Beginning 10 or 15 years ago, I started having problems with my skin a kind of itchy irritation on my shins, eyelids and elsewhere. My doctor gave me various kinds of cortisone creams which were effective, but the problem would always return when I stopped applying them. When I researched a bit, I discovered that the most frequent cause of this type of trouble is soap and shampoo! I tried some "extra mild" type soaps and got enough improvement to be encouraged but not as much as I had hoped for. Until finally, I stumbled on to Dr. Bronner's.
Initially, I tried the Almond scented variety. The improvement was quick and complete. I was thrilled, but I didn't really like the scent. That's when I tried the Unscented Baby-mild. Works just as well and no scent except for a barely noticeable "green" aroma. It's almost a year now, and I've not had any recurrence of the skin irritation that used to bother me.
I use it as both soap and shampoo. I am a man and keep my hair reasonably short, but not like I just got out of the Army. After shampooing, my hair is not oily but not dried out. Combs easily without knots. Looks pretty good, I think.
Since it contains no scent and no deodorant, if you sweat you'll smell. Pardon the bluntness but you should know the trade-off you're making.
It makes a nice lather, but it's not very foamy or bubbly. I suspect that some of the chemical additives contained in regular soaps provide this function. It is "thin" rather than creamy. Again, that's probably what other soaps' additives do.
A 32-ounce bottle lasts me, with daily showering, shampooing and generally 1 face-washing, just about 6 weeks. That makes the cost higher than non-organic, non-castile soap and shampoo, but only slightly so. I am happy to pay the difference to get the relief that this product has given me.
If you're going to try it, search Amazon thoroughly. There's more than one listing for this and different listings have different prices, vendors and shipping costs and (occasionally) go on sale at different times, so do a bit of checking before you pull the trigger.
I highly recommend Dr. Bronner's Unscented. I started using it in a spray bottle with baking soda and water because it does not trigger my migraines and when I realized how well it cleaned I started using it to clean pretty much everything in my home.
The scents and chemicals in mainstream cleaners were causing such severe migraines that I could not clean my house. Newer `green' cleaners from Clorox and the like did not help either because of the fragrances. I learned about Dr. Bronner's and gave it a try. The scented versions are too strong for me so I stick with the unscented. Most of my friends like the unscented too because they can add whatever essential oils they need (or are in the mood for) to clean.
Information on the internet for green cleaning is all over the place and there is a lot of bad advice out there. I recommend getting a book on green cleaning that will bring all of the information together check one out from your library or purchase one if you've got a little extra money. For a basic over view of green cleaning I recommend Jill Potvin Schoff's Green Up Your Cleanup (The Green House). For a comprehensive book with a lot of depth, try Renee Loux's Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home. (I have written reviews on both books.)
The only things I do not use this soap for are washing my hair and doing the dishes. I have really oily hair and the castile soap leaves it very stringy and with a lot of oil in it. I've got several friends who use it as shampoo and they do not have the same problem that I do. I also do not use it for dishes because it is more cost effective for me to get Seventh Generation dish products from Amazon's Subscribe & Save program. As a side note, Dr. Bronner's works great with oxygen bleach (like OxyClean) for laundry, but I use Seventh Generation laundry soap and oxygen bleach instead because it is more cost effective per load.
Yes, the writing on the bottle is kooky, but nothing says you have to read it. This castile soap works better then any other castile soap I've tried. I do not normally spend money with companies that speak in terms of religion, but given the safeness and effectiveness of the product combined with their IMO certified fair trade practices to purchase organic ingredients, I don't care WHAT the label says.
The product contains: water, saponified organic coconut & olive oils, organic glycerin, organic hemp oil, organic jojoba oil, citric acid, and Vitamin E.
Buy Dr. Bronners Baby Unscented 32 oz. Castile Soap ( Multi-Pack) Now
I found this product while searching online for a natural product to bathe my children with. I ended up buying a small bottle at Whole Foods to see if I liked it before spending $21.00 on two Giant Bottles. Let me tell you the small bottle at Whole Foods was 8 oz and $6.00 so Amazon has an amazing deal. I was so excited to try it on my kids that I gave them a bath right away. It lathers up very well and rinses very easily. The only downside to this particular variety is that there is no scent really. It kind of has an olive oily scent for a second and then it rinses off. My kids have soft skin after using this though and I have no need to put lotion on them afterwards. I love this and plan on using this for a long time to come. I even used it on myself and couldn't beleive how moisturized my skin felt afterwards. A little goes a long way too my little 8 oz bottle will last a long time afterwards I will definately be buying from Amazon. I just wish they had on Subscribe and Save so that I would never run out. Give it a try!
Read Best Reviews of Dr. Bronners Baby Unscented 32 oz. Castile Soap ( Multi-Pack) Here
I can't say enough good things about this soap!! I first came across Dr. Bronner's soap when I was looking for a mild, fragrance free (ie phalate free), non-toxic soap for my baby. Dr. Bronner's came highly recommended by our pediatrician and friends with babies. We've been using it as shampoo, body wash, and laundry detergent for our baby and it's been great! It lathers very well and a little goes a long way. Our whole family has since began using it for everything--shampoo, face wash, body wash, hand soap, detergent, even dishwashing liquid. I love that it's made of natural oils (and not some toxic, petroleum-derived chemicals). Even the bottle is 100% recycled plastic. Love it! Love it! Love it! Just wish I found it sooner.
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This makes great foaming hand soap. I put about a half inch of soap in an empty, thoroughly cleaned Dial or Method foaming soap dispenser and fill it up with water. You can adjust the mixture to your desired level of creaminess. I use the unscented foam to wash vegetables, but the peppermint is my favorite for hands. One gallon lasted me about 3 years, so it's a cheaper as well as safer alternative to commercial hand soaps. I've been using the same dispensers for five years, and they are starting to stick in the down position, but it's easy enough to pull them up. After reading reviews of several foam soap dispensers offered on Amazon, I'd rather purchase more Dial dispensers, pour out the toxic soap, and refill them with the Dr. Bronner's mixture.
The container is very nice, and my husband enjoys using it. My daughter, however, has a little difficulty locking the lid back on (she's in preschool). All in all, we liked it enough to buy another.
