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Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Pure-Castile Bar Soap

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Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Pure-Castile Bar Soap

A plain castile-type bar with ten named ingredients and no fragrance or essential oil, about $1.04 an ounce. It is a true soap, so it is alkaline. The brand settled a 2025 lawsuit over heavy metals in its toothpaste, a different product.

Best for Anyone who wants a fragrance-free bar for hands, body or face at a low price, and whose skin tolerates soap.

Our rating
Good (3.8 of 5)
Price range
Budget
Verified marks
EWG Verified (listed as “Baby Unscented”)
Size
5 oz bar

approx. $5.19 for a 5 oz bar

See it on Dr. Bronner’s’s site → (opens in a new tab)

We are not affiliated with Dr. Bronner’s. This link goes to the maker’s own page, with no tracking code. How we're funded.

Also sold at Amazon ($5.17), Target ($5.29), Whole Foods Market ($5.29) , and 1 more.

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    Reviews are personal experiences, not research, and they never change our quality ratings. Every review is read by our team before it appears.

    How we evaluated it

    How it scores Our rating, metric by metric Good, 3.8 of 5
    1. Ingredients 45% of the rating 4 of 5

      Ten named ingredients (five organic oils, lye that is used up in soapmaking, water, salt, citric acid and tocopherol) with no fragrance, though citric acid and tocopherol are additives a plainer bar would skip.

    2. Independent testing 15% of the rating 3 of 5

      Independent labs found no lead, cadmium, mercury or arsenic and the lowest phthalates of twelve brands in Dr. Bronner’s coconut oil, the bar’s first ingredient, but metals showed up in its toothpaste, EWG Verified is a paid ingredient screen, and the bar itself is untested.

    3. Does what it says 10% of the rating 3 of 5

      The page promises a soap for sensitive skin and babies that rinses “without irritation”, but alkaline soap raised infants’ skin pH more than a pH 5.5 detergent in a randomized study.

    4. Trust 15% of the rating 3 of 5

      A 2025 lawsuit over heavy metals in its toothpaste was settled in October 2025 and a 2023 Prop 65 notice named a chocolate bar, though the maker names every ingredient and has no soap recall.

    5. Value 15% of the rating 5 of 5

      About $1.04 an ounce, the lowest of the soaps and cleansers here (Meliora about $1.75, Kosmatology wash about $1.50).

    The rating, 3.8 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank personal care and our standard.

    Where to buy Stores and the prices we saw 4 stores

    Prices as we saw them on October 23, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

    What’s in it Every ingredient, in label order 10 ingredients
    1. Organic Coconut Oil
    2. Organic Palm Oil
    3. Sodium Hydroxide (none remains after saponifying oils into soap and glycerin)
    4. Water
    5. Organic Olive Oil
    6. Organic Hemp Seed Oil
    7. Organic Jojoba Wax (another name for jojoba oil)
    8. Sea Salt
    9. Citric Acid
    10. Tocopherol
    Who tested it What each test found, and who paid for it 5 tests
    • Paid certification EWG Verified May 2024

      EWG’s directory lists the Baby Unscented soap, with the same ten ingredients as this bar, as EWG Verified; Dr. Bronner’s says its bar soaps are covered. EWG screens ingredients against its own list and the maker pays to join; it does not publish lab results for the finished soap. We read the entry in a browser on 2026-10-22. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    • Independent Lead Safe Mama (independent third-party labs, community-funded) September 2025

      Tested two Dr. Bronner’s coconut oils for lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. The Organic Whole Kernel Virgin oil was non-detect for all four (September 2025), and the Regenerative Organic White Kernel oil (January 2025) was added to the group’s lab-tested safer choices. Coconut oil is the first ingredient of this bar, but these are retail food oils, not the soap. The site earns advertising and affiliate income. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    • Independent Mamavation (EPA-certified lab; the site earns affiliate income) November 2024

      Found 126 ppb total phthalates in Dr. Bronner’s Virgin Coconut Oil, the lowest of the twelve coconut oils it listed (the highest was 1,506 ppb; every oil it tested had traces). A food oil, not the soap. Result added November 2024. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    • Independent Lead Safe Mama (independent third-party lab, community-funded) February 2025

      Tested Dr. Bronner’s fluoride-free peppermint toothpaste at SGS North America (through SimpleLab): lead 160 ppb, mercury 6 ppb, arsenic 23 ppb, cadmium not detected. A toothpaste, not the soap. The site earns advertising and affiliate income. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    • Paid certification Oregon Tilth (USDA organic), Fair for Life and Regenerative Organic Certified

      Dr. Bronner’s says its oils carry these marks. They cover farming, soil and labor standards for the oils, not the purity of the finished soap. We did not open the certifiers’ listings. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    Who paid, and why it matters
    • Independent The tester took no money from the maker for it: a consumer group, a journalist, a university or a regulator.
    • Paid certification An outside lab or certifier tested or listed it, and the maker paid for that.
    • Maker’s own test A lab report or certificate of analysis the maker commissioned and published.

    A certification is a floor, not a verdict: it checks what its program checks and nothing else. We weigh tests by someone with no stake in the result most.

    What people ask Worries raised online and elsewhere, and what we found 6 questions
    Is a true soap too alkaline for skin?
    Dr. Bronner’s does not state this bar’s pH. Healthy skin sits below pH 5 on average (opens in a new tab). In a randomized study of infants (opens in a new tab), washing with an alkaline soap (pH 9.5) raised skin pH by 0.45, against about 0.2 for plain water and 0.3 for a pH 5.5 detergent, and removed more skin fat. In a 10-week home-use study of 50 women (opens in a new tab), a bar soap caused only a small pH rise but tended to be rated more irritating than a syndet bar. If your skin is dry or eczema-prone, a syndet cleanser may suit better.
    Does Dr. Bronner’s contain heavy metals?
    Lead Safe Mama’s community-funded lab test found lead (160 ppb), mercury (6 ppb) and arsenic (23 ppb) in Dr. Bronner’s peppermint toothpaste (opens in a new tab), and a class action (opens in a new tab) filed in May 2025 built on it (coverage (opens in a new tab)). The parties settled in October 2025, and in November they jointly moved (opens in a new tab) to dismiss the plaintiff’s individual claims with prejudice, with no admission of liability. Both the test and the case are about toothpaste; the complaint we read does not mention soap. The same program found a Dr. Bronner’s coconut oil (opens in a new tab) clean for all four metals, but we found no independent heavy-metal test of the bar.
    Do the oils carry phthalates?
    Mamavation’s lab found 126 ppb total phthalates in Dr. Bronner’s virgin coconut oil (opens in a new tab), the lowest of the twelve coconut oils it listed; every oil tested had traces. It is a food product, not the soap, and Mamavation did not test the bar.
    Is the “EWG Verified” claim true for the bar?
    Dr. Bronner’s says its liquid, bar and sugar soaps are EWG Verified, except one scent. EWG’s directory lists the Baby Unscented soap with this bar’s ten ingredients, which we read as the bar. EWG’s listing does not say “bar”, and EWG blocks our requests today, so we could not recheck it.
    Is the palm oil sustainable?
    Dr. Bronner’s says the palm oil comes from Daabon in Colombia, where oil palms are grown without deforestation, and is Regenerative Organic Certified and Fair Trade. We did not open those certifiers’ listings, so this stays the maker’s claim.
    Does it have a Prop 65 notice or recall?
    We found one Prop 65 notice, filed July 2023, about mercury in a Dr. Bronner’s chocolate bar, and no notice about soap. The FDA’s recall database has no records for the company.
    Why we chose it What put it on our list 5 points
    • Ten ingredients, all named on the page: organic coconut oil, organic palm oil, sodium hydroxide (none remains after the oils are made into soap), water, organic olive oil, organic hemp seed oil, organic jojoba oil, sea salt, citric acid and tocopherol.
    • No added fragrance or essential oils. The page says “Free from added fragrance” and lists none, so this is fragrance-free rather than just unscented.
    • Dr. Bronner’s says its bar soaps are EWG Verified. EWG’s directory lists “Dr. Bronner’s All One Hemp Pure Castile Soap, Baby Unscented” with the same ten ingredients; its list has sodium hydroxide and sea salt, which the liquid soap’s list lacks, so we read it as this bar.
    • The palm oil comes from Daabon in Colombia and is Regenerative Organic Certified and Fair Trade, per Dr. Bronner’s page. We did not open those certifiers’ listings.
    • About $1.04 an ounce on the maker’s site, the cheapest bar we list.
    Trade-offs What to weigh before you buy 4 points
    • It is a true soap, made with lye, and no pH is stated. In a small randomized study, an alkaline soap (pH 9.5) raised infants’ skin pH more and removed more skin fat than a pH 5.5 detergent. In home use over 10 weeks, adults saw only a small pH rise and tended to rate the soap more irritating than a syndet bar.
    • The page calls it perfect for sensitive skin and babies and says it rinses clean “without irritation”. That goes further than the pH evidence supports, and the page also says it is not tear-free.
    • A class action filed in 2025 over lead, mercury and arsenic in its toothpaste, based on an independent lab test, was settled in October 2025; the parties moved to dismiss the plaintiff’s individual claims, with no admission of liability. It names toothpaste only; we found no test of this bar.
    • Palm oil is one of the oils, and soap can leave a film in hard water.
    What to know Details worth knowing first

    Our guide to shampoo and body care says a simple bar or castile soap is often the cleanest option, and our fragrance guide explains why we look for no fragrance at all, not just “unscented”. This bar fits both: oils, water, salt and two small additives, with no fragrance or essential oil, at about a dollar an ounce.

    The caution is the soap itself. It is made with lye, and the maker gives no pH. Our skin microbiome guide suggests cleansers near pH 5.5, and an alkaline soap raised skin pH more than a pH 5.5 detergent in a small study of infants. If your skin is dry or eczema-prone, try one of the alternatives below.

    The other caution is the company. Dr. Bronner’s settled a 2025 lawsuit over heavy metals in its toothpaste, which an independent lab test of that product started. The complaint says nothing about soap, and independent labs found its coconut oil, the bar’s first ingredient, clean for metals and low in phthalates. We found no test of the bar itself, and the EWG Verified mark is a paid ingredient screen, not a lab test. Trust scores a 3 because of the case and a 2023 Prop 65 notice about a chocolate bar.

    What we checked Each claim, and how sure we are of it 5 checks
    Tested by
    EWG Verified (directory entry we opened); Lead Safe Mama (metals) on its coconut oils and toothpaste, and Mamavation (phthalates) on its coconut oil
    How Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Pure-Castile Bar Soap measures up against our personal care criteria
    What we checked What we found
    Every ingredient listed Maker’s claim Ten ingredients on the product page and the label, with sodium hydroxide marked as not remaining after saponification. No “fragrance” line.
    Independent screening: EWG Verified Verified Dr. Bronner’s says this bar is EWG Verified. EWG’s directory lists “Dr. Bronner’s All One Hemp Pure Castile Soap, Baby Unscented” as an EWG Verified product, category baby soap, data last updated May 2024. Its ten ingredients match this bar’s, but the entry does not say “bar” or give a size. The other Dr. Bronner’s bars in EWG’s directory are scented (Almond, Cherry Blossom, Green Tea, Rose, Sandalwood Jasmine). MADE SAFE’s index does not list Dr. Bronner’s.
    Fragrance-free Maker’s claim The page says “Free from added fragrance”, and the ingredient list names no fragrance or essential oil.
    Short formula Maker’s claim Ten ingredients, all plain oils, salt, water and two additives (citric acid, tocopherol).
    Independent contaminant test of this bar Not verified None found. Independent heavy-metal tests of the brand found a coconut oil clean and its toothpaste positive.
    What the labels mean
    • Verified We opened an independent record that confirms it: a certifier’s listing, a regulator’s list or a lab report. It is linked under Sources.
    • Maker’s claim The maker says so on its own page or label. We read it but found no independent record.
    • Not verified We looked and could not confirm it, or the maker does not say. Treat it as unknown.
    Sources Where our facts come from 15 sources
    1. Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Pure-Castile Bar Soap product page. Maker’s page. Sold under the handle “baby-unscented”. The product is titled “Unscented - Pure-Castile Magic Bar Soap”. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    2. Dr. Bronner’s product certifications. Maker’s page. Says its bar soaps are EWG Verified and its oils are organic, fair trade and Regenerative Organic Certified. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    3. EWG Verified directory entry: Dr. Bronner’s All One Hemp Pure Castile Soap, Baby Unscented. Certifier or regulator listing. Shows the EWG Verified mark and a ten-item list: hemp seed, coconut, palm, olive and jojoba oils, sea salt, citric acid, tocopherol, sodium hydroxide and water. EWG blocks automated fetches, so we read it in a browser on 2026-10-22. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    4. Whole Foods Market listing: Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Bar Soap, Baby Unscented, 5 oz. Independent source. Price and ingredient list as shown by the retailer. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    5. Lead Safe Mama: Dr. Bronner’s All-One Peppermint Toothpaste lab report (2025). Test report. Independent, community-funded test of the toothpaste, not the soap. The site earns advertising and affiliate income. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    6. Lead Safe Mama: Dr. Bronner’s Organic Whole Kernel Virgin Coconut Oil lab report (2025). Test report. Non-detect for lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. A second Dr. Bronner’s coconut oil, tested in January 2025, was also added to the group’s safer-choices list. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    7. Mamavation: coconut oils tested for toxic phthalates (2025). Test report. Lab test of coconut oils. Dr. Bronner’s Virgin Coconut Oil, 126 ppb total phthalates, is in the lowest tier. The site earns affiliate income. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    8. CourtListener: Johnston v. All One God Faith, Inc. (S.D. Cal. 3:25-cv-01147). Certifier or regulator listing. Class action filed 2025-05-06 about heavy metals in Dr. Bronner’s toothpaste. An order of 2025-10-28 confirms a settlement; CourtListener’s copy, updated 2025-12-24, shows no filing after 2025-11-12. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    9. Joint motion for dismissal with prejudice of the plaintiff’s individual claims (ECF 26, filed 2025-11-07). Certifier or regulator listing. Says the parties told the court of a settlement on 2025-10-28 and that it is not an admission of liability. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    10. Top Class Actions: Dr. Bronner’s class action lawsuit claims toothpaste contains neurotoxic heavy metals. Independent source. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    11. California Prop 65 60-day notice search: Bronner. Certifier or regulator listing. One notice, AG 2023-01918 (July 2023), about mercury in a Dr. Bronner’s chocolate bar. Searched 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    12. FDA enforcement (recall) search for Dr. Bronner’s (openFDA). Certifier or regulator listing. Returns “No matches found”: no recall records. Searched 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    13. Lambers et al., 2006: natural skin surface pH is on average below 5 (PMID 18489300). Independent source. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    14. Gfatter et al., 1997: soap and detergents and infant skin pH (PMID 9407174). Independent source. Open randomized study of 40 infants aged 2 weeks to 16 months. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    15. Barel et al., 2001: bar soap versus syndet bar in normal use (PMID 11393212). Independent source. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
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