By The Cluey Team
Dr. Bronner’s soap originally was produced as a way to supplement the soapbox spiritual teachings of its zany founder.
Dr. Bronner’s soap originally was produced as a way as a supplement to the soapbox spiritual teachings of founder Dr. Emanuel Bronner. After Bronner escaped both Nazi Germany and a mental hospital, Bronner began his soap making business, leveraging the product labels to espouse his “All-One-God-Faith” philosophy that combines Jewish, Christian and philosophical elements.
Check out the following excerpt from the New York Times below:
“One origin story credits Woodstock for expanding its distribution.
“The joke is that it left the festival in three times as many VW microbuses as it arrived in,” his grandson, Michael Bronner, said.
Today, Bronner’s message can still be found on labels and the business is still run by the Bronner family with Dr. Bronner’s grandson serving as CEO – that is ‘Cosmic Engagement Officer’ – with the business taking a strong stance on drug reform – pouring millions into loosening government restrictions on psychedelic drugs.
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps has donated more than $23 million to drug advocacy and research organizations, according to corporate documents – including scientists researching the healing properties of Ectasy, activist groups that helped decriminalize psilocybin “magic mushrooms” in Oregon and Washington and a nonprofit working to preserve habitat for peyote – the hallucinogenic cactus critical to some Native American spiritual traditions. “When it comes to corporate philanthropy, you’d be hard-pressed to find another company with the courage to publicly back an end to the war on drugs,” said Rick Doblin, who runs the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, a research and advocacy group.””