Dr. Bronner's Liquid Soaps

It's hard to find a liquid soap or shower gel that doesn't contain a long list of hard-to-pronounce, dangerous sounding chemicals. Yet Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps have been on the market for 60 years. They're appearing in more stores as demand increases for soaps made with natural ingredients.

Dr. Bronner's soaps all bear distinct labels covered in tiny print. The labels convey Dr. Bronner's philosophy, which urges all people to realize humanity's transcendent unity across religious and ethnic divides. Whether or not you find the label messages interesting, the soaps are a wonderful discovery for those who care what they put on their skin.

Although Dr. Bronner's Classic Soaps are scented with pure essential oils. Although they're labeled "Pure Castile," they're made from a combination of organic vegetable oils -- extra virgin coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils. According to the company's website (www.drbronner.com) at one time, all vegetable-based soaps were made exclusively from olive oil from the Castile region of Spain. By the turn of the century "Castile" had come to mean any vegetable oil based soap, differentiating it from animal (tallow) fat based soap. Dr. Bronner's Classic Soaps are 100 percent vegan and not tested on animals . They're certified under the USDA National Organic Program and are also certified Fair Trade.

I've tried several Dr. Bronner products and use the Pure Castile Classic Liquid Soaps regularly. This soap is a valuable product for anyone interested in simplified living. It's a throwback to the days, before big budget advertising, when households used one soap for a multitude of cleaning purposes. The Pure Castile Classic Liquid Soaps can be used in the shower, to wash dishes, to clean clothes, kitchens, bathrooms and so much more. The soaps are made to be diluted while retaining effective cleaning power.

Dr. Bronner's Classic Liquid Castile Soap is available in the following scents: almond, baby mild unscented, citrus, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, rose and tea tree.

I use the baby mild unscented liquid soap most often. It's an excellent, gentle soap to keep in the kitchen for washing hands before and after cooking. It's easy on the hands and leaves no lingering fragrance to interfere with food preparation.

The almond liquid soap has the most pleasing scent for washing hands and for shower and bath use.

The peppermint liquid soap has a truly invigorating scent that will wake you up during a morning shower. I did find it slightly irritating to my eyes when used on my face, perhaps due to the qualities of the peppermint essential oil. However, its candy-cane fresh scent is wonderful.

The lavender liquid soap smells like true lavender; a scent I favor but others may find too strong.

I cannot recommend the rose scented liquid soap. I found the rose scent so objectionable that I could not use the soap after trying it. Luckily I'd only purchased a trial size.

I have not yet tried the citrus, eucalyptus or tea tree liquid soaps but I have tried Dr. Bronner's citrus scented castile bar soap. Since I did not like its scent (it did not smell like true lemon or true citrus) I assumed the citrus liquid soap would smell the same, so I haven't bought it.

Dr. Bronner's Classic Liquid Castile Soaps are gentle on the environment and gentle on your wallet, as they retain effective cleaning power even when diluted. They're an excellent buy for anyone interested in natural skin care products.