Well, I received a lovely box of Dr Bonner’s Magic Soaps and promised to let you know how I got on when I tried them out. I have had them a few weeks now and I have tried the entire product range but there were so many products I would be here all day trying to review every one of them, so I have picked a few and will blog about the others in a few weeks time :). At first impressions, the packaging on the products are fab and they look great around the house in the bathrooms and kitchen. The design is modern and classy and even though the colours are bright they were not too in your face, I actually popped a few of my other products out of view so they could take centre stage they were so nice. Another bonus is all the packaging is 100% recyclable :) The great thing about these soaps is they have so many uses, 18 in fact! That's why they are called "magic" There are no preservatives, detergents or foaming agents, are certified vegan and they are 100% vegetable based (a full list of ingredients can be found HERE). As I said there is a total of 18 uses for the Dr Bronner Magic Soaps which I will list to show the versatility of the product;

• Face
• Body
• Hair
• Bath
• Shaving
• Teeth
• Foot Bath
• Congestion
• Dishes
• Laundry
• Mopping
• All purpose cleaning
• Windows
• Toilet
• Fruit & Veggie Rinse
• Dogs
• Plant spray for bugs
• Ant Spray

I didn't try them for all 18 uses, but I tried the obvious and a few of the stranger uses to see how I got on. I received a big bottle of the Hemp Peppermint Castile Soap, as I was so curious about being able to use it as a toothpaste I thought I would give it a go first and I'm not going to lie it did taste like soap and I wouldn't use it to wash my teeth again. I was always being threatened with having my mouth washed out with soap when I was a little girl and now that it has happened I have learned my lesson lol. I decided to take it into the shower and see how it would work as a body wash and shampoo and I was far more impressed with the results. The peppermint was great for waking me up in the morning because therapeutically peppermint oil is a mild stimulant that increases vitality and clarity. The soap had such a luxurious feel to it due to being packed with lots of certified organic essential oils. It gave a nice lather and left me feeling so fresh and so clean. I've been told this is the brand's most popular fragrance and I can understand why. The peppermint essential oil tingles the body and clears the mind. Many synthetic detergent blends are deceptively labelled as “Liquid Soap” despite the fact that they contain absolutely no real soap whatsoever so if you are looking for a great all round soap this is amazing. Another winner for me was the Shikaki Lavender Soap, now unlike the pure castile soap Dr Bronner have added a few ingredients to some of the lotions and hand soaps etc to make them more moisturising and thicker. The way to tell the difference is if it has a pump. The pump soap drops the water from the castile soap and adds Organic White Grape Juice, Organic Sucrose, and Organic Shikakai Powder. Here’s how each benefits:

• Organic White Grape Juice: Acts as a humectant, which is something that helps the skin retain its natural moisture
• Organic Sucrose: Also a humectant (which is why sugar scrubs are so popular for the body) Caramelized sucrose keeps the soap from coagulating and clogging the pumps
• Organic Shikakai Powder: Conditions Skin and Hair as it cleanses – Shikakai is derived from a south Asian tree, the acacia concinna, and has long been used in traditional Indian body care as a moisturizing skin and body cleanser. It Also works as a thickening agent

In a nutshell, the pump soaps are more moisturizing and have the pump dispenser which can be handy for things like bathroom soap etc. Other than that, it is mostly a matter of personal preference. The pump soap has a more cream like consistency where the pure castile soap is more like a shampoo or shower gel. I literally loved the Shikaki Lavender Soap for my hands. I popped it in the downstairs loo and it brightened the place up with its gorgeous packaging and beautiful fresh aroma. I had a few of my friends call in who even commented on it. I have very dry skin so I used the Shikakai soap on my face and it worked really well as it has an excellent emollient lather. As I said with the sugar and grape juice in the soap they work as a natural humectant which means it puts water back into the skin and makes it look and feel hydrated. It was definitely in my top 3 of the products I tried. As the soaps are exceptionally mild and safe for babies, I tried the Unscented Baby-Mild Pure Castile soap on my 15-month-old granddaughter Ella when she stayed over one night. Ella has very sensitive skin and suffered some months ago with eczema. It really puts your mind at ease when you know your not exposing little baba's like Ella to the harsh chemicals found in most personal cleansing products. Knowing from reading the info about the Dr Bonner soaps that they are not tear-free I was careful not to get the soap in her eyes. Be mindful of using tear-free shampoos as most of the tear-free formulations on the market use some kind of synthetic numbing agent. Dr Bonner soaps are free of any such chemical additives. The end result was she looked and smelt gorgeous, but then she always looks like that to me. ( Proud granny, lol) I will write another blog soon on some of the other products as they really are fab, but this is a bit of an essay already so I don't want to start to bore you lol. The Dr Bronner products are available in most health shops nationwide now so be sure to give them a try and I would love to know how you got on :)