Dr. Bronner's is one of the most popular personal care product brands in the US, and is probably the most popular in the "natural" category. The brand's iconic old-school marketing stands out on retail shelves.
But what's actually in Dr. Bronner's soap? Does it contain any questionable additives? Is the bar soap healthier than the plastic-bottle soap? And what was our experience testing Dr. Bronner's soap?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Dr. Bronner's soap to give our take on whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also explain why we think the bar soap is a healthier choice than the plastic-bottle soap, and share our honest experience purchasing and testing Dr. Bronner's soap.
Key takeaways:
- Contains healthy, whole food ingredients
- Bar soap is healthier than plastic-bottled soap
- Overall, we consider Dr. Bronner's soap to be healthy
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in the Unscented bar soap version of Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap are shown below:
Coconut oil can help to moisturize the skin, but also has antibacterial effects when applied topically, according to a 2023 clinical trial.
Olive oil can help to support skin healing, according to a medical review published in the Nutrients journal.
Jojoba oil is clinically shown to moisturize the skin, as we documented in our review of Truly Beauty.
Tocopherol, more commonly known as vitamin E, is clinically shown to reduce the damaging effects of UV rays on skin, making it a preventative ingredient.
There are no ingredients in this soap that we consider to be unhealthy.
Most of the scented versions use naturally-derived fragrance ingredients such as Mentha arvensis, colloquially known as wild mint, in the Peppermint version.
However, some scents like Almond use the generic "natural fragrance," which we recommend avoiding.
Overall, we consider Dr. Bronner's to be one of the healthiest soap brands we've reviewed to date on Illuminate Health, and we recommend their Unscented bar soap.
We Tested Dr. Bronner's Soap
As the author of this article, I wanted to try Dr. Bronner's products myself to share my thoughts on the product experience.
I've been using Dr. Bronner's unscented bar soap for months now, and I much prefer it to previous products I used.
I use it both as hand soap in the bathroom and kitchen, and also as body soap when I'm showering. It's odor-free but seems to clean very well. I've noticed by body odor has decreased while using this product line.
I've also been using Dr. Bronner's lip balm and body balm (on callouses from exercise) and have found both to be of excellent quality.
The products are relatively expensive, but they last long. This bar soap lasts nearly a month if used in the shower, which is much longer than liquid soap lasts.
I've noticed no irritation or negative effects to my skin since using these products. My skin feels smoother and less dry during the winter.
Overall, I'd rate Dr. Bronner's 10/10, and I plan to continue using these products in the future.
Is the Liquid Soap Unhealthy?
We consider Dr. Bronner's bar soap to be a healthier choice than the liquid soap due to the packaging (not the ingredients).
The liquid soap is packaged in plastic, whereas the bar soap is packaged in paper.
Plastic packaging poses "health and environmental hazards" according to a 2022 medical review.
In our view, this risk is due to the potential for microplastics to penetrate the skin barrier and into the bloodstream, and also due to the risk of hormone-disrupting chemicals to leach from plastic packaging into the product.
For both health and environmental reasons, we recommend avoiding plastic as much as possible.
We've also tried both types of Dr. Bronner's bar soap, and have found the paper-packaged soaps to last significantly longer.
Dr. Bronner's vs. Popular Soap Brands
Here's how the healthiness of Dr. Bronner's soap stacks up against other popular soap brands, in our opinion:
Dr. Squatch
One of the most heavily-marketed soap brands in the US, Dr. Squatch contains natural active ingredients like pine tar which is clinically shown to have skin-relieving properties.
Unfortunately, also contains fragrance, giving Dr. Bronner's the edge from a health perspective.
Winner: Dr. Bronner's
Blueland
Healthier than most drug store soap brands and packaged in a sustainable way.
However, Blueland soap contains fragrance and two synthetic preservatives, as we documented in our Blueland review article.
Winner: Dr. Bronner's
Mrs. Meyer's
Packaged in plastic, contains fragrance and synthetic preservatives.
Winner: Dr. Bronner's
Dr. Bronner's Soap Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Most scents have all natural ingredients
- Many research-backed active ingredients
- One of healthiest brands on the market
- Aesthetically pleasing packaging
- Widely available in-store and online
Cons:
- Expensive
- Some scents contain "natural fragrance"
- Plastic bottles may pose health concerns
