Dr. Bronner's Miracle Soap!

have you ever heard of Dr. Emanuel Bronner? in 1948 he started a soap-making company called Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps and it's been gaining popularity ever since. recently celebrating their 60th anniversary, Dr. Bronner's soaps are more popular than ever, and that's probably because in today's ecologically conscious world consumers appreciate natural, organic products more and more. so what's so special about these soaps? i'd be happy to tell you!

made with Certified Fair Trade and organic oils, these vegetable based soaps are completely biodegradable and free of synthetic foaming agents, thickeners or preservatives. they come in liquid or bar form, in nine different formulations, and have over 18 different uses! here are just a few of the things you can use Dr. Bronner's soaps for:

• body, hair, and hand washing
• laundering clothing
  
• light cleaning
  
• toothbrushing and mouthwashing (!!!!)
  
• washing makeup brushes
• cleaning toilet bowls
• shaving
  

so, as you can imagine, after reading the many wonderful reviews on Make Up Alley, i became fixated with trying out one of these soaps! i settled on the Peppermint formulation because i'm a sucker for anything tingly, and it did not disappoint. i would recommend getting a big sponge to use with the liquid soap because i found a regular shower puff didn't work up a good enough lather for my liking. washing with the soap left me clean as can be with a very refreshing minty tingle, which would be amazing on a hot summer day when you're desperate to cool off. a word of caution when using as a body wash: avoid your lady parts! many of the reviewers on MUA had unfortunate incidents where they got a little too tingly, haha! i would avoid using this as a shampoo on a regular basis because i'm sure it has the potential to really strip and dry out your hair, but maybe once in a while it would work well as a clarifying rinse if diluted properly. it even provides interesting (if somewhat crazy) reading material while you're bathing! the label on the packaging (which is made with 100% post-consumer recycled cylinder bottles and paper labels) is filled with rantings and ravings of Dr. Bronner himself. this is a great product to keep in your shower, and is popular with men, also. it would be perfect to take along when camping or traveling since it would save the space of several other products. i'm looking forward to trying out the other formulations now, too!

what's your favorite Dr. Bronner soap? do you know of any multi-use products as fabulous as this one? let me know in the comments!

you can find Dr. Bronner's products at their online store, health food markets, Walgreen's, and some grocery stores.