A big name in natural toiletries, Dr. Bronner’s Organic Shaving Soap offers a clean, smooth shave courtesy of organic shikakai (acacia) extract and other natural ingredients. This one is best used with a shaving brush and has a subtler lather compared to some other shaving creams and gels. It can be a bit runny (more oil than gel) depending on ambient air temperature, so decant carefully. Some users find it helpful to add a little to a mug and lather with water then apply with a shaving brush as needed.
Dr. Bronner’s Organic Shaving Soap
Highlights: Offers a smooth, clean shave courtesy of organic shikakai (acacia) extract and other natural ingredients. Hydrates and soothes skin. Contains no synthetic detergents, preservatives, or GMOs.
Dr. Bronner’s Organic Shaving Soap at a glance:
| Country of Origin: | USA |
| Ingredients: | Organic Acacia Concinna (Shikakai) Extract, Organic Sucrose*, Organic Grape (Vitis Vinifera) Juice, Potassium Cocoate (made with Organic Coconut Oil)*, Potassium Olivate (made with Organic Olive Oil)*, Organic Glycerin, Organic Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Organic Mentha Peperita (Peppermint) Oil, Organic Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Organic Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Citric Acid, Tocopherol (Vit. E), (* Certified Fair Trade by IMO) |
| Certifications: | Certified USDA Organic Certified Vegan by Vegan Action Leaping Bunny Non-GMO Project NSF 300 Oregon Tilth Certified Organic Fair for Life B Corporation |
Table of Contents
Overview
Available in unscented, peppermint, lemongrass, tea tree and lavender, these certified vegan and organic shaving soaps help hydrate and soothe skin. They contain no synthetic detergents, preservatives, or GMOs.
Dr. Bronner’s was founded in 1948 and is still family owned. The company continues to live by a ‘Constructive Capitalism’ ethos and takes environmental and social responsibility seriously. While the labels on products sound a little… out there, the company invests in regenerative organic farming projects, uses 100% post-consumer recycled packaging, and is engaged in aggressive waste and water-use reduction. They are a registered B Corporation and publish annual environmental reports. Dr. Bronner’s was the first company to establish certified fair trade supply chains for coconut oil and palm oil and still strive to source their ingredients from Fair Trade suppliers in addition to treating their own employees well.
Dr. Bronner’s vs. Badger, Pacific, Nurture My Body, and Kiss My Face
Dr. Bronner’s is a shaving soap that looks more like an oil but acts like a shaving cream, making it somewhat difficult to classify. It lathers like a cream and offers a smooth shave while hydrating and protecting skin. Like Badger, Dr. Bronner’s are a B Corp and engage in fair trade practices, good labor practices, and environmental initiatives, including using 100% post-consumer recycled packaging.
Badger Shave Soap offers a more luxurious lather and can be applied by hand and with cold water (View Price on Amazon). It is best applied with warm water and a shaving brush, however, after Badger Shave Oil (View Price on Amazon). Badger have an impressive array of energy- and water-saving initiatives and environmental practices at their offices and manufacturing facilities, and their manufacturing processes do not create any toxic waste that could get into the local water system. They also package products in recyclable and reusable tins and use mostly recycled and recyclable packaging, with products shipped UPS carbon neutral.
Soap for Goodness Sake Shaving Soap, Babassu, is a similar ‘soap cake’ product to Badger and lathers well for a smooth shave. EWG Verified™, this vegan-friendly shaving soap is not tested on animals and contains simple ingredients. It is unscented but has a naturally light coconutty scent from the Babassu oil. Soap for Goodness Sake is a small family business based in the USA. Unlike Badger and Dr. Bronner’s, however, the company does not boast specific eco-friendly practices, environmental initiatives, or social enterprises.
A good option for travelers, Pacific Shaving All Natural Cream is eco-friendly and skin-friendly, features organic ingredients and is cruelty-free and vegan (View Price on Walmart). It is also long-lasting, which helps minimize plastic waste. That said, the company could do more in terms of environmental and social responsibility, so if these are considerations for you, look to Be Green and Badger instead.
By far, the best option for a foaming shaving cream, Be Green Bath & Body Citrus Shaving Foam has a 5 Leaf Score thanks to its eco-friendly ingredients, the availability of a refill pack (cutting down plastic waste), and the general environmental friendliness of the company. Be Green are consistently eco-friendly, with all products carrying high ratings from EWG. They are also engaged in protecting the environment and support charitable initiatives and fair labor practices.
Nurture My Body are a small company engaged in permaculture to product the raw ingredients for their eco-friendly, skin-friendly products that carry high ratings from EWG and have never been tested on animals. They don’t appear to have any additional environmental credentials but are still a great option as they offer their products in recyclable, ultraviolet-proof blue glass jars with recyclable PET plastic lids (View Price on Amazon).
Kiss My Face also offer an eco-friendly, skin-friendly shaving cream in a pump dispenser, but this one doesn’t foam when dispensed and the company itself doesn’t boast any specific environmental and social initiatives (View Price on Walmart).