natjtan I’ve been using Dr Bronner’s 18 in 1 castile soap for a few years and while typing this post I realised I haven’t used or tried it for nearly all the 18 in 1 uses it claims it can be used for.
I started using it after reading Jessica Alba’s The Honest Life. She recommended it as a great alternative for household cleaning (before her brand Honest created their own cleaning range. I can’t wait for Honest products to be available in Spain!). Around that time AJ’s (cat) allergies started. Dry eyes that cry and stain a lot around his eyes. I know I was using an ecological floor cleaner at the time, but I decided to switch it out for Dr Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure Castile Soap. I’m sure even though that cleaner was ecological it had a hazardous symbol. AJ’s allergies maybe a secondary symptom of his tummy problems, at the time I wasn’t sure what was causing them. My reasoning for Dr Bronner was that it was full of natural oils so if they the cats ingested the ingredients after walking over freshly mopped floors and then washing themselves they’re not absorbing nasty ingredients. 
If you’ve ever purchased a Dr Bronner castille soap you know it’s only got 9-11 ingredients: Water, organic coconut oil*, potassium hydroxide*, organic palm kernel oil*(one of the few palm oil products I use. I like orangutans more and Dr Bronner source from sustainable family run farms ), organic olive oil*, organic hemp oil, organic jojoba oil, citric acid, tocopherol and if one of the scented soaps, essence or scented oil. All starred ingredients are fair trade. No foaming agents or detergents, non gmo, contains 70% fair-trade ingredients, is Leaping Bunny approved and certified vegan. Plus containing only natural ingredients it’s better for the environment or rather less hazardous for the environment/water system when it get flushed down the drains.
So far I’ve found it to be great at:
Cleaning floors. Seriously you don’t need much. 2-3 squirts is enough. If you haven’t diluted it enough, it can leave reside. I normally make sure the mop bucket is filled to just under the squeezy thing. If it could then mop the floors itself that would be perfect.
Cleaning the cats litter box. Again I didn’t want them absorbing nasty ingredients.
Cleaning make up brushes.
Cat shampoo when I’ve need on rare occasions bath the cats (such as AJ’s incident in the pet taxi)
I found it wasn’t so great as a shampoo or body wash and I didn’t like it much for a hand soap. I prefer their liquid hand soap. I’ve yet to try it as a toothpaste but when I travel I have 2 small bottles of unscented and peppermint should I need to do any hand washing or wash make up brushes. When my current ecological multi purpose cleaner and bathroom cleaner runs out I’m switching them out on a trial run for Dr Bronner. If anyone has used it as a multi cleaner, bathroom cleaner, bug spray or dish detergent please shout!
Have you tried Dr Bronner’s castile soaps? What you’ve found it great and not so great at?
