So, after many many MANY years of searching for a soap to help with my acne, I finally caved in and bought the hippie soap. When I first started college, my skin was fine a few breakouts here and there on the face, back, and occasionally on my chest. Well things turned for the worse, I had full break outs on the upper part of my back and chest. All I could wear was closed necked shirts. I was so upset, to make matters worse my hair was falling out and it was so itchy and flaky, then my doctor told me that I had scalp psoriasis. Tried the prescription oil stuff, and that drove me bat-shit crazy, hated the way it smelled, the way it made my hair feel after washing it 3 times it still wouldnt come out, and my hair kept falling out! After a lot of digging and researching, I realized that all the gunky crap in the normal drug store varieties of soaps and shampoos/conditioners like the SLS, Parabens, Phalates, etc not only made my scalp psoriasis worse but it made my acne worse too. I had enough so I dumped all my products, and bought Dr. Bronner's . LOVE IT. Its a clean you've never felt before, but it works.

What I use it for:
Liquid:
Tea tree + Lavender + Peppermint (all in one bottle undiluted) for regular body washing w/loufa

Tea tree + Lavender soaps I use for my scalp and hair. The Tea Tree does leave a residue but i can deal with it because it allows my hair to dry wavy and not straight. I dont use conditioner, just Ojon Oil and Argan Oil.

Bar:
I bought the bar soap in Lavender, which I love the scent and I can barely stand the scent of any kind of rose product (I'm just getting used to Thayer's Rose Toner). I use this to wash my legs and my brushes with (makeup brushed, Clarisonic brushes, etc.). It works really well, but I dont use it as a shampoo it leaves a weird residue...

I do use lotions and toners to keep my skin moisturized, but I mix oils (Argan oil, Rosehip Seed Oil, CND's Marine Hydrating oil) in with my lotion that I use for my body. A lot of people make the mistake of NOT using a toner, DEFINITELY use a toner especially with this soap.

PS: Even though I know the Tea Tree soap is helping, it smells like straight DIRT, reminds me of India somewhat....BUT it works!

I had the trial sized 'eucalyptus' and 'lavender' bottles. Happy that I got the trial sized versions as I got tired of using the same scent.

I like this castile soap, but a bit concerned about the high alkalinity. Yes, because of the high pH (8-9 according to web sources), it does leave the skin squeaky clean but it also causes my skin to flake and result in dandruff if used as a shampoo.
I have also used this soap as a detergent, to clean garments requiring gentle treatment or handwashes. Works well!
It is also very expensive, but worth it for occasional use.

Point to note is that for sensitive skin, occasional use of this soap is good, but used daily, it can cause buildup, dandruff and flaking.
3.5/5

I am writing this review on behalf of my dad, who loves the african black soap! He has eczema pretty much all over and in spurts. This stuff keeps his skin clearer, seems to prevent bursts and makes you feel clean. The packaging is a clear plastic wrapper which is easy to open and makes it simple to store and place in the shower. The price at near $4.00 is worth it because the bar lasts a good couple months with daily use and is so effective :) He loves it and went out of his way to get it at walgreens which is not very close

My boyfriend has been using the giant 32 fl. oz bottle of the Dr. Bronner's Magic Peppermint Soap, as a body wash for years now. His skin is always so soft and clean.

I have super sensitive skin on my face- dry here, occasional break-out there...so, recently decided to get the small 4 fl. oz. bottle of the Tea Tree version of this soap to see what (if anything) it could do for my face. I've been using daily for about 2 weeks now, and it seems to be helping calm my face down quite a bit. My cheeks aren't so red and the dryness on my forehead is almost gone.

A very tiny amount of this stuff goes a very long way, and the oils in it are very concentrated so they work really well. I would definitely recommend anyone with sensitive/combo or oily skin, get a small 2 or 4 oz bottle of this and give it a try! If you find that don't like it for your face, there are tons of other great uses for it. I just discovered that a few drops of this with water make an excellent makeup brush cleaner!

I love Dr. Bronner's Castile soaps. Use it on body and face. Fantastic product!

Works amaaaaaaazingly on body, never leaves your skin dry and the peppermint is the greatest feeling in the world. I'm super excited for the summer so I can ~tingle~ 24/7 and tell the heat to suck it.


I will say that I used this on my face (two week periods, three different times) and holy crap did it clog up my pores :( It's amazing for cleaning makeup brushes because it gets EVERYTHING out but the oils didn't mix well with my super sensitive acne-prone skin. I'm not blaming the soap, I'm most definitely blaming my overly touchy face.


My friend with dry skin said it works well on her so dry skinned ladies give this a try.

I own just about every scent of this and I can vouch for lavender, tea-tree oil, peppermint, almond, rose and eucalyptus all smell amazing.

This soap is amazing for my skin in the Spring/ Summer months here in Miami. As it gets so hot I love to shower with the peppermint one. Its cool and feels so minty on my skin hours after bathing/ showering. I only tried it in the bar form. But next time I will repurchase it in liquid so I can dilute it. The bar is a little too strong for my private area. Im sensitive and it can be drying. Dial is mild so I also use that soap for that area. I think liquid is best. Because I looovvvee this soap. Its pretty expensive $3 for 1 bar $15 for a large bottle at GNC. But I love it. Also I want to try the lavendar and lemon for other things.

Crazy pseudo religious rambling and excessive use of exclamtion marks on the labelling aside, these soaps are truly excellent.
I use both the bar and liquid forms, I have tried a variety of the different frangrances and lavender is my favourite. The almond and peppermint are also lovely, citrus and rose are so-so for me and I tend to steer clear of the eucalyptus because I find it overpowering (it is good for getting sticky labels off things though).
Bars - big chunky rectangles of rich lathery goodness. I use these in the shower, they are not too drying but have quite a high pH so you may want to be a little careful not to use them excessively on (ahem) delicate areas but they are great for general all over cleaning. I have used both the lavender and almond very sparingly on my face without any problems but mostly I stick to a separate facial cleanser.
They don't get as gummy and gross as other bar soaps so I let them drain dry and then just pop them back in the paper packet for next time. Also great for cleaning makeup brushes, just dampen the brush, swirl directly onto the soap bar and use your hands to massage the gunk out of the bristles. Rinse, repeat as required. I don't know why, but as awesome as the bar soaps are for this, the liquid versions don't seem to work as well.
Liquid castile - fabulous for household purposes. I dilute them down and use as a spray and wipe type surface cleaner, it doesn't leave any streaky residue or require rinsing, though I guess it depends on what your dilution ratio is.
Use directly on stained clothing, I have successfuly removed a variety of stain types, including blood, grass marks, ink and most recently, spicy curry sauce on a white polka dotted dress (because Im a total klutz apparently), just apply directly and rub in gently before washing as normal (with the appropriate water temperature for whatever the stain is of course.) I have also used as a laundry detergent for delicate and hand wash only items, usually I dont even bother to rinse afterwards because there is nothing in the soap that will irritate my skin and why spend longer doing the washing than you have to? I have used on merino wool, cotton, polyester and a silk rayon blend without any issues.
That said, as wonderful as I think these are, there is no way in Hades I would use them to wash my hair or as a toothpaste replacement, though I did use a bit once to spot wash a very dirty and reluctant cat, which was reasonably effective but as about as much fun for everyone involved as it sounds. Still, the kitty ended up (mostly) clean without any chemical residues remaining on his lovely fur coat and I ended up with a handy antiseptic wash for several well deserved scratches.
I keep a little 50mL bottle in my toiletry bag when I travel, it comes in surprisingly handy for a variety of things, not just as a body wash.
Overall, great soaps with multiple uses, instructions for societical realignment and spiritual nirvana nothwithstanding. But whatever floats your boat., Dr Bronner.

One of my earliest memories growing up is the smell of this soap in the creek where my mom would wash us off... Great product, great results, great price. Truly a classic.

This is a staple in my house. Removes stubborn makeup, thoroughly cleans my makeup brushes, it's gentle enough for my kindergartener's skin & my husband uses it as shampoo. This soap is also wonderful for clearing up skin rashes/conditions. continued >>