gave me a bottle of this last summer to help soothe a bad sunburn (this is a multitalented soap, for cleaning hair, body, and home.)  And yes it did work for the sunburn.  But, the smell was so great that I soon began using it regularly as a body wash.  I read the bottle which says you can use it on hair, body  and even on laundry and dishes.  But I had only used it for a body wash. One day I was out of shampoo and seriously needed a wash.  So I decided to give this a try.  OMG can you say silky-smooth hair?  Like even better than using baby shampoo!  I couldn't stop touching my own hair!  Touching, smelling, rubbing, it actually got to be a little wierd.  So this became my only shampoo.  And after about 2 months, the quality of my hair had improved tenfold!  Always shiny, always soft, and I would swear it healed my split ends.  This product does absolutely no stripping or damage to the hair.  I haven't tried it on my laundry or dishes yet.  But I know that day will come.

hyperaktivated

Houston, TX

Dr Bronner's Liquid Castile Soaps really are magic, just like the rambling label says! A big bottle of the liquid soap may be a bit more expensive than what you are used to but a little goes a very, very long way. We use the mild kind on our little one's, orange, lavender and peppermint for general cleaning - bathrooms, kitchens, floors, toilets, bathtubs, laundry and I love using the tea tree kind as a body soap to promote clear skin, especially after working out. We also like to dilute all of the above and use it in our soap dispensers as handsoap. I love that we can use this soap all over the house without having to worry about what is in it and what it might do to our health, a big difference from most mainstream cleaning and body products out there today!

zstotts

Montgomery, TX

I have used Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap from head to toe. While I wouldn't recommend it as a shampoo for those with long hair it works just fine as a shampoo for men or boys with short hair. When I have used it on my longer hair I had a hard time getting it rinsed out and it didn't leave the silky smooth feeling that I wanted. I use this soap as a body wash for myself and my kids and also use it as a foaming hand soap. You have to dilute the product quite a bit to get it to work without clogging, but, of course, that's even better since it saves product/money. I just use a foaming hand soap pump that I had left over from another brand of soap. It doesn't dry out my hands like many other liquid hand soaps do. I love that this produce is all natural and safe for my family.

momto3babes

Peoria, AZ

I have been making the switch in my home from conventional to more natural products over the past year. Dr. Bronner's has made this so much easier with these great soaps that have so many uses! There are so many reasons why I love these products. First of all, I just feel good about using them for myself and my son. These soaps are organic, natural, gentle, and effective. They can be used for hand washing, as a body wash, and even as a shampoo. I also love that there are many other uses in addition to just personal care. I have used these soaps to wash dishes, to clean the floor, and for washing clothes by hand. I also appreciate that by using these I have saved a lot of money as well. One 32 oz. bottle lasts several months in my home. I have so far tried the peppermint (great when you need help waking up), lavender (great when you need to relax), and mild (great for anytime) varieties and have loved them all!

blee82

Savannah, GA

I absolutely love these products. I personally use the Tea tree soap. I have used it in the shower, for laundry , for general cleaning. It is multipurpose. I found that it works great for oil and dirt removal. I really cant speak highly enough of this product.

littlefoots

Philadelphia, PA

**Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps** Growing up in a fairly hippie-ish place I remember that the crunchy kids in high school all used Dr Bronner's soaps.  Being not a hippie I didn't give it a second thought until I got more into natural living in my 20's.  While not entirely focused on organic and/or natural products (find me a natural organic mascara that works like my waxy chemical one and I'll consider it) I do like to maintain a balance and using this soap lets me do so. Pro #1: it is pure castille soap, no weird yucky additives.  It is safe for all skin types, does not strip moisture from your skin. Pro #2: if so inclined you can use it for body, face, hair, pets, dishes, general household cleaning.  It is an all-around useful bottle which saves space in the bathroom and under the kitchen sink. It is also great for traveling - you only need to pack one bottle - or camplng. Pro #3: nice, organic smells and several to choose from. There was a documentary that came out not long ago about the founder, the company and his philosophies.  If you pick up a bottle you'll notice that it is covered in text which proclaims his spiritual and life philosophies.  It's a little esoteric but makes for good bathtime reading if you are bored with the novel you brought to the tub.

squidfiste

Astoria, NY

I've been on a mission for the last few years to replace the dangerous chemicals in my home with natural alternatives wherever I can. Dr. Bronner's is **absolutely the #1 product** that I would recommend to someone who is interested in making their own natural cleaning supplies. You will find yourself using it in absolutely everything. I use a dab of Dr. Bronners mixed with some Borax and hot water to make my own spray cleaner. A dab goes into a bottle with some Borax and white vinegar for my window cleaner. I dilute it with warm water and use it as dish soap. You can also use it as a shampoo, a body soap, mix it with kosher salt for a scouring scrub - it really does everything. My own personal favorite smells are Citrus, Tea Tree and Peppermint. I find them the most appealing for cleaning. The one negative thing (and I really mean the ***only*** negative thing) that I can say about Dr. Bronners is that they don't look very appealing in your hand-soap dispenser or in a bottle in your shower. **But, of course they don't.** Dr. Bronner's contains none of the toxic artificial coloring used to make most commercial cleaners attractive. I think it's a fair trade, and I'll deal with the ugly bottle of yellowish soap if it means I've got a healthy, quality product in my home.

babykitten

York, PA

Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Pure Castile Liquid Soap Hemp Eucalyptus is an awesome product. I adore Dr Bronner's and use it everyday in the shower. The eucalyptus is my 2nd favorite scent. The peppermint is my first. Dr Bronner's is super reasonably priced and can be ordered online for an even bigger savings. It never dries my skin out and I enjoy the strong natural smell (some people might not). You can use it for everything from cleaning your skin, cleaning your house (toilet included) and I've even heard of someone using it to clean their leather furniture! I use it to shave my legs on occasion and it never causes those yucky shave bumps. It leaves no film or residue either which is awesome. The label is a little trippy but that's ok with me. Makes for some good reading in the shower or bath. I can't recommend this product enough and I always tell people that they should try it. I've even seen it at our local TJ's. 

rhettsgirl05

Livermore, CA

This reminds me of the good old hippie days!  I love this stuff, especially the tingly peppermint kind.  It's bracing but not so much that it causes actual bodily harm.  It's not great for shampoo, however.  My friend's hair always smell bad because this soap just isn't strong enough to really clean one's head thoroughly.  Also the label is a classic and I am surprised that it isn't Warholized yet.  So: Dr. Bronner's is great for the bod, but use a real shampoo and do those around you a favor.

funmum

Alexandria, VA