Back to e-zine
DR BRONNER'S SOAPS

A key quality of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps is its time-honored simplicity, which can be traced back to the German-Jewish roots of Dr. Bronner himself.

Born in Germany in 1908 to a Jewish family that had been making soap since 1848, Emmanuel Bronner grew up learning the family trade. After attaining the rank of soapmaker-master chemist, for which he would afterwards call himself “Doctor,” Emmanuel Bronner grew alarmed at the early ravings of the Nazi Party. Emmanuel emigrated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to work as a consultant to the American soap industry, but his parents remained in Germany until too late and perished in the Holocaust.

Driven by the enormity and tragedy of the Holocaust, Dr. Bronner created the “Moral ABC.” This modern philosophy exhorted all people to unite as one, to respect each other and the environment, and encouraged all religions to recognise their universal similarities inspired by the same divine source. Dr. Bronner charismatically spoke to packed auditoriums to deliver his message. For those that would come to listen, Dr. Bronner would give them a clear bottle of his superior home-crafted peppermint liquid soap as a thank you present. He soon realised that many people were taking the soap and leaving without bothering to listen to him speak. In response, Dr. Bronner began to write his philosophy in tiny, jam-packed script on the labels of each bottle. Before long, these labels became favourite bathroom reading in bathtubs all throughout the country and were an inspiration to many.


Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps enjoyed a small but loyal following in the early years. But then a funny thing happened in the late 1960’s: sales of the soap started to explode. Young people, primarily members of the counter-culture, came to love the soap with which they could do everything: from washing their VW vans to cleaning their bell-bottoms, not to mention washing themselves in the nearby lake. They also grooved on the label’s call to peace, and the fact that Dr. Bronner was a real person, not some corporate mascot. Word-of-mouth soon made Dr. Bronner’s the iconic soap of that era, and in the decades that followed, the soaps spread into every health food store in the US and then into the mainstream as well, winning over fans from all walks of life. The soaps are the number one selling natural brand of bar and liquid soaps in the US.

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps is currently in its third generation as a family business. Grandsons David and Michael Bronner run day-to-day operations with their mother, Trudy Bronner as CFO. Dr. Bronner’s son, Ralph, a retired schoolteacher, operates as the public spokesman by giving talks throughout the country about the soaps and Dr. Bronner, and the charitable projects they support.

The Bronner family is committed to furthering the legacy left by Dr. Bronner. The company is the perfect model of what Dr. Bronner would describe as “constructive capitalism.” Over a third of company profits go to supporting charitable projects worldwide. These include fresh water wells in Ghana, orphanages in Haiti and China, as well as a 1,200 acre land donation to the San Diego County Boys and Girls Club for a campground for disadvantaged children. In 2007, the Bronner family will source 95% of their agricultural materials from Fair Trade, as well as organic, sources, so that the farmers and producers responsible can earn a living wage amidst better working and living conditions.

The company also takes very good care of its own employees. The company shares its profits with its workers by giving each fully vested employee a minimum salary of $36,000, in addition to an annual bonus equal to 25% of their salary, along with a 15% profit sharing plan. Each employee also gets a zero-deductible PPO health insurance plan for themselves AND their families.

The company strongly believes in running a business that is good for society and the planet. They are a driving force behind the organic movement in cosmetics - in transitioning the industry from its reliance on pesticide-intensive conventional agriculture and petrochemicals to sustainable organic farming and ingredients.

It is the mark of a great soap that it could inspire even its closest competitors. As fellow soapmaker Heather Jenkins of the SunFeather Herbal Soap Company stated: “It will probably never be clear whether it is the soap or the message on the bottle which has made Dr. Bronner’s more than a product, but a symbol of an ideal, and an ideal product.”


From outdoor enthusiasts to professional make-up artists, from natural product consumers to mainstream shoppers, countless people love to lather with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps.

Renowned for their quality, versatility, and eco-friendliness as well as for their famous label encouraging universal peace, and respect for all religions and philosophies, Dr Bronner’s Magic Soaps are truly in a class by themselves.

With virtually no advertising in America, their success has traveled from coast to coast on word of mouth alone. They are praised for their gentle effects on the skin, their powerful aroma-therapeutic essential oils, and their complete biodegradability in nature.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps are unsurpassed in quality, containing no artificial dyes, preservatives, or thickeners. The soaps contain only 100% pure organic essential oils and no synthetic fragrances.. The liquid soap is extremely concentrated enabling a little soap to go a very long way. They are made with the finest organic oils, including coconut oil for its copious lather, hemp and olive oils for their smooth suds and silky non-drying afterfeel, and the popular peppermint oil, which treats the user to a one-of–a-kind cooling tingle. All the oils are certified organic under the rigorous USDA food standards.

Dr. Bronner’s has always achieved the highest standards in Eco-Friendliness. Our soaps are highly biodegradable and can be used to wash with amidst nature. Popular with hikers and campers, our soaps are recommended for use in national Parks throughout America. To complement the environmentally friendly soaps, the company has pioneered the use of 100% post-consumer recycled bottles, resulting in no added waste to the environment.

Dr. Bronner’s is a favorite soap of runway models and make-up artists, who are especially concerned with the chemicals they put on their body. Bobbi Brown, famous make-up artist to the stars, has been quoted on the Oprah Winfrey show as saying that the soaps are “the best in the universe.”

Available in both bath bar and liquid form, the soap is celebrated for its amazing versatility. Although primarily formulated for washing the body, Dr. Bronner’s Soaps are perfect for cleaning anything. Devotees use it to shave, wash dishes, launder clothes, bathe pets, and wash residues off of fruits and vegetables.

Many magazines and newspapers have written unsolicited articles touting the popularity and quality of the soap and the company. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps have appeared in magazines as diverse as Redbook, Vogue, Parenting, the Wall Street Journal, Glamour, Allure, and Cosmopolitan. The money saved on not having to pay for advertising and marketing is put to good use, buying the finest quality organic ingredients and allowing the retail price to remain affordable.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps continue to cleanse bodies, minds, souls and spirits; both in America and around the world.

Click here to purchase Dr Bronner's Soaps at The Natural Store >>
Back to e-zine
© 2006 Kucha & TheNaturalStore design and programming in collaboration with knowHowe Ltd.