Dr. Bonner's weirdo soap

December 9, 2009 6:59 PM

Dr. Bonner's soap users: how do you use it??

I was inspired by this question to purchase Dr. Bonner's soap, and I've been diluting it with water as many suggest (as does the packaging). That leaves me with a watery substance that's difficult to apply since it's so watery. How do you use this stuff??

posted by Jason and Laszlo to Health & Fitness (60 answers total)

I only dilute diluted if I was using it for a mouthwash, OK? Otherwise I used it like the (extra)ordinary soap it was, full strength.

Small aside; I first encountered Dr. Bronner's soap when I was about ten years old, read the whole label, and it blew my tiny mind.
posted by the dief at 7:01 PM on December 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

OMG that is soap from my hippie days in the 60's. It has a thousand uses, including pest control, mouthwash and douching (don't do it). Use it full strength on a squishy sponge or washcloth, and lather up. It comes in regular castile formula, peppermint oil and almond, which one do you have?
posted by ~Sushma~ at 7:04 PM on December 9, 2009

Get a foaming soap pump and fill it with very diluted Dr. Bronner's soap.
posted by parudox at 7:04 PM on December 9, 2009 [4 favorites]

It should work well with a bath sponge or shower pouf.
posted by brain at 7:05 PM on December 9, 2009

Dr. Bonner's soap
posted by mlis at 7:05 PM on December 9, 2009

Response by poster: i have peppermint castile and i'm primarily interested in using it as a face wash. thanks!
(can i also use it on my collard greens?!)
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 7:05 PM on December 9, 2009

I use it full-strength, as a face soap (and also in the shower as body soap). My skin's been happy about it for years.
posted by you're a kitty! at 7:06 PM on December 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

I never dilute. Tried it once, didn't care for the watery grossness. You aren't going to hurt yourself by not diluting, but it is strong, (in my opinion) so maybe use less to start with.
FYI: I only use it on my hair/body.. not in my mouth. Mouth soap doesn't seem right to me. That is what toothpaste y hydrogen peroxide is for.
posted by defragmeout at 7:07 PM on December 9, 2009

I put into a pump and put it next to the sink. I dilute it with a little water but not so much that a little squirt into the palm of my hand doesn't do the job.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 7:07 PM on December 9, 2009

Bronner. It's Bronner.

And I use it full strength, but prefer the bars to the liquid. Don't ever get silly and try to use it to wash your hair unless you don't like your hair anyway. Regardless of what the label says, it doesn't really do too well as shampoo.

But the crazy man on the bottle told me to try it!
posted by dilettante at 7:07 PM on December 9, 2009

Sushma, it comes in even more scents now, and (bonus!) Target's started carrying it.
posted by you're a kitty! at 7:07 PM on December 9, 2009

Shushma, times have changed! Dr. Bronner's comes in far more flavors now, including baby, citrus, eucalyptus, rose, lavender and tea tree. They also make an assortment of organic personal care/beauty products.

DILUTE! DILUTE OK!

(Don't actually dilute.)
posted by elsietheeel at 7:08 PM on December 9, 2009

Also please never use it to wash dishes. I went camping with some hippies once and they used it for EVERYTHING. It took days to get the taste of castile soap out of my mouth.
posted by elsietheeel at 7:10 PM on December 9, 2009 [3 favorites]

NOT FOR TENDER GIRL PARTS. NO.
posted by Corky at 7:12 PM on December 9, 2009 [12 favorites]

I dilute slightly and use it in a small tub (fits into my sink) to wash delicates.

When I worked on an organic farm one summer, I did see a bottle by the sink we used to wash the greens; I never saw anyone use it, though. I'm pretty sure you can just rinse your collards with water, and iirc, rinsing with vinegar is the easy way to go if you've reason to be concerned about bacteria.
posted by cobaltnine at 7:13 PM on December 9, 2009

NOT FOR TENDER GIRL PARTS. NO.

Boy oh boy do I wish I knew this two days ago, would have spared the entire household my 6am screams of agony.
posted by zoomorphic at 7:16 PM on December 9, 2009

Also, I would not advise using full strength Bronners peppermint in the shower. It can be a little hard on the tender parts.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 7:17 PM on December 9, 2009

I've often wondered, how well does it work for sink-washing clothes? Not just delicates, but jeans, even.
posted by np312 at 7:17 PM on December 9, 2009

I buy it by the gallon (it's cheaper), dilute it 1:2 or 1:3 and put it in plastic bottles like this. I got my bottles from a local pharmacist. These particular flip tops dispense nicely and are great for travel because they don't leak.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:19 PM on December 9, 2009

(the unscented one is fine for girl parts).
posted by you're a kitty! at 7:20 PM on December 9, 2009 [3 favorites]

I dilute it 50% and keep it in an old cetaphil bottle. I use it with japanese washcloth. Not pink.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 7:22 PM on December 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

And how awesome is it that a majority of the 'related questions' are about Dr Who??
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 7:23 PM on December 9, 2009 [3 favorites]

The Baby variety (baby blue label) is unscented.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:26 PM on December 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

I use it at about a 70/30 soap/water mix in a pump by the sink if we run out of hand soap (my wife prefers a less hippie soap generally and this is not the hill I want to die on). I squirt it on a wet washcloth in the shower and scrub away. As previously mentioned, don't get it in your eyes or the inside of your genitals. ALL ONE!
posted by Divine_Wino at 7:26 PM on December 9, 2009

I only dilute as-needed, and generally prefer the bar-form. Their almond flavor bar soap had been my standard shower soap for a year or so, and my skin has been clearer now than ever before. My mom has super sensitive dry skin and uses the liquid peppermint stuff for the shower. Just a quick squeeze on a shower puff does it for her.

Other uses:
You can use it to wash ceramics and things that you won't be eating off of, so vases and bathroom accessories and so-on.
It doesn't do much for stains, but if you have smelly ground-in parts on your clothes (underarms) a pretreating soak helps get rid of the smell, and break down the stain.
I've used it plus a toothbrush to scrub white shoes white again, including the canvas parts, but it works especially well on things like Keds' white rubber soles.
You can shake some up in a spritzy bottle and use it on exterior painted surfaces, garage doors and the like, followed by a quick hose-down, to shine things up without covering your grass in vinegar.
If you have stinky fridge drawers, the same spritzy bottle can help de-stink and clean at the same time, but you need to rinse it really well so as not to get soap flavor on your veggies.

If you have the chance, watch their movie. Did you know that Doctor Bronner was a nudist? Truth! One of my favorite documentaries of all time.
posted by Mizu at 7:33 PM on December 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

I use the rose scented kind by the sink for hand and face washing and occasionally in the shower if I'm between bars. I've used it to wash clothes in the sink and don't dnotice it being particularly awesome or particularly terrible.
posted by jessamyn at 7:35 PM on December 9, 2009

My husband uses it undiluted for shampoo (he has very, very, very short hair. Whenever I try to use it it strips all the oil out of my (shoulder-length) hair and I have to conditioner it about three times just to be able to put my fingers through it).

For hand soap, it's between 50/50 and 2/3 Bronner's:1/3 water.

He says you can also use the peppermint one to remove adhesive from furniture.
posted by Lucinda at 7:36 PM on December 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

I use the plain Castile soap for laundry, just the same amount that I would use with a normal brand (about half a cup?)

^{And for what it's worth I kind of like the Peppermint on my girl parts. ::shrug::}
posted by Juicy Avenger at 7:42 PM on December 9, 2009 [3 favorites]

^{Ack! Adhesive remover? Maybe I should clarify that it's pretty diluted by the time it gets down there?}
posted by Juicy Avenger at 7:43 PM on December 9, 2009

I use the lavender kind in the normal bottle in the shower. I just splash a bit into my palms, rub palms together, and soap up my body.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:45 PM on December 9, 2009

Get a foaming soap pump and fill it with very diluted Dr. Bronner's soap.

This is the best. We use it like this for hand washing. Cheaper and better than the anti-bacterial soaps that come in the foaming soap containers plus you're not throwing away the pump bottle.
posted by leetheflea at 7:49 PM on December 9, 2009

I use it to wash my daughter's hair because it's low-sudsing; she's black and has very thick hair. I can't use any products with fragrance and haven't found anything on the market that is formulated for black hair that I can use. I make a mix of about 1/2 cup Dr. B's unscented baby soap and 1/2 cup water, with a teaspoon of olive oil. It's not only a decent low-suds shampoo, but it makes a nice hand soap, and we use the mix for that, too. The olive oil seems to keep our hands from drying out when we're washing a lot.
posted by not that girl at 7:59 PM on December 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

Undiluted lavender in a pump bottle, for shower and bath, hands, hair, and all over (but careful with tenderest bits.)
posted by anadem at 7:59 PM on December 9, 2009

Well, it's biodegradable so it's my go to soap when camping or traveling - mostly for washing me and my clothes. I prefer the lavender but sometimes use the peppermint (for soaking tired tootsies) or unscented (for dishes and such). I usually don't dilute it when using the liquid to wash me, but I pretty much have to when washing clothes or dishes, etc.

And as dilettante pointed out, it's Bronner's, not Bonner's.
posted by ourroute at 8:05 PM on December 9, 2009

You may want to search for Dr. Bronner's on Makeup Alley in the boards and product reviews. Lots of ladies over there use it as a face wash, so there's probably some info about that specifically if you poke around a bit. However, I think you do have to join to read everything. Contrary to what seems to be the preference around here, from what I've picked up, most of them think it's way to stripping to use as a regular face wash without diluting the heck out of it, but I don't know off the top of my head how much.
posted by mostlymartha at 8:07 PM on December 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

I use it diluted in lots of water for hand washing sweaters & cotton/silk tops. I like the lavender and peppermint scents, much better than Woolite.
posted by citron at 8:21 PM on December 9, 2009

... and leave the bottle on the back of the toilet for reading material.
posted by Kloryne at 8:34 PM on December 9, 2009

I've used it with some success removing stains from white clothes (I also use it to wash my body, and my menstrual cup). Use your discretion when it comes to removing stains from non-white clothes as sometimes it's pulled the dye right out of the fabric along with the stain...
posted by crinklebat at 8:44 PM on December 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

Although I lack girlparts and so cannot speak for or against, see the song Dr. Bronner's Makes Your Hoo Hoo Tingle.
posted by JiBB at 9:16 PM on December 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

Seriously, yes, as parudox said, foaming pump for hand soap.
posted by aimedwander at 9:44 PM on December 9, 2009

I use it last summer to squirt off the aphids on our plants, worked like a charm.
posted by ljesse at 10:13 PM on December 9, 2009

I put the peppermint kind on the outside of pet dishes to keep the ants out. i also use it to bathe, man, I love this stuff soooooo much.
posted by fifilaru at 10:35 PM on December 9, 2009

NOT FOR TENDER GIRL PARTS. NO.

The peppermint? Definitely not - learned that the hard way - whoooo that is FRESH! But the lavender (suitably diluted) is fine to use wherever. I keep it in the shower, pre-diluted, and use it on a poof. I also use it (diluted) in a pump dispenser by the sink for hands - and it's great for handwashing clothes. The peppermint- full strength - makes a great toilet cleaner.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 11:37 PM on December 9, 2009

Ahem, what's wrong with FRESH?

Also it's fine for dishes when camping as long as you dilute, dilute (otherwise, yeah, taste of soap). But I wouldn't dilute for in-shower use.

And I agree with the "ok for short hair, not so great for long hair". I've had both over the years, and short is no problem. (I'm caucasian, though, and don't have a particularly oily head, so maybe that's why).
posted by nat at 1:06 AM on December 10, 2009

I love the peppermint (diluted) for doing the floor in my bathroom. Gets rid of any funky odors and makes the place smell really fresh and clean.

I'll also use it as a laundry soap in a pinch, but I don't know if it's as good as regular detergent. It seems to do an ok job though.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 3:58 AM on December 10, 2009

Use it with a washcloth. That's what my husband does.

Or, like me, buy the Dr. Bronner's bar soap instead of the bottle.
posted by miss tea at 4:03 AM on December 10, 2009

To simplify & enjoy life more, I use the liquid soap straight instead of dilute diluting, and I rinse well OK. I know I read somewhere on the label that this is totally fine, but damned if I can't find it amidst all those Moral ABCs.

The label also makes for way better morning reading than the back of cereal boxes.
posted by Metroid Baby at 4:38 AM on December 10, 2009

I use it with a bath puff in the shower.

And people speak truth about NOT using the peppermint one undiluted on, er, sensitive areas. But -- on the other hand, DO use the peppermit one undiluted everywhere else during the summer is a great way to cool off.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:40 AM on December 10, 2009

I know your question is "how do I use it properly", but I'm going to jump in with the crowd and give you a suggestion on what to use the overly diluted stuff for- my brother swears by it for his hockey gear.
posted by sunshinesky at 5:47 AM on December 10, 2009

I use it straight for the shower and 50/50 with water for the soap pump for handwashing, just to keep it from clogging. I am out of Dr Bronners right now and miss that get-you-up-in-the-morning tingle on my man parts.


Unrequested anecdote: when my daughter was a baby I used to wash her fine, blond hair with Dr. Bronners (the baby soap, mind) and it would stick straight up and people used to say she looked like Laurie Anderson. Then I ran into Laurie Anderson in a hotel in LA and I didn't have a thing to say to her.
posted by shothotbot at 5:48 AM on December 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

(the tea tree variety, I should add)
posted by sunshinesky at 5:52 AM on December 10, 2009

I use the peppermint as a body wash in the shower and the secret is to apply-then-rinse very quickly for the tender bits. I also use it as a hand soap and general spot-on-the-floor soap, and for a while as a laundry detergent - that worked fine, but it wasn't really cost-effective.
posted by restless_nomad at 6:16 AM on December 10, 2009

DO use the peppermint one undiluted everywhere else during the summer is a great way to cool off.

Also, the peppermint odor keeps away black flies and mosquitoes. (Not that they're a problem in Maine in December)
posted by anastasiav at 6:17 AM on December 10, 2009

my foaming soap pump is filled with between 15:1 and 20:1 water:bronner's ... it works like a charm even at such a homeopathic extreme.

my standard shower soap is 7:1 ... mostly because i enjoy a nice full squeeze into the washcloth.
posted by beukeboom at 6:20 AM on December 10, 2009

I'll buy some occasionally, but mostly for the label lulz. I tried using the peppermint full-strength in the shower once, and broke out in a rash all over, a problem that I've never had with any other soap or cleansing product.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:35 AM on December 10, 2009

Peppermint in the shower is good for waking up in the morning.

Generally, I use it like soap.
posted by craven_morhead at 9:05 AM on December 10, 2009

I use it straight, on a wash cloth, to scrub down my really stinky pits after a couple of days on manly outdoor construction projects. It really does the job on those pits.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 9:24 AM on December 10, 2009

my brother swears by it for his hockey gear

Does he wash the gear in it? Just spray it on? I'm looking for something to take the horrificness out of my derby gear....
posted by Lucinda at 10:50 AM on December 10, 2009

I discovered, after a totally unforeseen one-night stand in a tent, that you can actually brush your teeth with Dr Bronner's.

(I was using the lavender flavour. Just a drop or two.)
posted by Pallas Athena at 1:24 PM on December 10, 2009

After reading this thread, I took the plunge and bought that strange little bottle of soap. I first bought a bottle of peppermint. Yes, that makes me tingle, and not in a way that I enjoy (I'm a guy). Also, it makes your whole body feel cold which isn't pleasant during the winter.

So then I went searching for another flavor because I wasn't about to give up on it just yet. Whole Foods has a nice selection of Dr. Bronner's products. The almond scent was going to be my first choice but I couldn't stand the smell. I settled on the rose. It had the most clean scent. I really enjoy it. Undiluted, it is a little drying, but I like it anyways.
posted by bobber at 4:08 AM on December 14, 2009