So… I’m not a doctor. I’m not a med student, or a nurse, or a care worker. I haven’t done science in years. But I do have a chronic illness, and I’m generally pretty good about not getting the flu, and my coffers are brimming with Dr. Bronner’s Hand Sanitizer — their Peppermint Organic Hand Sanitizer, to be exact.
And it. Is. Awesome.
Dr. Bronner’s Hand Sanitizer review (Organic Peppermint)
Like any other good, science-reared individual, I know the real deal is soap and water. I know that it’s best to scrub every inch of your hands and wrists for a good 20 seconds, and that it’s important to get under your nails and in between your fingers and around your thumb in a twist. But hand sanitizer is really nice to have around, too — especially when you can’t get to a sink, or you need to sanitize before you put your dirty little hands back on your phone.
(Me!!)
Dr Bronner’s hand sanitizer is fantastic. It’s easy to spray, spread, and use, and it gets your hands 99.9% clean with 62% alcohol, leaving a fresh, minty scent behind. The alcohol-water-glycerine-oil formula is neither hydrating nor drying, and it’s comfortable to use on my dry skin. I like that it’s fair trade and non-sticky, with a Leaping Bunny-certified formula and vegan ingredients. While it’s the same in essence, using Dr. Bronner’s hand sanitizer feels better than using something like Purell. It’s easier to spread effectively, dries faster, and is layerable—I find it tough to sanitize more than once between hand-washes with thick gel formulas, so I prefer to carry a spray like this one.
The organic peppermint essential oils are a nice reminder to keep your hands fresh—that is, don’t touch anything—when you can smell it, and for those with sensitive skin like me, it’s also an excellent reminder as to when it might be time to wash. After a few spritzing sessions, my hands take on a characteristic tingle, and I know I haven’t scrubbed in a while.
They make something for that, too.
Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap
At the sink side, you can reach for one of the brand’s classic Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Pure-Castile Soaps. (This one is travel-sized, so you can take it with you when you need to leave the house for groceries or appointments.) They lather well, and work great as a hand soap or body soap… or anything else. Use in a variety of dilutions to clean everything from your hands to your fruits and veggies, and dilute with a mix (for instance, with tea tree oil to disinfect, or vinegar to dissolve) for household chores like laundry and window-washing.
Dr. Bronner’s Castile soaps are formulated with super simple, organic ingredients, and the iconic brand originates from long before the current greenwashing trends. (They’re the real deal.) When you finish your travel-sized mini, or kitchen-sized litre, they also offer refills to help you save on packaging, cost, and transportation fuel. For the eco-conscious among us, yes: they also do bar soaps!
The real deal: Silicone-free Dr. Bronner’s Magic Balm
The entire Dr. Bronner’s line is silicone-free, but what soap isn’t?
Once you’re done scrubbing and sanitizing, their Magic Balm comes in a reusable tin with a truly magical holo print. Also made from organic, fair trade ingredients, Magic Balms are hydrating and thin, despite their solid format. (Maybe a good thing to keep around for air travel, if the world doesn’t end?) Each one features a formula made from avocado oil, jojoba seed oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and hemp seed oil, so you know it’ll be nourishing and soothing. There’s a little bit of tocopherol to help preserve every pot, and beeswax to solidify the formula.
I’m a little bummed that it took a novel coronavirus to get me to try Dr. Bronner’s, but I’m glad that I finally did. My next explorations, I think, will likely be in their biodegradable house cleaner or hand and body lotion, both of which I can never get enough of!
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Disclaimer: These products were submitted by PR for editorial consideration only, weeks before Canada started taking precautionary measures for COVID-19. It just seemed like the right time to post!
