natural soap – EcoSalon

Dr. Bronner’s Soap Company Only Wants Good Things for ‘Spaceship Earth’

Emily Monaco — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 16:52:39 +0000

There are a lot of reasons to love Dr. Bronner’s soap.

We love the old-timey apothecary packaging. We love the fact that the company is certified organic, vegan, not animal tested, and fair-trade. We love the fact that we’re not alone in loving it: celebs from Eva Mendes to Lady Gaga are *ahem* gaga over it. We love how adorably weird the late Dr. Bronner himself was, from the way he refers to the world as “spaceship Earth” to his personal philosophical musings that you can discover via his spoken-word album, released in January.

But one of our favorite reasons to love Dr. Bronner’s is the message behind the soap, the philosophy of Dr. Emanuel Bronner himself that you’ll find on every package: “Whatever unites us is greater than whatever divides us.”

It’s no surprise to anyone who reads the philosophical musings that Bronner crammed onto his packaging (what else are you gonna do in the bath?) that he saw himself a philosopher first and soap-maker second. In fact, Bronner only began selling his castile soap – a recipe perfected over the three generations of soap-makers that preceded him in his native Germany – to finance his preaching on a unified mankind. Once he realized that the soap was doing better than the sermons, he began using the company as a way to spread his ideas, writing his “Moral ABC” on the packaging and refusing to allow any retailer to sell the product who didn’t believe in his teachings.

Emanuel Bronner passed away in 1997, but his grandsons, who now run the business, have continued to further and honor their grandfather’s philosophy and vision.

“We have to realize our transcendent unity across religious and ethnic divides, be responsible in our consumption choices and respect the earth,” CEO David Bronner told AdWeek.

This philosophy of equality and unity is exemplified by everything the company does, made even clearer in the company’s third annual All-One report, “This is Why We Make Soap,” which was released earlier this month and documents the company’s commitment to corporate responsibility, social justice, and sustainability.

The report also details the company’s support for charitable and activist causes, from regenerative agriculture to drug policy reform. In 2016, the report shows, Dr. Bronner’s soap gave $7.2 million of its $106 million in revenue to more than 186 activist and charitable causes around the world.

“By making the best product we can, treating our employees and suppliers fairly, honoring the earth in our decisions, and dedicating our profits to causes that enrich this world, we try to live up to my grandfather’s All-One vision every day,” writes Bronner in the introduction to the report.

But the report is far from mere self-congratulation: it really does illustrate the ways in which the company continues to further the unifying philosophy of Emanuel Bronner, including, for example, a south-up oriented map of the world, to signify the company’s global perspective, which also illustrates four important journeys for the company: that of soap as a global product; Bronner’s, from small-town Germany to Los Angeles; the unique company’s global expansion; and the soap’s fair-trade and organic supply chain.

“In a way our activism is our marketing,” David Bronner told Fast Company of this unique and commendable philosophy.

The post Dr. Bronner’s Soap Company Only Wants Good Things for ‘Spaceship Earth’ appeared first on EcoSalon.

All-Natural Soap Does, In Fact, Grow on Trees (Soapberry Trees, That Is)

Emily Monaco — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 07:00:08 +0000

Today, most skincare products contain dangerous chemicals like BHA, BHT, paraben, and petroleum. Even natural skincare products often contain synthetic lathers that can be harsh for sensitive skin. Luckily, that’s all changing with the launch of a new, gentle soap from Tree to Tub, made entirely from botanicals and featuring the all-natural lather of the soapberry.

What’s a Soapberry?

If you’ve never heard of the soapberry, it’s probably because while you can find it in some foods, for example in Indian ice cream, soapberry cosmetics have yet to be commercialized in the U.S.

That said, the soapberry actually has a long history of use as a skincare product in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese medicines. The fruit, which grows naturally in India and Taiwan, has long been used as a safe, gentle cleanser and as a treatment for skin conditions ranging from psoriasis to eczema.

Not only is it naturally antibacterial, it also produces a natural lather when rubbed, creating a gentle, all-natural soap.

The Roots of Tree to Tub

Tree to Tub co-founder Michael Koh grew up using soapberries as a cleanser in his native Taiwan.

“During my childhood in Taiwan, my grandmother never had to worry about chemicals harming my sensitive, fragile skin,” explains Koh. “She relied on nature – all we used was a fruit called the soapberry. She would trek deep into the forest, harvest the berries, and bathe me in its rich, nourishing lather.”

He teamed up with Brian Quach, a fellow UC Berkeley alum, to create Tree to Tub, an all-natural, cruelty-free, vegan soap made from soapberries harvested from family farms in Taiwan.

These berries are blended with organic ingredients like açai and aloe vera to create five different products, ranging from a facial cleanser to a shampoo reinforced with gotu kola extract to ward against hair loss and chamomile to help with itchy scalp to a shea butter body lotion.

“You’re washing with completely botanical lather that we think can replace all chemical lather in the future,” says Quach.

Tree to Tub is committed to fair-trade business solutions, creating a business model that allows local populations to benefit from the popularity of this berry; the founders travelled to Taiwan to meet the local families and help them with the harvest.

“We’ve become almost family with the farmers,” says Quach. “It’s really a different approach to business. When you do business here, you kind of have this informal contract, like ‘We’re gonna work things out together,’ and ‘We’re here together.'”

An Organic Future

Most of Tree to Tub’s ingredients are certified organic, with one major exception: the soapberries themselves. While the certification has proved a challenge to obtain — mainly because the soapberries are picked from the wild and not grown agriculturally — the team knows how important this certification is and is constantly working towards this all-important label.

“Right now it’s more of a fact of getting all our ducks in a row and getting ready for the audits,” says Quach. “We’re prepared; it’s really important for us.”

If you’re intrigued by this new, all-natural skincare product, try it out yourself. In honor of its Indiegogo launch, Tree to Tub is offering a discount to EcoSalon readers, so that you can discover the world’s most gentle soap.

Images care of Tree to Tub

The post All-Natural Soap Does, In Fact, Grow on Trees (Soapberry Trees, That Is) appeared first on EcoSalon.

4 Deliciously Natural Soap Fragrances for a Neutral and Clean Kitchen Aroma

Jen Wallace — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 08:00:41 +0000

What are the best natural soap scents for your kitchen?

Anyone who has ever chopped garlic cloves knows that a strong, fresh, natural soap scent is needed to combat the residual garlic smell that can happen. An effective, yet gentle, soap is needed in the kitchen to help you clean up after cooking that delicious marina.

There are some necessary parameters for a great kitchen natural soap though. It should be gentle on your skin, effective at neutralizes strong odors, good for the environment (and the animals), smell great and be a neutral enough scent to work for all the cooks in your kitchen.

So what are the best scents for natural kitchen soaps?

1. Lavender

The pine-scented goodness of lavender makes it an ideal scent for the kitchen. Earth Friendly Products’ lavender hand soap is 100 percent plant-based, biodegradable and free of all sorts of chemicals you don’t want in your home, like: formaldehyde, petroleum products, GMOs, phosphates, chlorine and ammonia. It’s also friendly to your skin and won’t dry out your hands. It’s non-drying formula not only cleans but also softens hands.

2. Lemongrass & Lime

The refreshing combination of fresh lemongrass and bright limes scents makes a great natural soap for the kitchen. This mild and gentle Dr. Bronner’s soap is USDA Certified Organic, Certified Fair Trade and free of synthetic detergents or preservatives.

3. Clementine

Citrus fruits like orange, lemon or even clementine are perfect for the kitchen. Citrus is not only a fresh scent, but it’s a great cleaner too. This Method clementine scented dish soap is also non-toxic, biodegradable formula and gentle on your hands.

4. Juniper Laurel Mint

Mint is a fantastically refreshing scent and the Caldrea combination of juniper and mint sounds divine. It’s made with ethically-sourced soap bark and aloe vera gel and is gentle enough to leave your hands soft.

And don’t forget that making you own natural soap is a great option. Here are some DIY tutorials for making handmade kitchen soaps. Choose your favorite scent when making your own handmade soaps. They make great hostess or holiday gifts too!

Shop and check out all of the natural kitchen soaps here:

Related on EcoSalon

Dishwasher Soap 101: The 4 Most Effective Natural Brands

Taking Toxic Triclosan Out of Your Soap (By Making Your Own)

The Smell of Fall: 6 Natural Air Freshener Recipes for the Home

Top Image: katwhidden

The post 4 Deliciously Natural Soap Fragrances for a Neutral and Clean Kitchen Aroma appeared first on EcoSalon.

Taking Toxic Triclosan Out of Your Soap (By Making Your Own)

Katherine Butler — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 13:44:55 +0000

The benefits of natural soap, plus two recipes shared just for you.

You step into the shower, pick up a bar, and start suds-ing. For a few minutes, you’re transported to a spa, splashing about in steam and scents, luxuriating in bubbles. Or—you’re lathering up as fast as you can because your coffee is burning and you’ll miss the 8:45am train into the city. Either way, soap is the mainstay of our beauty regime, a product we use without fail.

So amidst all the weird, harsh chemicals out there masquerading as beauty ingredients, isn’t this the one product you really want to make sure is natural? And what better way to make sure your soap is clean is to make it yourself?

I know what you’re thinking—isn’t soap self-cleaning? In the age of antibacterial gels, sprays, probably soon-to-be gas-masks misting us constantly with germ-fighters, aren’t we clean enough? But. Traditional soaps are made with a boat-load of caustic and harmful ingredients, including anti-bacterial triclosan.

Just how bad is triclosan? Let us count the ways (which we already did in this informative article.) But just a quick reminder—while antibacterial products have their place in hospitals and doctor’s offices, every day use encourages bacteria to evolve and become all-powerful. Further, triclosan can lead to extreme hormone disruption.

Not to mention, there is the environmental impact of traditional soaps. The Environmental Working Group reports that a nation-wide study in 2002 of man-made chemicals and hormones in 139 streams revealed that 80% of them were contaminated with chemicals from our wastewater. Another study in 2007 of the San Francisco Bay showed high levels of triclosan, phthalates, and bisphenol A—all hormone-disrupting ingredients found in traditional soaps and more.

So bring on the natural soap! There’s a ton of fantastic soap-makers out there—my favorite is Strawberry Hedgehog’s vegan soaps. But how cool would it be to make your own? Vegetable-based soaps, which contain no animal parts, can be easily made right in your own kitchen.

Lucky for us, Heidi Corley Barto, the Natural Soap Chef, has shared two of her best-selling cold-processed soap recipes. Barto combines fun, fragrant ingredients to serve up some truly pampering soaps.

All you’ll need is a stove, refrigerator, and the tools/ingredients listed below. So check out Barto’s recipes, selected just for EcoSalon, and let us know how you fare!

BASIC 4-OIL SOAP BAR

Mix temp 110°F

This recipe is the basis for most of the soaps in this book. You can make it as is—unscented and uncolored—or use it as a jumping-off point for creating your own recipes, adding your choice of colors, fragrances, and exfoliates. To add fragrance, use an online fragrance calculator, select the fragrance you are using, and calculate for cold process soap at 20 ounces—Heidi Corley Barto

Oils
170 grams Shea butter
170 grams palm oil
113 grams coconut oil
113 grams olive oil

Lye mixture
78 grams sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
215 grams distilled water

1. Measure the oils into your plastic container. Place the container in a larger pot and pour in enough hot tap water that the container begins to float. Set the pot on the stove and turn the heat to warm. Insert a thermometer into the oil.

2. Goggles and gloves on!

3. Measure the distilled water into a heat-safe glass container. Measure the lye crystals into a separate small glass container. Slowly add the lye crystals to the water, stirring with your spatula as you do so. Do not inhale above this container—beware the fumes! This mixture will heat up quickly. Insert a thermometer into the mixture.

4. Monitor the temperatures of the two containers. You want both to reach 110°F. As needed, refresh the hot water bath or turn the stove burner higher to raise the temperature, or use a cold water or ice bath to bring the temperature down.

5. When both the oils and the lye mixture are at 110°F, pour the lye mixture into the plastic container with the oils. Blend with your stick blender until the mixture reaches medium trace (see page 26 of my book).

6. Pour into a chilled mold and refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator; spray the top with isopropyl alcohol, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

7. Remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature.

PEPPERMINT TEA SOAP

Mix temp 110°F

What can I say about peppermint soap? People love peppermint soap! The fragrance helps to wake you up and get you moving in the morning. Peppermint essential oil also has a cooling effect on your skin. Many people swear by my peppermint soap to soothe aching joints. I don’t make any health claims—I’m just happy they like my soap!—Heidi Corley Barto

Oils
170 grams Shea butter
170 grams palm oil
113 grams coconut oil
113 grams olive oil

Lye mixture
78 grams sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
215 grams chilled strong peppermint tea (see directions below)

Add a trace
9 grams peppermint essential oil, 2nd distill
½ teaspoon peppermint tea leaves (from making your tea)

1. Measure your fragrance into a small glass container. Add the ½ teaspoon tea leaves and set aside. Measure the oils into a plastic container. Place the container in a larger pot and pour in enough hot tap water that the container begins to float. Set the pot on the stove and turn the heat to warm. Insert a thermometer into the oils.

2. Goggles and gloves on!

3. Measure the chilled tea into a heat-safe glass container. Measure the lye crystals into a separate small glass container. Slowly add the lye crystals to the tea, stirring with your spatula as you do so. Do not inhale above this container—the fumes will be very strong. This mixture will heat up quickly. Insert a thermometer into the mixture.

5. When both the oils and the lye mixture are at 110°F, pour the lye mixture into the plastic container with the oils. Blend with your stick blender until the mixture reaches a light trace stage, and then add your fragrance–tea leaves mixture. Blend until the mixture reaches medium trace (see page 26 of my book).

Heidi Corley Barto, the Natural Soap Chef

You can find Barto’s book, The Natural Soap Chef: Making Luxurious Delights from Cucumber Melon and Almond Cookie to Chai Tea and Espresso Forte on Amazon and most bookstores.

Image:arlingtonva
Additional photos courtesy of Heidi Corley Barto

The post Taking Toxic Triclosan Out of Your Soap (By Making Your Own) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Behind The Label: LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics

Jessica Marati — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 15:15:28 +0000

A company driven by values, but are they divisive?

Think of LUSH Cosmetics and images of all-natural soaps, gooey organic facial masks, and fizzy bath bombs come to mind… and, depending on your activism awareness, so might controversial protests related to causes like animal cruelty, Canadian oilsand development, and shark finning.

The Britain-based company is one of the few to successfully bring natural beauty products to the mainstream. It’s also one of the most controversial retail presences on the High Street, thanks to its alignment with various ethical campaigns and its somewhat radical approach to protest. But how does the LUSH’s activism align with its products and larger mission?

The history of LUSH is told in detail on the company’s corporate website. In 1977, Liz Weir and Mark Constantine met while working together at a hair and beauty salon in Poole, a town on the south coast of England. Within a few years, they had left the salon and broken out on their own, launching an “Herbal Hair and Beauty Clinic” that sold natural beauty products and cosmetics. One of their first customers was The Body Shop, for which they formulated popular products like Body Butters, Honey Beeswax Cleanser, and Peppermint Foot Lotion. Through the 1980s and 1990s, Weir and Constantine led the company through many incarnations. After their partnership with The Body Shop dissolved, they created a mail order business called Cosmetics to Go and a retail boutique called Cosmetic House, which was later rebranded LUSH.

The Good

From the beginning, LUSH has been a pioneering force in the natural beauty space, with its offering of items that now includes soaps, shampoos, bath products, facial cleansers, fragrances, and a recently launched line of cosmetics called Emotional Brilliance. LUSH’s products are 100 percent vegetarian and 81 percent vegan, and about 70 percent of them are formulated without preservatives. The remaining 30 percent are liquid products that need some kind of preservative (in LUSH’s case, methylparaben and propylparaben) in order to keep bacteria from growing.

LUSH’s Green Policy is holistic, encompassing a general approach to business, as well as a number of different but interrelated initiatives. The company makes limited use of packaging, offering about 40 percent of its products, like bath bombs, massage bars, and solid shampoo bars, as “naked,” with absolutely no packaging. When packaging is necessary, it’s primarily made from recycled, recyclable, and biodegradable materials. On the energy front, LUSH employs energy optimization methods and energy retrofits throughout its supply chain, with similar approaches taken toward water, transport, and operations. Its raw materials are sourced sustainably, with controversial ingredients like palm oil relegated to a “little black book” of ingredients not to use.

LUSH has also made progress on the ethical front, with a notable long-running campaign against animal cruelty. Not only does the company refuse to test its products on animals, but it also refuses to buy ingredients from suppliers that test on animals.

To LUSH, there’s absolutely no reason for guinea pigs choking to death after being force-fed shampoo and rabbits going blind from having mascara dripped into their eyes … Products that you use on your body should be safe to use but they do not have to be tested on animals to assure public safety.

The Bad

While LUSH has always had an ethical approach to business, it didn’t fully enter the activism space until 2006, the same year that businesswoman and activist Anita Roddick sold The Body Shop to L’Oreal. According to LUSH, the timing was no accident.

In response to the sale of The Body Shop and the reaction of staff and customers it became clear that another campaigning voice was needed on the high street… Right from the very beginning, Lush’s campaigns were somewhat different from those that had been seen in shops before.

Indeed, LUSH has become known for its radical and somewhat offbeat protest methods. In 2006, for instance, LUSH dumped two tons of manure in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, to protest the use of animals in chemical testing.

Then there was the time in 2008 when performance artist Alice Newstead was hung from a shark hook in the window of LUSH’s Regent St shop to protest the practice of shark finning.

And most recently, LUSH raised eyebrows when it enlisted performance artist Jacqueline Traide to graphically simulate an animal being tested in a laboratory. (Warning: The video is not for the faint of heart.)

While these stunts were certainly controversial, they were for causes that most of the general public can get behind. Other LUSH campaigns have been a bit more divisive. For instance, LUSH has long supported the “Freedom for Palestine” initiative and refuses to open stores in Israel because it wants “everyone in the country where we are trading to be on an equal footing as far as basic human rights go” – yet it is fine with opening stores in countries with blatant histories of human rights abuses, like Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.

LUSH has also drawn criticism for a recent campaign that attacks oilsands development in Canada. Supporters of the plan say that increased oil development in Canada will help to reduce America’s dependence on Middle Eastern oil, which would hopefully have a positive effect on the nation’s foreign policy. Critics, on the other hand, decry the environmental damage that would result from the project. For its part, LUSH has called the oilsands development “the most destructive project on Earth” and earlier this year turned its 44 Canadian locations into polling stations. The move spurred critics to question the company’s motives, and in an editorial for Canada’s National Post, Adam Daifalleh wrote:

You’re probably asking yourself — as I did — how a soap company has the authority to get involved in a Canadian energy project, particularly when it has no specific expertise in the field and no hard facts to support its public relations crusade… If you haven’t heard about Lush and its holier-than-thou moral crusades, you should — because a close examination of its record lays bare a stunning lack of consistency, and hypocrisy of the highest degree. Lush has no authority to give ethical lectures to anyone.

The Questionable

On its website, Lush is saucily defined as “fresh, green, verdant, and drunken women,” a definition that is “more than a little fitting for who we are and what we do.”

That statement perfectly encapsulates my view on LUSH – as a company that is socially responsible, sustainable, and progressive, but also unpredictable, contradictory, and somewhat of a wild card. And in a way, LUSH owns up to the fact that its views may not be for everyone.

We know not everyone wants “politics in their bath water.” But we feel privileged to be in a position where we have the resources to help those who work tirelessly and selflessly for equality, peace and justice for all. We hope that you will continue to support us as we support them.

But when the causes that LUSH backs are divisive, it can be difficult for the company to garner the support of all customers. Plus, LUSH’s activism puts its customers in the difficult position of prioritizing what matters most to them — choosing a product that is natural and socially responsible, or supporting a company that stands for values it can get behind. That disconnect appeared in the recent Chick-Fil-A scandal, where company president Dan Cathy made public remarks against gay marriage that led to a nationwide boycott of the fried chicken chain. And it also appears when LUSH aligns itself with controversial – but seemingly disparate — issues like the Israel-Palestine conflict, Canadian oil development, and shark finning. With LUSH, it seems that you have to take the good with the… well, questionable.

Behind the Label: Avon’s Crusade Against Breast Cancer

Behind the Label: Burt’s Bees

Read more Behind the Label here.

Images: Memphis CVB

The post Behind The Label: LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics appeared first on EcoSalon.