The last few years I've been in the process of replacing my cleaning supplies, soap, and makeup with ethically made alternatives. Both because how things are made matter to me and because when things are ethically made, it tends to go hand in hand with the type of ingredients that are present.
When it comes to soaps and make up - things that I put on my skin (almost!) every day - I'd prefer natural ingredients as much as possible. But honestly, I've not really known where to start. When I saw Dr. Bronnor's Magic Soap on sale at my local HEB while I was attempting to wade through natural body wash options, it looked like the best option available.
It caught my attention at "Certified Fair Trade" but I'm thrilled to learn that the brand encompasses much more. Their soap is cruelty free, they don't test on animals, and they source their ingredients from organic farms that promise fair wages and are intentional about economic development.
I am certainly not much of a soap expert. Dr. Bronnor's Magic Soap boasts of being "Pure-Casile" and I had no idea what that meant. Here's how they explain it - “Pure-Castile is your guarantee that what you are using is a genuinely ecological and simple soap – not a complex blend of detergents with a higher ecological impact due to the waste stream created during manufacturing and the detergents’ slower biodegradability."
From their website's FAQs:
Our palm oil comes from about 2,500 acres of smallholdings in Ghana that were established decades ago, and our palm kernel oil from sustainable small farmers in Ecuador. We support growers in improving palm fruit yields – thus getting more oil out of the same amount of land. Our coconut oil comes from about 500 small to mid-size farms in Sri Lanka, most of which have been in the owner’s family for generations. We encourage our growers to intercrop with other beneficial species and supply organic fertilizer at subsidized prices. This improves the soil fertility, yields and profitability of small farms – and allows them to compete with larger plantations.
By having our entire supply chain certified Fair Trade and organic, we also hope to demonstrate that one can produce any crop – and the products made from them – sustainably.
It's so refreshing to look into a company's practices and to actually find them explained in detail.
Here are just a few of the suggested uses:
Face Wash
Body Wash
Hand Soap
Shampoo
Shaving Cream
Toothpaste
Fruit rinse
Aromatherapy
Dish Soap
Laundry Detergent
Mopping floors
All-purpose cleaning
Washing windows
Scrubbing toilets
Washing dogs
Controlling dust mites
Killing ants & aphids
Check out this blog post for recommend dilutions.
I've gotta admit - I'm loving the idea of only having one cleaning product in my home - and one that is both ethically made as well as natural.
I originally bought Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap to use as a body wash. And the true test - I like it! It's wonderfully sudsy, the lavender scent is lovely, and my skin doesn't feel dried out in the least. I'll let you know if I decide to branch out and try it as toothpaste...
What natural and ethically sourced soaps have you discovered that you would recommend? Let us know in the comments below!