Special Post: John's Shower

My vegan diet is a result of my commitment to non-violence, justice, compassion and respect for all life. The diet is easily the most public feature, though. That's why there is a little bit of shock when people realize that the products in my bathroom might be different from theirs. Plenty of people ask me "What do you eat?". I don't think anyone has ever asked me, "What do you use to clean yourself?"

My One Bottle

So, I present to you "John's Shower". I have one bottle, which I use as both soap and shampoo: Dr. Bronner's peppermint liquid soap.

It's a castile soap made with hemp oil. Dr. Bronner's makes a whole line of soaps , lotions and other personal care products. You can read more about them here: www.drbronner.com. I have only used the peppermint scent because it's a few dollars less than the other scents at my local Whole Foods. Maybe one day I'll really treat myself and get a different scent :D

Why I Choose This Product

• Animal ingredients and testing - Any product I consume must meet my vegan requirements, meaning there are no animal based ingredients and no animal testing. Pure castile soap means that the soap is vegetable based.
• Fair trade - Respect and justice for all life includes humans. So, a product that makes a commitment to treating its suppliers and employees with dignity gets bonus points.
• Environmentally friendly - It comes in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. It's pretty much just made with different oils and is therefore biodegradable. Frankly, I'd be shocked to find a more ecologically sound soap.
• It works! - I feel as clean as ever. If you ever meet me in real life, go ahead and smell me - I dare you. It foams up nicely and I can get a good lather going.
• Cost - I pay around $9 for 32 ounces and that lasts me a really long time! You don't need the same volume as you do with other products. The liquid is thin, so you use a small amount and rub it into a thicker lather.
• Mild fragrance - Really heavily perfumed products make me want to barf. The peppermint scent is nice, but not overpowering.

So, it's vegan, eco-friendly, fair trade, cheap and it works. This product makes sense for everyone, unless you want walk around smelling like Axe (oh yeah, if Dr. Bronner's had TV ads I bet they wouldn't be terrible and portray women as sex crazed maniacs that can't resist terrible smelling products). So, go out, grab a bottle and let me know how it treats you.

Shower for the animals, for the earth and for your wallet!