“Enjoy only 2 cosmetics: enough sleep and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap.”
While there may be many things on my grandfather’s label that are rather enigmatic, this statement is as straightforward as it gets. I would only add a third element: drinking plenty of water. When it comes to a clear complexion, this has been my recipe.
For about 15 years I ran in circles trying to clear up my complexion. Between acne and general redness, I was fighting a losing battle. As a teenager I tried all the big name products: Noxema, Neutrogena, Clean and Clear, Cetaphil, various salicylic acid ointments, even Estee Lauder and Clinique. When I entered college, I sought professional help and used prescription Retin-A and Erythromycin. After that I used Dermalogica products. None of these were a long-term solution. I just lived with the acne, covering it up as I could.
When I began answering the customer service emails for Dr. Bronner’s, I decided I needed to be trying out for myself the solutions I was offering to customers. One of the most common topics dealt with using the Castile Soap to promote healthy skin plagued with acne, eczema, psoriasis, and general redness. My recommendation was to wash with the Tea Tree Pure-Castile Soap, or to use the Unscented Pure-Castile for general irritation or for sensitive skin.
Now I can say from firsthand knowledge: this stuff really works. My skin has never been more resilient.
In this age of specialization, the idea of using one product on hair, face, and body sounds pretty naïve. But experience speaks.
I began using the Tea Tree Pure-Castile Soap on my face twice a day. I found that it removed make up easily and completely. The soap will even remove mascara. After a week, my blemishes were disappearing and no new ones were forming.
At first, my face did feel tight after I washed. I think this was due to the change from the intense facial washes I had been using, as well as the creams, masks, and who-knows-what-else. (Not even I remember all that I had applied.) So during the early months I also used the Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Coconut Lotion—a very lightly scented, lightweight moisturizer. It was just right.
At a month out, my skin was smooth, my color was more even. With all that I had been through, I was somewhat astounded that the answer was so simple and had been right there in front of me—quite literally—for much of my life. (Not my whole life since Tea Tree Castile Soap wasn’t introduced until my later childhood.)
I’ve also discovered a pretty direct correlation between the amount of sleep I get, the amount of water I drink, and the condition of my skin. During crazy times, when sleep dwindles to 3-4 hours a night (bear in mind I have three young kids), my tiredness breaks out all over my face. When junky treats creep in to my diet and water creeps out, my face tells that story as well.
Now, several years later, I still wash with Castile Soaps. I don’t need the lotion any more except when the crazy Santa Ana winds sweep across California in the Fall.
In summary, here’s my technique:
- I wet my skin with warm water.
- I take about three drops—yes, three drops—of the Tea Tree Castile Soap and lather it up on my hands. If you’re a Castile Bar Soap user, lather up the bar soap on wet hands or washcloth.
- Then I rub it on my face in gentle, circular motions, taking extra time where my make up was and on historically problematic areas. I do not use a washcloth or scrubbie of any sort. I find that it irritates my skin.
- However, as the label emphasizes, keep the eyes closed. Let me say that one again, Keep the eyes closed.*
- I rinse my face with warm water in my hands with about five splashes.
- I dry by blotting my face with a towel.
As I’ve said before, you have to figure out what works for you, and perhaps you need to be more vigorous or more gentle than I have been. It’s a bit of trial and error, but be persistent. It’s completely worth it.
Further reading
- Dilutions Cheat Sheet for Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap
- 5 Life Habits for Healthy Skin
- Skin Health, pH, and Dr. Bronner’s Soap
This use and many more are in my book, Soap & Soul: A Practical Guide to Minding Your Home, Your Body, and Your Spirit with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, available now in hardback on DrBronner.com or at your favorite bookseller, and as an eBook and audiobook (read by me!) from wherever you download or listen.
Hi Rylee – I know that psoriasis is so frustrating. I have heard input from customers that the tea tree castile is very helpful. The eucalyptus has been another one that people recommend
Hi Sean – I have not heard of using apple cider vinegar as a toner, but now that I think about it, that might be a great idea. First, though, make sure you need it. If you have outbreak-prone skin, less is more as far as products go. However, if you want to give it a try, I like the idea. It certainly makes my hands soft when I use it on my hair. Let me know how it goes.
All the best,
Lisa
I have a question. I have acne and have tried everything. So i recently decided to try going natural. I just bought Dr. Bronners Tea Tree soap and have been using it to wash my face for a couple days. I was wondering if it would be ok to follow up with an apple cider vinegar toner? Also about how long on average before I start seeing results? Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
Which soap would you recommend using for scalp psoriasis? I was thinking about the tea tree one or the peppermint. I’m wanting to try a natural approach and have literally tried EVERYTHING. I’ve struggled with it for years and am desperate!
Hi Wendy – I love this! I’m so glad you gave the citrus castile a try. I also experienced the dryness when I first started using the castile on my face. The Lavender Coconut lotion is what I used. Recently, I started doing overnight pure coconut oil treatments on my face and that feels super awesome. Rub in a little coconut oil before bedtime and wash it off in the morning.
Hi Renee – You do not need to pre-dilute the soaps for a facial wash. I just wet my face with my hands, lather up a couple drops of soap (a couple more drops if I’m wearing a lot of make-up), and massage that over my face. A follow-up moisturizer is a great thing to do, if needed.
All the best,
Lisa
Hi Lisa…I wrote earlier here another time about using the peppermint liquid soap and using olive oil. Apparently, I don’t think it worked for me. I now have the lavender liquid soap as well as the peppermint. I can’t find anything on this, but I wanted to know do the soaps have to be diluted? And if they don’t have to be diluted and after you rinse your face and dry it, can you use a regular moisturizer afterwards to compensate for any dryness? Or would it be best to dilute?
Thanks
Hi…I started using the tea tree soap a few days ago.Ive always had mild acne. And every now and then it will just come at me like crazy and Im just tired of battling it. My bro left his citrus soap at my house and he has great skin and hes 6 years older then me and Im 33. So I was curious and found this blog and read Lisa’s story and I thought why not cant get any worse right? Well Ive already seen a difference in just the 3 days. Acne I currently have is healing faster and I haven’t had one new zit since starting which is amazing. But I have noticed its really drying out my skin so I purchased the lavender lotion this morning. Im hoping that will help. Im just so skeptical of using any moisturizer on my face because in the past Ive always broke out from moisturizers on my face. So crossing my fingers! If anyone has any other remedies for the dryness Id love to hear them. Again I love this soap though and I cant wait till Im further into the regiment to see more results! Thank you!
Hi Megan – What you’ve described is totally normal, and as you surmised, is your skin detoxifying. Stick with it. My skin did that, too. It is getting deep down clean. Give the soap some more time to work its magic and keep me posted on how it’s going.
HI Huy – Wow! Thank you so much for sharing these tips.
All the best,
Lisa
Hi guys! As a teen and as a guy, I experienced extreme oily and greasy and acne skin for years. I was so embarrassing about my face because no one around me was having such a bad facial skin as me such as dark spots, scars, redness, etc, all I can say is terrible and horrifying. I started using the Peppermint soap for a while, and my skin got a bit better. I started using the Tea Tree for almost a month now, and my face is actually getting better. My face is still having oil but not as greasy as before and my breakouts are less and less, and I’ve much more confident now. I’ve a few things to share with you guys about cleansing, exfoliating and treating acne. Well, for cleansing, basically I use the Tea Tree soap to wash my face twice a day. For exfoliating, I use green tea bag. Instead of throwing away the tea bag after drinking green tea, I save it by letting it cool down, then I tear off the bag and pour the stuff inside of the tea bag out. Mix it well with 1 teaspoon of pure honey, and add 1 teaspoon of flour rice. Flour rice is well-known to treat dark spots,so. This facial scrub is awesome. For treating acne, I use 100% Pure Australian Tea Tree Oil from Spring Valley, and you can buy it from Wal-Mart for like $8. I hope my sharing can help someone. Thank you.
Hi! I just have a couple of questions. I was using Cetaphil cleanser for years, but after finding out it is largely ineffective and not that great for my skin, I started using Dr. Bronner’s tea tree liquid castile soap. I have moderate problems with my skin with acne and just wanted it all to finally clear up and stop begin a huge issue. I also had a yeast infection on my face from going to the Caribbean 2 summers ago, which has since been cleared up, but has left me with problem skin. I’ve been using the tea tree liquid castile soap for a week now. At first my skin looked good after washing the first the first 2 days, but was feeling dryish during the day, but nothing bad. Then about the 5th day I started getting these itchy little bumps on my forehead and the sides of my nose. And they don’t seem to be getting better, if anything they are becoming more pronounced. I know I’m not allergic because the other areas of my face are fine, so is my neck, back, and rest of my body which i have been using the soap on too. Is this by skin detoxifying? Getting worse before it gets better? Should I try to stick it out for the 2 weeks? Is this normal or alarming?
Hi Renee – I know exactly what you mean! It’s frustrating to be spending so much time and mental energy thinking about our skin. First off, there are so many types of skin, that one recommendation never works for everyone. So, if the coconut oil was working for you, go back to that. I use it regularly on my face and I absolutely love it. An overnight treatment with coconut oil makes my face so very, very happy. If your face is breaking out with this latest regimen, that’s probably not the right route. I do think simpler is better. Dr. Bronner’s soaps are pretty simple. Give the Tea Tree a try. I have heard so many great testimonials, one of them from myself (!), of how it has helped all sorts of problem skin. Wash with that a couple times a day. Use the coconut oil overnight (it’s hard to put on make-up over it, so night would be a better option for you). Keep me updated on how that works out for you.
Hi Mrs. Jeny – Both of these options are very gentle soaps. The unscented Baby Mild is the mildest of all.
All the best,
Lisa
I’m thinking about trying the unscented liquid soap or the almond soap. What do you suggest may be better for my difficult, dehydrated yet prone to cystic acne skin?
Lisa, I need help! I have struggled with acne on my chin/jaw since I was a teen ( I am 39) I started using coc. Oil as a moisturizer along with my normal routine. That worked great, best skin ever. But then I read CO can clog pores and I wanted to go more natural so I switched from all my chemical products to my own blend of cleanser doing the oil cleansing method with castor oil and grape seed oil, witch hazel as toner and a small amount of grapeseed oil to moisturize, ( all organic and unrefined oils) Day 10 and my face literally hurts b/c of the breakout I am experiencing on my chin. I came upon your products and wondering if I should switch to the tea tree soap. The olive oil concerns me in it that it would even be more clogging. Or maybe since I am reacting to ocm this way I should avoid all oils on my face? Am i just purging? The bronners soap also sounds so much simpler than the current method (oil cleansing) or with all this switching am I just screwing my face up worse? I am embarrassed to be seen without make up on, frustrated, and tired of my face being a chemistry experiment. HELP!
Hi Danielle – Congratulations!! Since you are anticipating the sensitivity, I would go ahead and go to the Baby Mild. If s/he tolerates that well, you can opt for one with essential oils such as the lavender.
All the best,
Lisa
Hello there! Just a couple of quick questions.. I am having a new little one and, with the history of my family, I know he will have eczema. I currently use Dr. Bronner’s castile lavender soaps to make my baby wash and laundry detergent. Will that be mild enough for a new little baby with eczema or should I switch everything out to baby mild?
Hi Jason – I am so sorry I missed your comment previously and to hear of the irritation you’ve experienced. You’ve probably either figured this out or moved on by now, but if you still would like some input, please let me know. I am not clear if you were using the Trader Joe’s brand peppermint castile or the Dr. Bronner’s that we sell there. Peppermint can be very drying on certain skin types and your skin may have flared up. If the flare up came when you switched brands and started using the Dr. Bronner’s Almond, it is possible you are sensitive to something in our soap. I would need to see the ingredients side by side to analyze which. I believe they’re both coconut/olive oil based, but I don’t know what the other differences are. Let me know if you’d like me to look into that.
Everyone – it looks like I missed a lot of comments from the past months here. Sorry about that!
Cassandra – Yes, morning and night. Too much washing can throw my skin out of whack. It needs time to do its part, too.
Natalie – Go with the liquid. It has a higher concentration of the benefical tea tree essential oil.
Bea – I am with you on the pregnancy skin! Mine really does have that glow then. What it indicates, though, is that your skin difficulties are somewhat hormonally based. Although cleaning with a non-irritating soap is still a good idea, it may not solve all your problems. Soap-wise, a good place to start is with the Dr. Bronner’s liquid tea tree castile. It does work well for many different situations. The hormone issue is certainly a quagmire that I’m certainly not qualified to address, but a good place to start is with a healthy, whole food diet and lots of sleep (I heard that snort of laughter! I know you have a little one, but someday, the sleep will come.) For the baby, the tea tree might be a little strong. Try the unscented Baby Mild castile or the Lavender. Keep it out of the eyes, though. It is not tear-free (I have a post on why, if you’re curious.)
HI Mary – I think you should stick with the liquid. Not only from your experience but from mine as well, it seems to help problem skin a little more. I needed to use a light moisturizer for a while when my skin was getting back on track. I don’t need one now, but I used the Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Coconut lotion.
Thanks, Karena!
Hi Laura – I used the Dr. Bronner’s Lavender coconut lotion when I was first coming off of conventional or prescription products and had just started using the castile soap. It isn’t formulated specifically for the face, but it worked really well for me. The term non-comedogenic doesn’t have a set definition, but the lotion doesn’t lead to breakouts.
Hi Christine – Those are both great options and I use them myself now. When my skin was in its crazy stage, I needed the extra boost of tea tree’s healing properties. However, I go with whatever I have on hand, or whatever I feel like at that moment. Right now, citrus is my thing. Love it!
Thanks for sharing, everyone!
All the best,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I just read the whole thread and didn’t see this question. I see you recommend the Tea Tree Castile soap most often. I have the lavender and citrus. I think I’d enjoy the scent of the citrus one for a face cleanser. Is that ok to use? My skin tends to be on the dry side but I rather use what I have bee for buying something else. Thank you!!
I have very sensitive, acne prone skin, I notice some tightness after using baby mild, but am skeptical of using any lotion on my face that isn’t specifically for the face. Do you think the light coconut cream would be ok? Is it non-comedogenic? Is the tea tree generally better for acne? My skin is sensitive but I think it could handle the tea tree oil.
I just did a quick query about our skin’s acid mantle – I’m not really knowledgeable about it, but the results I found consistently stated that it is comprised of a combination of sebum and sweat, and its function is to protect our skin from harmful external bacteria/fungi. Even if “bacteria poop” do play a role in forming this layer, this is not reason enough to presume that this acid mantle is in any way non-beneficial – it is important to remember that we have a very symbiotic relationship with the bacteria that co-exist with us in and on our bodies.
My brief research does support the use of soap for skin cleansing, however – it simply does suggest that it would be good policy to adjust the pH of your skin after cleaning with soap, just as you would your hair. There are many natural acidic toners that a person could try – I am currently using a diluted vinegar solution, but lemon juice sounds really promising, too.
I do love your products and your blog – thanks for keeping up the good work! 🙂
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for all your valuable advise. I’ve been using the citrus scented soap and did find it to be “magical” and cleared up my skin. But it is a bit drying so I tried the unscented bar soap just for 2 days but I don’t think my skin likes it: I’m getting white heads and small cysts again. I’m thinking about trying the unscented liquid soap or the almond soap. What do you suggest may be better for my difficult, dehydrated yet prone to cystic acne skin?
Thank you!
Hi lisa,
Ive struggled with painful cystic acne since I turned 20 (im 25 now)! Im frustrated, depressed, insecure about it and would love to find that MAGIC cleanser! I found that some products(like proactiv) works really well on my face and then all of a sudden it doesn’t and then suddenly causes me to breakout with painful cystic acne. Last year January 2013 i found out I was pregnant and boy throughout my pregnancy i had the best skin! If only being pregnant wasnt hard i’d wish i was pregnant all year long just to have perfect skin! Lol so what im trying to say is that I broke out again with cystic acne about a month ago and i tried what works for my friends which is kiehls acne line & aveeno for acne prone skin. I found that it broke me out more! My hubbys niece recommended Dr Bronner’s magic soaps and after doing reasearch ive decided to try it. When i came across your blog i was so happy cause you will be able to answer my minds many questions about the product! Hehehe
So hear goes! I just want to know if tea tree oil would be the best for me? Would it make me purge before it gets better? Do I dilute it with tepid water? I’m filipina so my skin is oily but i find that it gets flaky and super dry (doesnt look good with makeup!) in winter time (i live in alberta, canada) so would the lavender lotion be my best bet? Where could i get this product in canada? Some soaps are available in london drugs but not the lotions.
Lastly, my baby who is 5 months today suffers from eczema and itchiness in her face, could i wash/bathe my baby in the baby soap product to help the eczema go away? Is this product ok to use in babies? And finally i dont think the baby product is available in london drugs so does dr bronners website ship to canada?
Sorry for the looong reply & many questions. I cannot wait to try this and fingers cross that this is what my skin is longing for!
Thank you so much in advance and I cant wait to hear from you!
Hi, I’m wanting to get tea tree soap for facial acne, and am wondering if it would be best to get liquid or bar soap. Thanks.
How many times a day do you wash your face with it? Morning and night? 🙂
Hi Lisa — Thank you for all the great info on castile soap which is very, very informative. I just purchased the Dr. Bronner’s almond castile soap this weekend; however, after using it to wash my hair I noticed my neck, shoulders and chest started to itch and turn red. I had used the almond again this morning to lather up and shave only to experience red blotchy hive like spots itching throughout the day. I was not sure whether it was the castile soap until I started reading your blog responses this evening. It appears that the exposure yesterday and today apparently caused the reaction and I am at a loss for why the almond castile soap would cause this. I had been using the Trader Joe’s peppermint castile soap to wash my hair, with seemingly no issues; or at least none that I was paying close enough attention to realize. After further consideration, based on your responses herein, it appears that the peppermint castile soap may have been irritating my skin and resulting in dryness, a few rough patches of skin developing on my neck, and itching on my neck and face, which I have been experiencing for some time but was not sure why. My plan is to stop using all of it until the symptoms go away. Any thoughts? Would the Tea Tree or Baby Mild be worth trying once the red itchy spots and blotches go away. Also, I just realized that I may have been using too much of the peppermint to wash my hair based on your application advice above, and this may have been the source of the neck and face itching I have been experiencing. I have been pouring about a teaspoon or more into my hand and then applying to my pretty short hair. Guess I figured it would wash away but apparently the castile soap or essential oils hold on for a while. Your insights in response are greatly appreciated. Jason
Hi Douglas – At the risk of oversimplifying the biology of it, what gives our skin an acidic layer, or mantle, is the leftovers of the bacteria that is everpresent on our skin. I am wracking my brain for a more polite way to say this, but nothing is coming to mind, so think of the acid mantle as essentially bacteria poop. Bacteria are living organisms. They process nutrients and excrete them. They slough off dead cells, etc. These leftovers have an acidic pH, but that doesn’t mean we want to keep them. So, in answer to your question, yes, the castile soap will affect the acid mantle of your skin, but I see that as a good thing.
Hi Amanda and Megan – Yes, you certainly can add your own essential tea tree oil to the almond soap. That is a great thing to do to develop your own custom blend. Tea tree oil (the pure stuff) is pretty intense, so a little goes a long way. I would use about 1/4 tsp. per 8 oz. of soap.
All the best,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Similar to Amanda I was wondering if tea tree oil could be added to the almond castile, and if so how much would you recommend. I had intended to purchase the tea tree castile soap but instead came home with the almond and have been really happy with it but would like to incorporate tea tree to help with my breakouts
could i use the almond castile soap and add my own tea tree?
Hi Lisa,
I just started using the tree all in one and i like it a lot. However, I’ve read some issues on various web pages that describe the ph of these soaps. I’ve read that the slight alkilinity of these soaps could destroy the acid mantle on our skin. Should I be concerned about this? I would like any information you have for me.
Thank you!
Hi Lisa, I have a quick question. My daughter is 14 and has been getting acne on her cheeks and chin mostly. We have tried a lot of OTC creams and washes and nothing is helping much. We are Vegan, and currently use the peppermint soap in the shower. I bought your Hemp Tea Tree Castile soap and was reading this, is this what you would recommend that we try for her face?
Thanks so much for your time and assistance!
Deborah
Hi Deborah- The Tea Tree Castile soap does a marvelous job clearing acne. The difficulty with teen acne is always that it is primarily hormonally caused. However, we often exacerbate it with treatments that end up being irritating. The tea tree Castile is good at balancing out skin. As always, plenty of water and sleep are tremendously helpful as well.
All the best,
Lisa
My son is 19 years old and has struggled with cystic acne on his neck/back/shoulders for the past 3 years. He recently went to the dermatologist and they wanted him to do Accutane. He refused. I bought a big bottle of the peppermint soap tonight but after reading all the posts here, I’m thinking the tea tree soap is what he should use first. What do you think would be best for him ?
Hi Kim – The peppermint is pretty intense and might be too much at first. I do recommend the tea tree instea. The Tea tree oil really has tremendously beneficial properties for clearing skin.
All the best,
Lisa
Hey everyone, My question is about dilution. Do I need to? Should I be using it straight on skin or should I be mixing with water first. The side of the bottle says something about ‘dilute’. Thanks so much!
Hi Dawn – If you wet your face and hands first and then use a couple drops of soap, that will dilute it. You really don’t need more than that.
All the best,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I have the Peppermint Castile soap (big liquid bottle) and I only go as far as washing my face with it. I did try to wash my hair with it and it was a disaster. It felt more like horse hair, or straw like hair, and I couldn’t get a brush through it. My hair isn’t really straight, but consider it more straight than anything, but it also has 2 different textures. Part of it is wavy-straight, and other part is slightly curly. I only wash my face with it. I barely use much of the soap because I heard lots of reviews elsewhere that is is pretty harsh on the face. I have been using it on my face and it feels fine and not overly dry. It does get slightly tight, but it feels more toned than anything. Afterwards, is your face supposed to feel as if it doesn’t need moisturizer from the peppermint soap? Mine actually feels soft without moisturizer. I also wanted to know, does using this soap on your face make makeup look too shiny? or no shine etc? Or better yet, how should it look using this soap? My face feels a bit greasy in a way, but doesn’t look it if that makes sense. Maybe I’m not used to having my face feel this soft? Any advice or suggestions to help?
Hi Renee – everyone’s skin is different so they are going to have different reactions and opinions on soaps. Although in general the peppermint soap is too drying for most people’s skin, if it’s working for you, go with it. Yes, it is normal not to need a moisturizer after the soap. It sounds like you have a good thing going there. I have not found the soap to make my makeup look shiny, but again, everyone’s skin is different. If you’d like to try another essential oil, any of the Dr. Bronners are less intense than the peppermint. I’m in love with the citrus at the moment.
All the best,
Lisa
Hi Lisa
Could you recommend something for spots on my face which I never used to have until earlier this year when my face just went mad (I think it started with sun damage, but I don’t want to go into that now). I tried so many different things on it, but now I am using your Tea Tree bar soap and Pure Argan Oil to moisture it and I can see an improvement, but there are some spots on my chin area that just won’t go away.
Any suggestions welcome!
Hi Rosemary – Isn’t it stinky when our skin decides to change on us?! So inconsiderate. I have to ask if you’re being euphemistic (or is that the Scottish term?) and you mean acne? If so, the Tea Tree is great. I haven’t used Argan Oil so I can’t speak to that. I do think that simpler is better in a skin crisis as well as taking a look at our lifestyle to see if that’s changed – sleep amounts, water intake, diet in general , moderate exercise. Keep your face as clear as you can, washing off make up as early in the evening as you can. Another thing to look at is if any of the ingredients have changed in a product you’ve been using for a while. Sometimes brands come out with new formulations. I hope you get to the bottom of this!
All the best,
Lisa
Hi Lisa, I purchased the Baby Mild soap to try washing my face with it and 2 days in my skin is freaking out even more and I’m getting little white heads everywhere. I’m assuming that my skin is just detoxing but a little worried as before I would only get break outs on my chin but now it’s spreading. Hoping this will go away as it’s my last chance before I switch to dermalogica for my fair, sensitive skin 🙁 I follow washing with a witch hazel & ACV combo and coconut oil. Should I cut these out and just give it time to work?
Ellie
Hi Ellie – I’m so sorry for my delay in responding. You identified it correctly- your skin does detox for a week or two when first switching to the soap. It needs to do that. I know it’s a pain but it’s good in the long run.
All the best,
Lisa
Hi,
I have oily combination skin and I was wondering what would be the best soap to use? I have been looking at the tea tree one and the eucalyptus ?
Nicola
Hi Nicola – You’ve identified the two best soaps for combo oily skin. Before the tea tree soap came out, the eucalyptus was what we recommended. I think the Tea Tree is slightly more effective though. Give that one a try.
All the best,
Lisa
Hi Michelle – I’m glad Dr. Bronner’s has helped! If you can only get just one Dr. Bronner’s product, you’ve chosen the right one: the castile soap. They work great in foaming pumps. I go with a 1:4 ratio, but see how your pump does and your personal preference. Let me know if I can answer further questions.
Hi Maryam – Dr. Bronner’s pure castile soap is really great for clearing acne, but the peppermint essential oil might be a little intense at first. Personally, I do not use it often on my face unless I’ve had a really grimy day. It can be too drying and cause redness. I recommend the Tea Tree castile for clearing acne. This is what worked for me.
Hi Lauren – Excellent question. I looked into this very issue myself during my pregnancies. The concerns that have been raised about tea tree essential oil (lavender, too) matter only with products that have a high concentration of the essential oils and are left on the skin for long periods of time. Since Dr. Bronner’s castile soaps only contain 2% essential oil and are rinsed off, there are no problems at all in using it while pregnant. Once your baby is born, I recommend the unscented Baby Mild. In fact, it was developed specifically for the maternity ward at UCLA medical center for use in washing newborns.
Acne-prone skin is generally very sensitive and the simpler products are often best. While the Shikakai is very mild, I would opt for the pure castile to clear up your skin. Give it a couple weeks of use before deciding if you like it. Your skin will go through a bit of a detox phase as the castile soap cleans everything out. The pump on the Shikakai is nice, so try the castile soaps with a foaming pump dispenser, diluted around 1:4 or to your liking.
Hi Haley – You’re welcome!
All the best,
Lisa