Everything you need to know about organic skincare and fair trade activism! Lisa Bronner, grand daughter of Dr. Bronner himself, shares with us her tips on picking the greenest, safest products for body and home, and tells us the unbelievable story of how Dr. Bronner’s became a household name.
Whenever asked about what she does, the first thing Lisa says is “I’m a mom.” Her top priority is her family’s physical, emotional and mental well-being. She began her blog, Going Green with a Bronner Mom, to give other busy moms quick, easy, honest information about organic and natural products and help them make informed decisions about their and their children’s health. And she’s well placed to do so, as the grand daughter of the founder of a well loved green living brand, Dr. Bronner’s.
Lisa’s advice on how to make your life greener is simple: the first step is to educate yourself. Take the matter into your own hands. Read labels – whether it’s food or a beauty product, see what’s there. Do you recognize the ingredients, or would you need a chemistry degree to make sense of it? Lisa recommends visiting the Environmental Working Group website, which rates products according to safety and has a breakdown of ingredients including their potential effects. But you don’t need to read the label if you’re buying a bottle of D.r Bronner’s soap, which contains only natural skin loving ingredients, and can be used for all kinds of cleaning tasks.
The story of how Dr. Bronner’s was founded could be made into a film – Emanuel Bronner grew up in a German soap making family in early 1900’s. His philosophy, or Moral ABC, which focused around world peace, environment protection and the belief we are all one, caused his family to shun him, and compelled him to emigrate to the USA. There, he was wrongfully imprisoned in a mental institution for making impassioned speeches where he sought to promote the idea of an environmentally conscious, peaceful world. But he escaped and set up the Dr. Bronner’s that has now become a household name. His philosophy for this better world can still be found today, written on the soap bottle labels.
Dr. Bronner was a true visionary and his passion for creating a more ethical world lives on through the “Fighting Soap Company,” as the family have lovingly nicknamed it. “It’s part company and part activism,” says Lisa, referring to the campaigns Dr. Bronner’s has fought over the years. Where her grandfather’s causes were fluoridation and world peace, now the company is active in raising awareness and creating positive change in the areas of GMO labelling, fairer trade and business practices, animal welfare and living wage reform. Click here to find out how Dr. Bronner’s is making life better for both communities and the environment in Sri Lanka and Guana. We wish there were more companies like this! Dr. Bronner’s story proves that you can do business well while being fair, ethical and responsible.
You can read the full show notes and get access to all the resources at www.foodhealspodcast.com