Friday, January 12, 2007

I Love Dr. Bronner's Soap

Dr. Bronner's soap is great because it's made with organic oils which leave you fresh and clean and moisturized without all the heavy perfumes of phony ocean breezes and baloney Irish springs. Trust me, I've been to Ireland two times. There is no spring in the whole damn place that smells like Irish Spring. Or baloney.

Dr. Bronner's liquid soaps come in Peppermint, Lavender, Tea Tree Oil, Eucalyptus, Baby Mild, and my favorite, Almond. I know dudes tend to prefer bar soap, but liquid soap is way less messy. Dudes either aren't bothered by soap scum or don't clean their own showers. That said, Dr. Bronner's makes a bar version as well and it comes in those flavors as well as Lemon and Rose. I'd post a picture of the soap here, but Blogger is being a bugger right now.

Sure, the late Dr. Bronner was a bit of a strange dude, but that's why I like him. Here's his deal (which I pulled off the website):

Story

Dr. E.H. Bronner 1908 -1997
A Life Dedicated to God, Mankind and Spaceship Earth

Emanuel Bronner was a third generation master soap-maker from an orthodox Jewish family in Heilbron, Germany, where he was certified as a master soap-maker under the rigorous guild system of the time. He was the heir to the family's soap factory and business, but rebelled against his father and came to the United States in the late 1920's. After the Nazis nationalized the soap factory in 1938, his parents and most of his family died in the Holocaust.

Dr. Bronner initially worked as a consultant to various soap companies in the U.S. However, most such companies were converting to the complicated synthetic surfactant formulations that comprise modern body care products, so he struck out on his own in the late 40's. His ecological castile soaps and message of peace resonated powerfully with the counter-culture of the 60's and 70's, and he became an icon of the time.

Dr. Bronner's essential vision and philosophy were born out of the fate of his family and the Holocaust, and are emphatic that we are all children of the same divine source: people must realize that we are "All-One!," and that the prophets and spiritual giants of the world's various faith traditions all realized and said this. Dr. Bronner was also grounded in a powerful ecological consciousness, and the soaps were an extension of this simple, natural and 100% environment-friendly.

Dr. Bronner passed away peacefully on March 7, 1997, amidst family and friends. While we disagree with Dr. Bronner on some idiosyncrasies in his philosophy, we revere him for his efforts to unite humanity and his exhortations to lead a more responsible life in respect to our environment and each other. We continue to make with care and integrity the fine ecological soaps our customers have loved and lathered with for 50 years, and we now make our soaps with all certified organic oils, certified under the USDA’s National Organic Program. We share our time, profits and energy with our workers and worthwhile causes worldwide.

Love in All-One, The Bronner Family

Dr. Bronner's used to be carried only in specialty old-timey style drug stores but now you can find his stuff pretty much everywhere and of course, online here. The large bottle (what I buy) lasts a wicked long time. Happy suds-ing!

6 comments:

whipcreamy said...

it's hippie soap. all the people that reak of bo and have long arm pit hair use dr. bronners. it was all over bonnaroo. they also use it as shampoo.

anne altman said...

um, people who reek of B.O. don't use soap. or water. or deodorant. obvs.

matt said...

the hippies at my school also used it as toothpaste.

i wish that i was kidding about that.

Brandy For Sale. said...

it's made close to where i grew up in california- and i am a huge fan of the peppermint bar soap, especially in summer. very refreshing.

anne altman said...

exactly, very versatile. simplify your beauty products people, simplify your lives, drink the kool-aid,

DRINK THE KOOL AID!!!

Creepy said...

I would be taunted relentlessly if I used lavender soap. I draw the line at moisturizer for my face.