Tag Archives: whole foods

Castile Soap Saves the Planet

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Over the weekend, I started writing several blog posts about what I’m doing to improve my life and systematically lessen my impact on the planet. I think about these things all the time and am always trying to figure out how to share my discoveries, especially the really easy ones, with my friends and the two people who read this blog. Except, everything I wrote over the weekend sounded WAY too preachy and was a bit too self-serving. I figure that’s the the wrong approach. All I’m going to do is tell you what works for me, where to find it, and how to use it.

For years I’ve seen this gigantic bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap on the shelves of Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and health food stores. I was always overwhelmed by the biblical-era novel written on the packaging and assumed it was one of those creepy soaps that didn’t bubble or foam, that if I tried to use it, I’d end up regretting it as the worst possible purchase. Turns out, it was the best possible purchase in the history of purchases.

Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap comes in various varieties like peppermint, hemp, almond, rose, and others. I started out with the mild baby version; not at all sure what to expect. I started using it to replace my shampoo and body wash. Needless to say, it’s pretty awesome, foams like a dream, and has actually started improving the feel and texture of my hair. One thing to note is that if you do use it for shampoo, you need to rinse your hair a little extra, your hair will be squeaky clean – which is an added bonus for the health of your scalp. I also do an apple cider vinegar rinse once a week. I might post on that later.

Along with shampoo and body wash, Castile Soap has replaced my dishwashing liquid. I’ve read that some people even use it in their dishwashing machines but that it leaves a film. I currently wash all my dishes by hand and haven’t noticed a problem. I’ve also started using it as a shaving lather and it works pretty well. I love this product. As an added bonus, it takes very little to get any job done; in some cases just a few drops.

So what’s so great about one product replacing three? Besides the obvious? My preliminary calculations show that we’ll use one 32 oz bottle of Castile Soap every 2 months which means it costs $6 a month. Buying shampoo, body wash, shaving cream, and dish soap costs about $25 a month at $300 per year. Castile Soap comes out to $72 a year. So there you go. Big savings all around. Good for the home, good for the wallet, good for you and your family, and good for the planet. Win times 4.

From http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LS.htm:

A combination of organic extra virgin coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils, together with pure essential oils, creates a unique soap that cleans effectively without being aggressive and produces a velvety-lather that leaves the skin silky-smooth and refreshed.

* Completely Biodegradable and Vegetable-Based
* Made with Certified Fair Trade and Organic Oils
* Multi-Purpose: 18-in-1 Uses
* No Synthetic Foaming Agents, Thickeners or Preservatives
* 100% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Cylinder Bottles and Paper Labels
* Simple, Ecological Formulations Based on Old-World Quality and Expertise
* #1-Selling Natural Brand of Soaps in North America

Now, they say it has 18 uses. I’ve come up with 4 practical uses which saves me over $200 per year. I think that about covers the addition of more channels to our cable line-up and I can finally watch the Sundance Channel, BBC-America, LOGO, IFC, the Biography Channel and more. Honey, are you reading this? LOGO is playing episodes of Buffy and Biography has Shatner’s Raw Nerve. Must have.

Whenever I find a product that rocks as much as this one, I can’t help but feel on top of the world. I’m also super proud of myself when I manage to save this much money with one simple product. Dr. Bronner, you may be one crazy religious mo-fo, but you make the best soap on the planet.

Where to Find:

* Online at http://www.drbronner.com
* Target
* Whole Foods
* Trader Joe’s
* Most health food stores

Note: If you use for washing dishes in the sink, the basin water will not foam up like you’re used to. Water will turn milky, but trust me…it still works.

It Takes More Than Luck

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Today when I was exiting the Whole Foods in East Pasadena, I was approached by two members of the environmental group Greenpeace. They asked simply, “Do you have a few minutes to talk about Greenpeace?” I replied frankly, “No actually, I don’t, sorry.” Because Greenpeacers are aggressive, they followed that by saying, “Don’t you want to help the environment?” I retorted casually and in a friendly way that I help the environment everyday. The guy of this guy/girl combo smiled and made an agreeable remark. After I’d unloaded my groceries and returned the cart back to the stall, I smiled and wished them luck.

“Takes more than luck”, the girl sneered, not even making eye contact.

You fucking bitch! How dare she? All of 18 years old, I was helping the environment before she was in 1st grade! I was the first person on my block to recycle. By the way, no one was doing it at the time and the city certainly didn’t provide containers to do so in. I’m the one who lectures people about the importance of not littering, recycling, doing more, using less, turning off lights, driving better cars, spreading the word about cool environmental projects, talking about it, buying organic, and not eating meat (which helps the environment big time!). In fact, I spend a great deal of time and effort thinking about the environment, talking about global warming, saving animals, composting, and buying local food. So how dare this little bitch chide me for not sacrificing my time and my wilting vegetables in the trunk for an organization whose newsletter I was subscribed to WAY BEFORE going green was trendy.

Look, I may not be Ed Begley Jr. and I don’t drive a Prius, but the state of the environment has been a life-long cause for me. I do my best, I do what I can, and I think I do more than most. What bothers me most is that Greenpeacers look down on you when you don’t donate money. And that’s what they want. Money. I get it. Money helps them run and they’re a fantastic organization. It would be nice if I could afford to donate, but I just can’t at the moment. Besides, living an entire life with concern for the environment is far more important and will do more good than my temporary 20 dollars.

This isn’t the first time I’ve been chided by a Greenpeacer. In any given group, there’s always some aggro representative that thinks they’re Jesus Fucking Christ because they sport a Greenpeace t-shirt and stand outside a grocery store guilting people into donating money. Maybe that’s how it needs to be done. Maybe Greenpeace is where it is because they’re aggro and judgmental. I don’t know, it just doesn’t go over well with me. I prefer the “lead by example” lifestyle. You can’t force people to care – believe me, I’ve cared for well over 20 years. People take their own time to come around. My own mother has only recently begun to make a real effort for the environment. Yay for her, but was she not listening to me all these years? I’m not about recruitment. Do or do not. You make your choices and at the end of the day, you’re the one who lives with it.

So hey, Greenpeace, take it easy on people. The media and popular culture have only recently started telling people to give a shit and buy hybrid cars. For many people, shopping at Whole Foods is a big step. And you know what? It’s a pretty good start. We can’t all be Al Gore, but if we try…we’re headed in the right direction – so give me a fucking break!