Dr. Bronner's
Dr. Bronner's makes organic pure-castile soap — the liquid in the famously wordy bottle, and the same formula pressed into a bar. One product, diluted differently, covers most of what a bathroom and a kitchen cupboard usually hold separately.
We carry the liquid and bar in the main scents, plus their fluoride-free toothpaste in peppermint, cinnamon, anise and spearmint.
More about Dr. Bronner's
What does “pure-castile” actually mean?
It means the soap is made from saponified plant oils and nothing else — no detergents, no foaming agents, no synthetic preservatives. That is why it rinses clean and why it is concentrated enough to dilute heavily rather than being used neat.
It is also why it behaves differently from a body wash. Undiluted castile soap on skin can feel stripping; diluted, it does not. Most complaints about Dr. Bronner's come down to using it at full strength.
How much should I dilute it?
Dr. Bronner's publish dilution guidance per use rather than one universal ratio. A few of their figures:
| Use | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Face | 2–3 drops |
| Body | A small squirt |
| Mopping floors | About half a cup in three gallons of water |
| Laundry, dishes, cleaning | Measured amounts — see their dilution guide |
Check the bottle you have, since guidance varies by use and by product. One thing that is not on the label: castile soap and vinegar cancel each other out. Mixing them makes a curdled mess rather than a stronger cleaner, so use one or the other.
Liquid or bar?
The bar is the same soap without the water and without the bottle, so it is the cheaper and lower-waste option for hands and body. The liquid is what you want if you plan to dilute it for cleaning, refill a pump, or use it for dishes — measuring a bar into a bucket is not practical.
Plenty of people keep both: a bar at the sink, a bottle under it.
Which scent?
Peppermint is the signature and the most bracing — it tingles, which people either love or do not. Lavender is the calm one and the usual bedtime choice. Tea tree is the one to reach for on skin that breaks out. Citrus and almond are the crowd-pleasers, and there is a baby unscented bar with no essential oils at all, which is the one for sensitive skin.
The toothpaste
Dr. Bronner's All-One Toothpaste is fluoride-free and contains no SLS or synthetic foaming agents, which is why it does not lather the way a conventional paste does. It comes here in peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon and anise.
Formulations can differ between flavours, so check the label of the one you are buying.
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