Dr. Bronner's Privacy Policy and CCPA Compliance
For information on Dr. Bronner's Privacy Policy and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or to exercise your rights under the CCPA law, head over to our Privacy Rights page.
Why is my soap cloudy?
Experiencing cloudy soap is completely normal. Our Pure-Castile Liquid Soap and Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner turn cloudy white when they are exposed to colder temperatures. Some varieties of our Pure-Castile Soap will even turn cloudy faster than others as every essential oil has unique chemical and physical properties.

Previously opened bottles may also turn cloudy more readily. This is because once our soaps are opened, they can begin to lose their water content. The more the soap’s water content has evaporated, the more susceptible the soap becomes to turning cloudy when the temperature drops. 

To regain the clarity of the product, you can reheat the bottle gently in a sink or bowl of warm to hot water, not boiling. Rest assured that this will not affect the quality or efficacy of the soap.
How can I purchase the Cherry Blossom and Green Tea scents?
Our seasonal Cherry Blossom and Green Tea scents will be available for purchase from drbronner.com on April 3rd, 2023, until supplies last.

Both the Cherry Blossom and Green Tea scents will be available in the 2 oz., 8 oz., 16 oz., 32 oz., and 1 gal. Pure-Castile Liquid Soap along with our 5oz. Pure-Castile Bar Soap. Our Cherry Blossom scent will also be available in our Organic Lip Balm.

Check back every spring to restock!
Will Dr. Bronner’s chocolate compromise Dr. Bronner’s nut-free operations?

Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate is manufactured, stored & shipped completely separately from all our soaps and other product lines.

Apart from our Magic All-One Chocolate, all of Dr. Bronner’s products are produced and packaged in facilities that are peanut free.

Where can I find Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate?

Our new Magic All-One Chocolate is making its way to stores around the country! You may find it at your local Sprouts, Pharmaca, New Seasons, Milams, Lassens, Jimbo’s, Hive, Harmons, Green Acres Market, Earth Fare, as well as many independent natural grocers—but we do recommend calling ahead to make sure it’s in stock.

If it’s unavailable at your local retailer, ask the store manager to order Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate.

You can also purchase Magic All-One Chocolate online at drbronner.comHive, and Thrive Market.

Does the praline in the Smooth Coconut Praline bar contain nuts?
The praline in our Smooth Coconut Praline does not contain nuts. Instead, it is a creamy coconut filling. However, it does contain fair trade organic coconut sugar and fair trade organic coconut milk powder. Coconut sugar comes from the sap of the coconut palm tree rather than coconut meat. Coconut milk is made by squeezing clean water through ground up white coconut kernel. Powdered coconut milk is then made by spray drying this milk.
Why is Dr. Bronner’s chocolate considered “magic”?

Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate—certified organic, fair trade & vegan—combines the integrity of Dr. Bronner’s industry-leading socially & environmentally responsible supply chain with the expertise of Swiss chocolatiers—and we call that Magic!

Perfectly balanced ingredients, enhanced with the subtle sweetness of coconut sugar, let our chocolate’s rich cocoa flavor shine & linger, while regenerative organic farming practices have lasting positive impacts on farmers, their communities & the land they tend.

Why should I buy Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate instead of other ethical cocoa brands?

We might be biased, but we think our chocolate is the best tasting there is! We use fair trade, organic cocoa beans that make our chocolate rich, perfectly balanced & delicious.

Additionally, Dr. Bronner’s has partnered with farmers to improve the health and productivity of existing cocoa trees through dynamic agroforestry. Dynamic agroforestry creates biodiversity, improves yields & income streams, and eliminates the need to use toxic chemicals by replicating the way plant species naturally support each other in a healthy tropical forest.

Healthier soil means better quality cocoa, and better quality cocoa means better tasting chocolate!

Is Dr. Bronner's chocolate vegan?
Yes! All Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate flavors are vegan, organic, fair trade & kosher.
Is Dr. Bronner’s chocolate organic?
Yes! All Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate flavors are organic, fair trade, vegan, & kosher.
Is Dr. Bronner’s chocolate gluten-free?
Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate recently achieved gluten-free certification for current and future production runs. Chocolate at retail now (August 2021) was produced and distributed prior to achieving gluten-free certification and does not carry the gluten-free certification seal. Chocolate produced since achieving gluten-free certification will carry the seal – look for the gluten-free certification seal on Magic All-One Chocolate packaging later this year and into the future.
Why isn’t there a nut-free chocolate?
We offer two bars with neither whole nuts nor nut butters, our Salted Dark and Smooth Coconut Praline. However, both do still contain coconut sugar, and while it does not taste like coconut, coconut sugar comes from coconut, which is considered by the FDA a tree nut.
What does the Cool Peppermint Cream Chocolate taste like?
Organic peppermint paired with our deep, dark cocoa—come alive! Honoring our peppermint legacy through this lively alchemy of mint & chocolate.
What are the ingredients in each chocolate flavor?
1. Cool Peppermint Cream Ingredients
Fair trade organic cocoa beans, fair trade organic coconut sugar, fair trade organic cocoa butter, organic sunflower oil, organic peppermint oil, fair trade organic bourbon vanilla bean.

2. Crunchy Hazelnut Butter Ingredients
Fair trade organic cocoa beans, fair trade organic coconut sugar, organic hazelnuts, fair trade organic cocoa butter, fair trade organic bourbon vanilla bean, organic almonds.

3. Roasted Whole Hazelnuts Ingredients
Fair trade organic cocoa beans, fair trade organic coconut sugar, organic hazelnuts, fair trade organic cocoa butter, fair trade organic bourbon vanilla bean

4. Salted Almond Butter Ingredients
Fair trade organic cocoa beans, fair trade organic coconut sugar, organic almonds, fair trade organic cocoa butter, sea salt, organic hazelnuts, fair trade organic bourbon vanilla bean

5. Salted Dark Chocolate Ingredients
Fair trade organic cocoa beans, fair trade organic coconut sugar, fair trade organic cocoa butter, sea salt, fair trade organic bourbon vanilla bean

6. Salted Whole Almonds Ingredients
Fair trade organic cocoa beans, fair trade organic coconut sugar, organic almonds, fair trade organic cocoa butter, sea salt, fair trade organic bourbon vanilla bean

7. Smooth Coconut Praline Ingredients
Fair trade organic cocoa beans, fair trade organic coconut sugar, fair trade organic coconut, fair trade organic cocoa butter, fair trade organic coconut milk powder, organic sunflower oil, fair trade organic bourbon vanilla bean

To view a detailed ingredient list and nutrition facts, click here.
Where is your chocolate made?
Our chocolate is made in Switzerland by award winning chocolatiers who have been honing their craft for over 160 years. We searched high & low for the right chocolate manufacturing partners who share our values, produce amazing chocolate, and are as excited as we are to deliver the most delicious chocolate made with coconut sugar.
Are any of your chocolate bars salt-free or low in sodium?
Three of our Magic All-One Chocolate bars do not contain added salt: Roasted Whole Hazelnut (5mg sodium), Smooth Coconut Praline (10mg sodium), and Crunchy Hazelnut Butter (10mg). Nutritional information for all our bars can be found on drbronner.com.
Why did Dr. Bronner’s create Magic All-One Chocolate?
Dr. Bronner’s saw an opportunity: Pair world-class Swiss chocolatiers with fairly-treated cocoa farmers practicing regenerative organic agriculture to create a rich, delicious dark chocolate that enriches our world.

When we learned that many of the 800 farmers in our Serendipalm project in Ghana also grow cocoa, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to create a line of chocolate that benefits farmers, the planet & consumers. The chocolate trade has a well-documented history of causing widespread ecological destruction, climate instability, poverty, worker exploitation, child labor, and even slavery. Our mission is to address these ecological & social issues in the chocolate industry by modeling more sustainable practices in the sourcing & production of Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate.
How was Dr. Bronner’s chocolate created and who made it possible?
Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate line was born from the company’s industry-leading socially environmentally responsible supply chain and developed with the expertise of industry experts from within Dr. Bronner’s, as well as company allies, and with the manufacturing support of world-class Swiss chocolatiers.
Why don’t the chocolate flavors match the soap scents?
We considered aligning our chocolate flavors with our soap fragrances, but we chose to launch with innovative flavors & Bronner family favorites instead. But we may launch new flavors in the future, so make sure to stay up to date with the latest Dr. Bronner’s news by signing up for our newsletter.
What does Dr. Bronner’s chocolate made with 70% cocoa taste like?
The base chocolate used to make all of Dr. Bronner’s chocolate bars has a perfect balance of rich, nutty, pure cocoa flavor & complex notes of dried fruit & sweet caramel. It’s made with a blend of Ghanaian & Ivory Coast cocoa, Indonesian coconut sugar, Congolese cocoa butter, and vanilla from Madagascar.
What does the Roasted Whole Hazelnuts Chocolate taste like?
Full of perfectly roasted whole hazelnuts, each bite delivers a satisfying crunch! Nutty flavors are balanced with our dark chocolate for a rich, long-lasting finish.
What does the Crunchy Hazelnut Butter Chocolate taste like?
Our rich chocolate covers a thick layer of roasted hazelnut butter—a delightful blend of nutty, creamy, and crunchy. Coconut sugar and vanilla have a light sweetness that allows the deep cocoa flavors to shine and linger.
What does the Salted Whole Almonds Chocolate taste like?
Each bite of this bar delivers a satisfying crunch full of perfectly roasted whole almonds covered in our rich salted chocolate. The crunch and depth of these almonds pair perfectly with the complex roasted flavor of cocoa.
What does the Salted Almond Butter Chocolate taste like?
A thick layer of crunchy, roasted, salted almond butter is covered in our rich, dark chocolate for a creamy, nutty cocoa experience like no other.
What does the Salted Dark Chocolate taste like?
A light sprinkling of salt crystals brings out the chocolate’s rich flavors, conjuring complex notes of dried fruit and sweet caramel, and a long-lasting roasted cocoa finish.
What does the Smooth Coconut Praline Chocolate taste like?
Coconut is blended into a smooth, sweet praline, then covered with our rich, dark chocolate for a bar that will thrill coconut-lovers and chocolate-lovers alike.
How should I store my chocolate?
We recommend storing your chocolate in a cool, dry place away from heat & humidity.
What is the shelf life of Dr. Bronner’s chocolate, and where can I find the best-by date?
The shelf life of Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate is 20 months from the date of manufacturing.

The lot code number & best-by date are printed in a white square on the outer wrapper, below the nutrition panel.
Is the chocolate packaging recyclable?
The outer wrapper of Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate bars is made from 100% recycled paper with a minimum of 80% post-consumer recycled (PCR) fiber. The paper wrap is recyclable, but the aluminum foil is unfortunately not.
What is organic about Dr. Bronner’s chocolate?
Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate is certified organic to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standard, which means it contains at least 95% organic ingredients. That means both the ingredients in our Magic All-One Chocolate and the practices used to grow and process those ingredients follow the requirements of organic production at every step in the supply chain.

Our organic Magic All-One Chocolate is produced using practices that support soil & water quality, conserve biodiversity. Farmers in our supply chains do not use chemical fertilizers, such as urea, nor synthetic pesticides or herbicides. Rather, our partners, like Serendipalm, support farmers with improving soil fertility and crop yields by natural means, such as the introduction of agroforestry and improved farm maintenance.
What is fair trade about Dr. Bronner’s chocolate?
Dr. Bronner’s is certified fair trade under the Fair for Life program, which is overseen by the respected international certifier, Ecocert.

“Fair trade” means that the prices paid to farmers, as well as the wages & working conditions of farm & factory workers, are fair. For example, the price we pay cocoa farmers for their cocoa crops is 15% higher than the conventional price. In case of low market prices, at least the fair trade minimum price is paid. This safety net assures that costs of production are always covered, and that the farmer earns an income, and enables them to meet their basic needs, such as good food & accommodation, schooling, the ability to participate in social life, and provisions for times of need.

An additional 10% is paid into a fair trade fund (estimated $80,000 per year, on average) for community development projects in education, healthcare & infrastructure. These are just a few of the many ways we ensure true fair trade partnerships with farmers & workers.

Other ways Dr. Bronner’s helps farmers achieve a higher income:
  • Farmers receive intensive training and support aimed at improving cocoa productivity and quality, e.g., regarding farm maintenance and renovation of unproductive cocoa crops.
  • We support farmers in diversifying their farms and marketing additional crops at a fair price. Thus, we enable them to achieve higher and more stable farm income and to improve the level of food security in their communities.
  • Farmers also receive in-kind support, e.g., provision of planting material, tools, and equipment.
What is regenerative about Dr. Bronner’s chocolate?
Regenerative organic agriculture goes beyond organic practices and aims to improve soil fertility by increasing the humus content of the soil, thus increasing yields and improving the resilience of the soil, as well as its ability to sequester atmospheric carbon. Serendipalm’s farmers use regenerative organic practices such as mulching, cover cropping and mixed cropping.

Since 2020, Serendipalm has been certified to the Regenerative Organic Certified™ (ROC™) standard overseen by the Regenerative Organic Alliance. In addition to regenerative organic agriculture, the ROC standard also ensures fair conditions along the value chain, and safeguards animal welfare.
Will all ingredients be Regenerative Organic Certified™?
All suppliers of our Magic All-One Chocolate bars’ main ingredients—cocoa beans and coconut sugar—are either already Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC ™) or are on their way to being ROC certified. Depending on each bar’s recipe, 70–80% of the ingredients in will be Regenerative Organic Certified by the end of 2021. We will add ROC-certified almonds, hazelnuts & coconut chips in the coming years, thus rendering the entire bar ROC certified.
Which certifications does Dr. Bronner’s chocolate hold?
Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate is certified USDA Organic, Fair Trade for Life, Certified Kosher*, Non-GMO, Vegan, Gluten-Free**, Oregon Tilth Organic Certified, and Certified B Corp.

* Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate is certified kosher by Kosher OU, indicating that the final products, along with our manufacturing processes, comply with a strict policy based on kosher food laws, including cleanliness, purity, and quality. The “DE” in the symbol indicates that our product was made on equipment that also processes dairy. Smooth Coconut Praline has not yet been certified Kosher (as of 8/11/2021).

** Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate recently achieved gluten-free certification for current and future production runs. Chocolate at retail now (August 2021) was produced and distributed prior to achieving gluten-free certification and does not carry the gluten-free certification seal. Chocolate produced since achieving gluten-free certification will carry the seal – look for the gluten-free certification seal on Magic All-One Chocolate packaging later this year and into the future (as of 8/11/2021).
Where is your cocoa sourced from?
The cocoa in Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate is produced by several organic & fair trade certified cocoa projects in Africa. The cocoa for the cocoa mass, or liquor, comes from Ghana and the Ivory Coast, the world’s two largest cocoa producers. Our cocoa beans come from Ntotano and Abocfa, two organic & fair trade Ghanian cocoa cooperatives, and Dr. Bronner’s sister company Serendipalm Co. Ltd., also in Ghana. Since 2020, we’ve worked closely with KANY Corporation, a cooperative of women farmers in Ivory Coast.

The beans for our cocoa butter come from Esco, a cocoa project that practices regenerative organic agriculture in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Where is your coconut sugar sourced from?
The coconut sugar used in Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate is sourced from Aliet Green, an award-winning woman-owned business in Indonesia whose products are certified organic & fair trade.
How is chocolate made?
Making chocolate begins with harvesting cocoa fruit from cocoa trees. Inside the cocoa fruit are seeds, which are fermented, then dried in the sun. In the process, the white seeds gradually turn into brown cocoa beans.

The cocoa beans are cleaned to remove any foreign material, such as stones, wood, and other light debris. Then the beans are heated with air to dry their shells for breaking and winnowing. During that process, the dry cocoa shells are removed, leaving small kernels called nibs. The nibs are roasted and ground into a silky liquid cocoa mass. Cocoa mass can be turned into cocoa butter and cocoa powder through a process called pressing.

The cocoa mass is then mixed with cocoa butter and crystalline coconut sugar, and that mixture is put through a refining process that presses it into a very fine powder. This powder is dried in large heating vessels called conches (the name comes from the seashell-like look of the machines). The conches mix and heat the powder while keeping it ventilated and dried. Conching is the most important part of the chocolate-making process in terms of flavor development, and it takes several hours. It results in liquid chocolate mass that can then be stored in agitated tanks at 113–122°F (45–50°C).

During tempering, liquid chocolate mass is used to create crystal seeds with cocoa butter. Once it has been tempered, the chocolate is gently heated and then deposited evenly into chocolate molds to remove air bubbles. After the molds have cooled, they’re turned upside down, and the chocolate bars are unmolded and ready for packaging.
How does Dr. Bronner’s grow cocoa?
Dr. Bronner’s sister company, Serendipalm, is Regenerative Organic Certified™ (ROC™) and grows cocoa in Ghana, where it works with 800 farmers using an agricultural technique known as mixed dynamic agroforestry (DAF). In DAF, various crops are planted within the same field to foster carbon sequestration and improve soil fertility. Our farms intercrop cocoa trees with Dr. Bronner’s oil palms and other crops such as cassava, turmeric, ginger, bananas, avocados, and other fruits. In keeping with the same goals and methods, in 2020 Dr. Bronner’s also began to work with the organic and fair trade women’s cooperative, KANY in Ivory Coast, that now has 160 farmers.
Do you protect existing forests and support agroforestry?
Yes! We make sure that farm activities do not cause deforestation, i.e., no primary or old-growth secondary forests are destroyed, and no valuable ecosystems are converted or destroyed.

Instead, we teach the farmers that grow our cocoa & other ingredients how to implement agroforestry farming practices to increase biodiversity, improve soil fertility, reduce pest and disease pressure, and mitigate the effects of climate change.
What is cocoa butter?
Cocoa butter is the fat that remains after pressing cocoa mass through a filter, thus removing the solids, i.e., the cocoa powder. Cocoa butter is often added to chocolate to decrease its viscosity and make the chocolate smooth out more easily.
What is cocoa powder?
Cocoa powder consists of the solids that remain after the cocoa butter has been extracted from cocoa beans. Cocoa powder is used in a variety of products to add chocolate flavor.
What is the percentage of caffeine in Dr. Bronner’s chocolate?
Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate has 12 mg of caffeine per ounce.
Does Dr. Bronner's chocolate contain soy?
None of the Magic All-One Chocolate flavors contain soy. However, our Magic All-One Chocolate bars are made in a facility that also processes soy, as well as other allergens.
What is bourbon vanilla?
Bourbon vanilla is the name of all vanilla grown in the Madagascar nearby islands in the Indian Ocean. Madagascar vanilla is a high-quality vanilla that’s considered to be the global “gold standard” for vanilla quality.
Where is the bourbon vanilla in your chocolate sourced?
The bourbon vanilla used in our Magic All-One Chocolate is sourced from Madagascar.
What is a praline?
A nut-based filling used mostly in sweets. A praline could be made from any nut or tree nut and is typically produced by grinding the nuts with sugar.
Is your chocolate processed in a Dutched fashion, or is it alkalized?
Our chocolate is not processed in a Dutch fashion (it is not alkalized).
Your chocolate is made with coconut sugar. Does that mean all the bars taste like coconut?
It might surprise you to know coconut sugar does not taste like coconut. Coconut sugar comes from the sap of the coconut palm tree, instead of the meat of the coconut. It looks and tastes very similar to brown sugar. Smooth Coconut Praline does have a light coconut flavor, which comes from the praline filling.
What are the “18-in-1” uses? Where can I find recipes and dilutions for your soaps?
You can use Dr. Bronner’s soaps for washing your face, body, hands and hair, for bathing, shaving, brushing your teeth, rinsing fruit, aromatherapy, washing dishes by hand, doing laundry, mopping floors, all-purpose cleaning, washing windows, scrubbing toilets, washing dogs, controlling dust mites, ants and aphids. Now, that’s eighteen uses right there, but customers have told us over time about many more uses they have found for our soaps. Let us know what else you use our soaps for!

To get you started with recipes and dilutions, check out Lisa Bronner’s “Liquid Soaps Dilutions Cheat Sheet .”
Why doesn't my All-One Toothpaste have a silver safety seal?
We discontinued the use of the silver seal, as customers told us it could be excessively difficult to remove. Because the Toothpaste is already packaged in a protective sealed box, the silver seal was wholly unnecessary, and removing it allows us to reduce waste.
Can I use your soaps to shampoo?
Yes, absolutely, and many people do! However, it is important to pair the soap with an acidic conditioning rinse like our Organic Citrus Conditioning Hair Rinse.

Our soaps clean hair very well, but they can leave a tangly look and feel. Our conditioning rinse tamps down the cuticles in your hair and leaves it smooth and silky.

To learn more about shampooing with our soaps, check out Lisa Bronner’s related blog post.
Are your soaps safe for babies?
Dr. Bronner’s soaps are exceptionally mild and safe for babies, however they are not tear-free so it’s important to be very careful that the soap does not get in your baby’s eyes.

For babies, we especially recommend our Unscented Baby-Mild line, as their skin can be sensitive to the essential oils in our scented soaps.
Are your tropical oils, including palm and palm kernel oils, produced sustainably?
Some Dr. Bronner’s customers have been concerned that the palm, palm kernel and coconut oils we use in our soaps may come from plantations that were established on recently-cleared tropical forestland or from operations that otherwise contribute to environmental destruction. But rest assured, we purchase from growers who are all certified organic— no agrochemicals (chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides) are used, and soil fertility is replenished naturally using compost, manure and mulching with crop residues. And unlike palm oil grown on huge plantations like those in Indonesia, the production of our oils does not contribute to deforestation.

Our palm oil comes from about 2,500 acres of smallholdings in Ghana that were established decades ago, and our palm kernel oil comes from sustainable small farmers in Ecuador. We support growers in improving palm fruit yields by getting more oil out of the same area of land. Our coconut oil comes from about 500 small to mid-size farms in Sri Lanka, most of which have been in the owner’s family for generations. We encourage our growers to intercrop with other beneficial species and supply organic fertilizer at subsidized prices. This improves the soil fertility, yields, and profitability of small farms, allowing them to compete with larger plantations.

To learn more, see our Our Suppliers page.
Can I wash my pet with your soaps?
Yes! Dr. Bronner’s soaps are wonderful for washing pets, especially dogs—see Lisa Bronner’s demonstration. For cats, you have to be a little more careful. Many essential oils can be toxic to cats, especially tea tree, lavender, and peppermint oils. So for cats, as for babies, best to use one of our Unscented Baby-Mild varieties.
What does “Castile” mean? Is your bar soap also a castile soap like the liquid? What is the difference between your bar and liquid soaps?
In earlier centuries, an all-vegetable-based soap was made in the Castile region of Spain from local olive oil. By the turn of this century, “Castile” had come to mean any vegetable oil-based soap, as distinct from animal (tallow) fat-based soap. “Pure-Castile” is now also your guarantee that what you are using is a genuinely ecological and simple soap – not a complex blend of detergents with higher ecological impact and slower biodegradability. Unfortunately, many synthetic detergent blends are deceptively labeled as “liquid soap” despite the fact that they contain absolutely no real soap whatsoever.

Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid and Bar Soaps are both completely vegetable oil-based. The difference between the liquid and bar soaps is that the liquid soaps use potassium hydroxide to saponify the vegetable oils, while the hard bar soaps use sodium hydroxide instead.

To learn more about the difference between our liquid and bar soaps, check out Lisa Bronner’s related blog post.
Do you have a satisfaction guarantee? What is your return policy?
You can read Dr. Bronner’s return policies here. If you have any questions about them, please contact our Customer Service Department.
Which of your products are vegan? Do you test your products on animals?
All of Dr. Bronner’s products sold in the U.S. and Canada are Certified Vegan, except for our Organic Lip Balms and Organic Body Balms, which contain organic beeswax. All of our products carry the “Leaping Bunny” seal, which means they are certified cruelty-free and there is no animal testing done with them.

Although our product lines are otherwise vegan, we do use certified organic beeswax in our lip and body balms. We have not yet been able to find a certified organic plant-based wax, and Sue Kastensen, the creator of our balms, has not found a plant-based substitute for the amazing qualities of natural beeswax. Based on her experience, and her extensive training and mentoring under the Native American herbalist Keewaydinoquay, Sue formulated her original lip balms with just avocado oil and beeswax, because beeswax has natural antibacterial and sunblock qualities and provides a superior barrier to keep moisture in.
What’s the shelf life of your products? How can I tell when they were made?
In general, we recommend using Dr. Bronner’s body care products within three years of the manufacture date. Soaps are self-preserving, but because our products are biodegradable, it’s best to not leave them on the shelf for too long. Also, the soaps are good for 24 months after opening the product, within that 3 year window.

To find out when our personal care products were manufactured, you can consult the “lot code,” a number that appears printed or etched on the packaging, typically just below the label. We do not use expiration dates, instead we use Julian dates. The first digits refers to the year (i.e., “17” is 2017, “20” is 2020, etc.), while the next three digits refer to the day of the year out of 365 total days. So if the first five digits of a lot code are “17165,” the product was manufactured in 2017 on the 165th day of that year (June 14th). You can always search for a Julian date calendar for the specific year that your bottle was manufactured in online.

For easy reference, our Fair Trade & Organic Virgin Coconut Oils (VCOs) are labeled with a “Best By” date next to the lot code. Due to space limitations, we use a different system to code our Organic Lip Balms.
I am getting a burning sensation from using your Peppermint Soap—is that normal?
It’s not common (most experience a “tingly cool” feeling from the menthol) but some people have told us they feel a burning sensation, especially over sensitive areas. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to be done in this case and our only recommendation is to switch to one of our other scents.
Do your soaps contain any foaming agents or detergents like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate?
Absolutely not. Dr. Bronner’s soaps are 100% true pure-castile soaps. The high-foaming lather comes from their high coconut oil content, which creates a more luxurious and richer lather than any detergent could ever produce. “Pure-Castile” is your guarantee that what you’re using is a genuinely ecological and simple soap – not a complex blend of detergents with a higher environmental impact due to the waste stream created during manufacturing and the detergents’ slower biodegradability. Unfortunately, many synthetic detergent blends are deceptively labeled as “Liquid Soap” even though they contain no real soap whatsoever.

We do have one product, Sal Suds, which contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Coco-Betaine, and Lauryl Glucoside. Sal Suds is an all-purpose household cleaning product, and is not intended for use on the body. Cruelty-free and biodegradable, It is a balanced formulation of naturally derived surfactants that are mild and gentle on the hands.
Why is palm kernel oil now in the liquid soap? Is it sustainable?
As our company continues to grow, we are able to partner with more and more organic & fair trade projects around the world, supporting organic farming practices, fair wages, and economic development. Adding organic & fair trade palm kernel oil to our soaps allows us to support the good work being done by Natural Habitats in Ecuador, where small-scale farmers grow oil palms sustainably and receive a fair price for their palm fruits. Because the fatty acid profile of coconut and palm kernel oils are so similar, they can be used interchangeably in soapmaking, where they produce an identical rich and copious lather.

No rainforest habitat or wildlife is harmed in the production of their palm kernel oil, and Natural Habitats is certified under IMO’s “Fair for Life” program, the most rigorous fair trade and sustainable certification in the world, and the same program that certifies Dr. Bronner’s existing fair trade coconut and palm oil sister companies, Serendipol and Serendipalm.