I Used My Roommate’s Dr. Bronner’s After the Beach and It Changed My Shower Routine

5 min read

IF YOU’VE EVER walked through the personal-care aisle of a grocery store, chances are you’ve seen Dr. Bronner’s. If it doesn’t ring a bell, just think of the bottle with the chaotic packaging and what seems like a billion words printed on the label.

Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap has always been one of those products I recognized but never really felt the need to purchase. The whole “18-in-1” thing sounded a little too much of a joke for me in the beginning. I’ve spent enough time making fun of the classic 3-in-1 body wash, shampoo, and conditioner situation to willingly use something that claims it can do 18 different jobs.

But earlier this summer, I noticed my current roommate uses a bottle of the Peppermint Pure-Castile Liquid Soap, and one particularly hot day after the beach, I finally gave it a shot (with his permission, of course).

I am here, writing to you readers today, to let you know that I get it now. Sometimes, the multipurpose product does actually work (and that might pain some of you to read… but hear me out!). It’s genuinely a great body wash, and here’s why.

The Formula

Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Pure-Castile Liquid Soap is made with a relatively short list of ingredients, including coconut, palm, and olive oils, along with hemp seed oil, jojoba wax, peppermint, citric acid, and tocopherol (vitamin E). The signature peppermint scent and cooling sensation come from peppermint, menthol, and other naturally occurring compounds.

It’s also highly concentrated, which is a big reason one bottle can last so long. You really don’t need much to get a good lather, and you can dilute it depending on how you’re using it.

That said, while I am using it for shower purposes, the team at Dr. Bronner’s swears you can use it for other personal care uses, but also household chores like dishwashing, laundry, mopping floors, and more. I personally am not doing that, but don’t let me stop you from living your truth.

SHOP DR. BRONNER’S PEPPERMINT PURE-CASTILE LIQUID SOAP ON AMAZON

How It Feels and How Well It Works

The first thing you notice is the peppermint. It’s not subtle, and I knew this right away because I can always tell when my roommate is showering based of the peppermint scent that filled the air even when I was in my room. The lather has a minty tingle, and once you rinse it off, your skin has a genuinely cooling sensation. That’s exactly what sold me on it, because I’ve been going to the beach a bunch this summer, and my skin has been left feeling hot more weekends than not.

When I first used it, I was sweaty, grimy, and full of sand from head to toe. The beach comes with a price that must be paid! The peppermint made the shower feel significantly more refreshing than my usual body wash, and the soap left my skin feeling really clean with no more residue, which I love.

But I do also say this cautiously, as I find the soap to be fairly drying, so I don’t use it every day. Instead, I reach for it about once or twice a week, especially when I want a more thorough, almost reset-button kind of shower. I’ll sometimes pair it with a Korean body scrub, too, and the combination leaves my skin feeling incredibly clean and smooth. The tradeoff is that I need to moisturize afterward. A lot and immediately.

On my body, though, I actually like that squeaky-clean feeling every once in a while. I’ve also noticed my skin looks clearer and more even after using it, particularly when I’m dealing with the grime and buildup that comes with sweating and being outside. I also have noticed that it got rid of dark spots on my elbows and neck, which was a plus I wasn’t expecting.

I’m a little more cautious about using it on my face. Despite the fact that Dr. Bronner’s says the soap can be used for your face, I find it more drying there than it is on my body.

The same goes for my hair. I also have somewhat hard water, which probably doesn’t help, but it was enough to convince me that this particular 18-in-1 product does not need to become my entire shower routine.

SHOP DR. BRONNER’S PEPPERMINT PURE-CASTILE LIQUID SOAP ON AMAZON

So, Is the 18-in-1 Actually Worth It?

For me, yes, it is… just only as a body wash! It’s not necessarily an excuse to throw away everything else in your bathroom.

The Peppermint Pure-Castile Liquid Soap does a great job at what I primarily want it to do: clean my body. It lathers well, a little goes a very long way, and that peppermint cooling sensation is especially good when you’ve spent the day sweating through your clothes.

It’s also very accessible. You can find Dr. Bronner’s at most grocery stores, and plenty of online retailers like Amazon. And because the soap is so concentrated, one bottle can last you forever if you’re using it sparingly.

I also appreciate that Dr. Bronner’s has a much bigger philosophy behind its products. The company is a Certified B Corporation and Benefit Corporation, and it has long emphasized fair wages, organic ingredients, and social and environmental responsibility.

Still, I wouldn’t take the “18-in-1” label as a challenge. Use it on your body. Use it on your hands. Use it for shaving if that works for you. Dilute it for household cleaning or camping. But if your face gets dry easily or your hair tends to be finicky, you probably don’t need to force this soap into every corner of your grooming routine.

For me, the sweet spot is pretty simple: Peppermint Pure-Castile Liquid Soap, once a week, followed by a generous amount of moisturizer.

SHOP DR. BRONNER’S PEPPERMINT PURE-CASTILE LIQUID SOAP ON AMAZON

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