Dr. Bronner's Magic "All-One!" Shaving Soap Gel Lemongrass Lime

I really don't like this product.

It comes out brown with some parts gritty, other parts runny. You really have to work to make it lather, and what lather you get on your face is about half what you make in your hands. Doesn't raise hairs.

Oh, and it makes your hands slippery, which is the last thing you want when handling a safety razor.

Conclusion: overpriced and ineffective.

I really wanted to like this product, since I'm a big fan of the other Bronner soaps, particularly the classic peppermint. Unfortunately, I'm left a bit disappointed.

General Texture: As was mentioned in the previous review, this product does have an odd, runny, brown consistency. What was not mentioned were the somewhat abrasive, gritty crystalized bits that were randomly mixed in. It's possible that I received faulty product, but that's a very icky kind of fault!

Odd Burning Lips: Left on the lips too long, I experienced an unpleasant burning sensation that lingers for about 30 minutes. This has recurred on several test shaves.

Shave Quality: Shaving my face with a Gillette Superspeed was unpleasant at best. Very difficult to figure out best way to apply. Bristle brush produces short-lived bubbles. Gooping on the beige 'gel' by hand isn't very satisfying. Pretty nicked up using the superspeed. Better luck using a fresh Gillette Mach3, but I'm wondering if the Mach3 gel-strip was compensating for the questionable Bronner product.

I'm strongly considering returning this product (which I almost never do).

The Dr. Bronner's folks recently introduced a couple of new products and their Organic Fair Trade Shaving Soap Gel is one of them. I'm reviewing the "Lemongrass Lime" scent but there are several others, including lavender, spearmint and tea tree.

I was able to purchase the product at a local, non-chain natural/organic food store for $7.99 for a 7 ounce tube.

I literally wrote a review for the Burt's Bees shave cream this morning so I have to admit I wasn't really ready for another shave--not quite enough growth to test on, but I couldn't wait.

Prepare to be shocked when you squeeze this gel into your hand. It's more a runny gel than a solid gel...and it's brown.

Yes, that's right--it's BROWN.

I was actually able to produce a low-quality lather with a brush, and that's what I used for the first 2 passes. "Low-quality" here means a thin foam that breaks down pretty quickly, so you can feel the little bubbles bursting on your face. It's not a "stable" lather. And it's beige!

It was a slick surface and it allowed for a reasonably close shave. Again, I have to confess that I didn't have enough growth to properly put its through its paces. The scent isn't bad by any means, but it's not a rich lime scent. More lemongrass probably, and it's not very strong. If you are one of those B&Bers in search of a lime fragrance, this won't cut the mustard.

For my 3rd pass, I used the gel as it was designed, by dispensing into my hand and massaging into my face. That might have worked better than the shaving brush, I think. It doesn't go on very thick but it is very moisturizing.

In fact, the moisturizing qualities of this product are probably its most prominent aspect. My face feels more moisturized now than anything else I've used.

As a long-time user of Dr. Bronner's for hand soap, this product certainly was not what I expected. The secret (or not secret, actually) ingredient is Shikakai, which is used as a powder and combined with other ingredients to make a liquid extract. The other main ingredients, besides the fragrance oils, are the saponified coconut and olive oils, and hemp oil.

It was a nice change that they decided to not try to produce something that looked like a shaving gel. I can respect that it would have taken a lot more processing and ingredients for this to be white and foamy.

I was a little disappointed with the packaging. While it functions fine, it's a little unattractive, and boring compared with Dr. Bronner's rants on their soap packaging.

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I let myself actually get some whiskers so I could test the cream again. i'm going to try to include some images. Again I tried using a brush to create a lather. My feeling is that it is better to use the gel as such and not lather it, because you reduce its slickness. I noticed this time around that the stuff isn't so easy to rinse off as the high-end soap and cream I have experience with, and the shave isn't as close, either. And I even might have picked up a little burning sensation by the time I did my 4th pass or so. So I've downgraded my efficacy rating.


The infamous brown gel in hand.


About 30 seconds worth of brushwork.


Note the thin, bubble-popping lather.


It starts disappearing quickly after you apply it.


Preferred application: thin gel layer on face, barely visible.