Dr. Bronner's - Pure-Castile Bar Soap (5 Ounce Variety Gift Pack) Almond, Unscented, Lavender, Peppermint, Citrus, Rose - Made with Organic Oils, For Face, Body and Hair, Gentle and Moisturizing

Hey, guys. About six months ago, I set out on a mission to find an economical, natural soap for men. I tried over 20 sets of soaps. If you’re interested in reading a comprehensive review of these soaps, look up my review under Crate 61-For Him. Then come back to this review to read more about Dr. Bronner’s. Although Dr. Bronner’s isn’t specifically a men’s soap, I included it in my study because, with almost 28,000 reviews on Amazon, it is a wildly popular and highly respected brand.The BasicsI got dizzy exploring all the purchase options for this soap. I’m sure that I’m missing some of the options, so the following is only meant to give you an idea of the possibilities.Dr. Bronner’s soaps come in 8 flavors: Almond, Lavender, Citrus, Tea Tree, Unscented, Peppermint, Rose, and Eucalyptus. Soaps can either be purchased in packs of a single flavor or in variety packs. Packs of a single flavor are available in packs of 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 12. Variety packs are available in packs of 2, 6, and 8. Thus, I encourage you to explore Amazon to find the best deals.Given all the above options, I couldn’t possibly explore all the pricing options available to you. Thus, I’m limiting myself to providing information on the 8-pack, for this pack allows you to sample all of Dr. Bronner’s flavors. (Truth in advertising: I bought the 6-pack from Amazon and the other two flavors of the 8-pack at Target.) The following pricing information from amazon.com is as of 1/4/23.• Price/pack: $39.30• Soaps/pack: 8• Ounces/bar: 5• Price/bar: $4.91 (Since soaps come in all sizes, you should really look at the price/ounce to compare different soap brands.)• Price/ounce: $0.98• Scents (my descriptors): masculine, feminine, earthy, fruity, and flowery (I give specifics below.)• 4-5 Star Rating: 94% (Combines the percentage of people giving the soap a four- or five-star rating. I only considered soaps that rated over 80% on this criterion.)• # Ratings: 229 (The total number of ratings received. I only considered soaps with hundreds of ratings.)I have a couple of observations about the basic stats. First, as I said earlier, Dr. Bronner is one of the most popular and highly respected brands on Amazon. Of all the soaps I reviewed, 94% is the highest rating I’ve seen. Also, although the 8-pack set only had 229 ratings, other listings for Dr. Bronner’s soap have over 27,700 ratings! It looks like not too many people buy the 8-pack, but they certainly buy the soap by the ton!The ScentsHere’s a description Dr. Bronner’s flavors to help you decide which ones you might like. All the soaps are true to their name. For example, the almond soap smells like almond. Thus, in the following, I’ll describe not the scent itself but the qualities of the scent:• Is the scent mild, moderate, or strong?• Is the scent more masculine/feminine?• Is the scent earthy/fruity/flowery, etc.?• Almond: mild/masculine/fruityo This scent will probably appeal more to men; however, the scent is very mild, and women could also use it without concern.• Lavender*: moderate/masculine or feminine/floweryo Lavender is generally considered a feminine scent, but I think that either men or women could use it.o Lavender is one of my favorite scents, and Dr. Bronner’s Lavender is my #1 choice for a lavender soap.• Citrus: mild to moderate/masculine or feminine/fruityo Citrus scents are appropriate for both men and women.o You will note hints of orange, lemon, and lime, but the orange scent dominates the others.o Although I liked the scent of this soap, it is rather weak. I preferred other citrus soaps that I tried in my study.• Tea Tree*: strong/masculine or feminine/earthyo Tea tree oil has a very strong scent that may not be to everyone’s liking.o This happens to be one of my favorite scents; and, of the many tea tree oil soaps I have tried, this soap is my #1 choice.o Men who are active might appreciate this soap because it’s an excellent choice after working on dirty, sweaty jobs or after a heavy workout, for tea tree oil eliminates malodor and kills nasties (bacteria and fungi).• Unscented**: mild/masculine or feminine/no scento This scent is appropriate for both men and women.o People with sensitive skin or noses that are sensitive to strong scents should do well with this soap.o I wouldn’t say that this is completely unscented; however, of the eight Dr. Bronner’s soaps, this one has the mildest scent.• Peppermint:* strong/masculine or feminine/earthyo You will definitely smell the peppermint! The smell of this soap may be too strong for some people.o Minty soaps cool and refresh the skin, and they help calm itchy skin.o I like strong scents, so this soap made my list of favorites.• Rose: mild/feminine/floweryo This was one of the milder scents in the collection. In terms of the strength of the scent, it’s probably above the unscented and below the almond.o Although I think the soap will appeal more to women, men could try it without worrying about coming out of the shower smelling like roses.• Eucalyptus: mild to moderate/masculine/earthyo Although eucalyptus is one of my favorite scents, I preferred eucalyptus soaps from other companies because Dr. Bronner’s had a very mild scent. However, if you don’t like strong scents, this one might be just right for you!o Eucalyptus is often used in men’s soaps, but I think that some women would also like it.*My favorite scents. A choice of scent is something very personal, so your favorites might end up being quite different from mine. Also, as mentioned above, I like strong scents; you might prefer milder scents.**Here is a little aside on unscented versus fragrance-free:• Unscented: This means that the product has no scent. Although I doubt that Dr. Bronner does this, be careful with commercial products that are labeled unscented, for these products often add chemicals to their products to mask scents.• Fragrance-free: This means that nothing was added to the product go give it a scent; however, this doesn’t mean that the product will have no scent.• The bottom line is that, irrespective of how a product is labeled, depending on how sensitive your nose is, you may sense a scent in the product. For example, all soaps have a base formula that consists of a combination of oils and, possibly, other ingredients, and these base ingredients will probably have a scent. Essential oils are then added to the base formula to give the soap a particular scent.What is natural?In my review for Crate 61-For Him, I explain in detail my definition of “natural.” In a nutshell, a natural soap should contain essential oils, other natural ingredients like shea butter, and no unnecessary ingredients such as the following: additives, fragrances, micas, colorants, and, of course, unpronounceable chemicals.I evaluated over 10 brands of soap. If I were to strictly adhere to my definition of all-natural, Crate 61 is the only soap in my study that would qualify. Dr. Squatch also qualifies as all-natural, but it didn’t make my price cut (i.e., it is not economical). All other soaps fail my definition in one way or another.All Dr. Bronner’s soaps have the same base ingredients: organic coconut oil, organic palm oil, sodium hydroxide (lye), water, organic olive oil, organic hemp oil, organic jojoba oil, sea salt, citric acid, and tocopherol. What makes each soap bar different is the essential oils added to it.Be attentive and take the time to read the ingredients. Here’s what you may find on the ingredient list of a soap and what should/should not be of concern:• Lye may be included in the ingredients under one of its many names. For example, Dr. Bronner’s lists lye as sodium hydroxide. Be aware that lye is used to make soap, but there is no lye in the final product.• Glycerin*: I’m not an expert soap maker, but my understanding is that glycerin helps to preserve the moisture in your skin and prevents dryness. Dr. Bronner’s doesn’t list glycerin in its ingredients, so I don’t think it’s a glycerin-based soap (see note below).• Oils: All soaps have one or more oils in them. Some form part of the base soap, and others are essential oils used to give the soap its scent. Dr. Bronner’s earns kudos for using organic oils in its soaps, many of which are fair trade.• Shea butter: This is often added to soaps to make them more moisturizing. Dr. Bronner’s doesn’t list shea butter in its ingredients.• Additives: Sometimes this is listed with no further explanation. Demand to know what is added and for what purpose. Dr. Bronner’s, for example, adds tocopherol to its soaps. This is a form of Vitamin E, and it’s possibly added to the soap for its moisturizing qualities.• Fragrance: In a natural soap, the scent should come from the essential oils in it. Thus, if only “fragrance” is listed, demand to know what was added to the soap. Dr. Bronner’s uses essential oils to scent its soaps, and these are clearly listed in the ingredients.• Micas: Micas are powders made of minerals. They add color and glimmer to soaps. This is an unnecessary ingredient. Dr. Bronner’s doesn’t use micas in its soaps.• Colorants: Demand to know exactly what is added to the soap to give it color. This, too, is an unnecessary ingredient. Dr. Bronner’s doesn’t use colorants.• Exfoliants: Exfoliants buff away dead skin and make skin softer, but they can also scratch, scrape, or cut the skin. Dr. Bronner’s soaps don’t contain exfoliants.• Chemicals: These can vary from brand to brand. Dr. Bronner’s uses “citric acid” in its soaps. I believe this is a preservative.*From what I read, all soaps contain glycerin, but some contain more than others. Glycerin is naturally produced as part of the soap-making process. In other words, all soaps have some glycerin. However, some soaps contain more glycerin than others. Those that have a high concentration of glycerin call themselves glycerin soaps. These are easily identifiable because they are translucent.In the end, everyone’s definition of “natural” is different. What ingredients one is willing to live with are different. And how far one is willing to stray from one’s definition of “natural” is different. How far from YOUR definition of “all-natural” is Dr. Bronner given that it adds citric acid and tocopherol to its soap? You’ll have to decide that for yourself.A Quick Note on My Search for Men’s ScentsPart of the fun of trying different soaps is discovering what you like and what you don’t like. Some scents will knock your socks off. Others will clearly repel you. And some you will smell and say, “Meh, I can take it or leave it.” Here are my favorite scents:• Fruity flavors, particularly those of the citrus variety• Coconut• Eucalyptus• Mint• Patchouli (men either love it or hate it)• Pine Tar (men either love it or hate it)• Tea Tree (great for deodorizing the body and keeping your skin clear)• Combinations of the above (e.g., Crate 61 makes a Patchouli Lime soap that knocked my socks off).But that’s me. As you try different soaps, you’ll discover the ones that make your all-star list!Dr. Bronner Sets Versus Sets of Other BrandsHere is my list of my top 10 soaps. The percentages in parentheses are my own personal ratings.1. Age of Sage-Masculine (85%)2. 360 Feel-Men’s (84%)3. Crate 61-Citrus (83%)4. Crate 61-For Him (83%)5. Age of Sage-Fruity (81%)6. Crate 61-Popular (81%)7. Crate 61-Dry Skin (80%)8. Age of Sage-Galactic (79%)9. Age of Sage-Macho (77%)10. 360 Feel-Fresh (77%)Dr. Bronner’s soap sets didn’t make my top ten, but they did rank in my top 20.Here’s some general advice to help you pick the one(s) you might want to try:1. Age of Sage-Masculine: strong earthy scents2. 360 Feel-Men’s: moderate earthy and fruity scents3. Crate 61-For Him: mild to moderate earthy and fruity scents4. Age of Sage-Macho or 360 Feel-Fresh: mild to moderate fresh scents5. Bali-Masculine: mild earthy and fruity scents6. Purelis-Men’s: mild to moderate earthy scents7. Natural American-Soldier: mild fresh scents8. Natural American-Elements: mild earthy scentsI clearly prefer soaps with stronger scents, and I prefer earthy scents over fresh scents. However, your preferences might be different.Dr. Bronner’s Versus Other BrandsHere’s how Dr. Bronner’s stacks up to other brands.1. Crate 61 (82%)2. Age of Sage (81%)3. 360 Feel (80%)4. Bali (74%)5. Dr. Bronner’s (73%)6. Purelis (73%)7. Natural American (71%)Dr. Bronner ranked in 5th place. I reiterate that these ratings reflect MY personal preferences. Your rankings could be different. In my review for Crate 61-For Him, I provide additional reflections on these brands. I think that Dr. Bronner ranked lower on my list for two reasons:• I have very dry skin, and Dr. Bronner’s soaps tend to leave my skin dry and itchy. Other soaps did a better job of moisturizing my skin. If dry skin isn’t a problem for you, you’d probably do quite well with Dr. Bronner’s soaps.• The goal of my study was to find men’s soaps, and Dr. Bronner’s soaps aren’t made specifically for men. I would classify Dr. Bronner’s soaps as unisex (appropriate for both men and women).Strengths and Weaknesses of Dr. Bronner’sHere are the strengths of Dr. Bronner’s:• Highly popular and highly respected! You can’t ignore that Dr. Bronner’s has been rated by almost 28,000 people and gotten very high approval ratings!• Organic and fair-trade ingredients.• Honest scents. For example, just as you’d expect, the Peppermint soap has peppermint oil in the ingredients.Here are the weaknesses of Dr. Bronner’s:• They add citric acid and tocopherol to their soaps. In my view, these are unnecessary ingredients that make the soaps less than all-natural.• The scents are uneven and range from weak to strong.• The soaps left my skin dry and itchy.Would I Buy Dr. Bronner’s Soaps Again?Despite the flaws mentioned above, I would buy Dr. Bronner’s soaps again. Several of their soaps (tea tree, peppermint, and lavender) took the #1 spot for soaps in that flavor. To get around the drying effect of their soaps, I apply a moisturizer after showering. Perhaps if they added shea butter to their soaps, it would help to make their soaps more moisturizing.In the end, my recommendation is that you try Dr. Bronner’s soaps. How can you go wrong with a soap that almost 28,000 people have rated and given a combined four- and five-star rating of over 90%?Want More?Look for my individual reviews of these soaps in the next three weeks, and remember that a comprehensive, overall review of these soaps is posted under Crate 61-For Him.• 360 Feel-Men’s (complete)• Age of Sage-Masculine (complete)• Bali-Men’s (complete)• Crate 61-For Him (complete)• Dr. Bronner (8-pack variety set) (this review)• Dr. Squatch (10-bar, Set 2) (complete)• Natural American-Soldier (coming soon)• Purelis-Men’s (complete)Natural American soaps is the only other brand in my study that I haven’t reviewed yet. Look for it soon.A Final NoteNow go out there and find the soap that’s right for you!

Dr. Bronner’s products are exactly what they claim: biodegradable, high quality, great fragrances, effective. I have used their Sal-Suds as a cleaning staple and this wonderful of soaps is simply excellent. You will enjoy the longevity, cleaning ability, and scents of this entire selection.

This Castile soap is just good soap for your home.

The only soap my fiancé (who works in boilers and in fabrication) will use!

I used it to make laundry soap

love the smell of these soaps. I use them to make laundry detergent

I remember how bar soaps would crack and dry out back in the day (usually Dial or LifeBouy, a LONG time ago). I dropped the bar in the kitchen sink so I don't know if that cracked it or not, but it's holding up fine. It has gotten discolored (white bar) and I'm not really sure why. It only takes grabbing the soap with wet hands to get it to lather. Wow. I have been washing my face with it and so far, no dryness, just nice and clean. I've read somewhere just how good Castile soap is to use. I think they are correct. The fragrance of the individual bar is not strong and I do not know how long it might last. I think I'm using the unscented one in the kitchen. A lot of soapy foam and some slimy soap gets on the holder I bought for the bars and I have to clean the holder and under it fairly often. But that's always how bar soaps have been, in my opinion. I would not switch to bar soap ... except for this one ... so far.

The way it make my skin feel. I have sensitive skin and this soap doesn’t make my skin itch. Also the smell is very like no perfume scent.

Before I used this product I was dirty. Afterwards I was clean. Product works as advertised. Also the pleasant scents makes you more desirable to women. I highly recommend this product.

Los jabones y cremas de esta marca son excelentes. Están hechos de ingredientes naturales y no tóxicos.Los aromas son muy agradables también. Es un producto de gran calidad

I like everything about this soap

I like the mild scent and the bar lasts in the shower.

love that it comes in a variety pack