Once you find your favorite personal care product, whether it’s for hair, face, or skin, you never turn back. So, if the company changes the ingredients, it’s understandable why you would be on the verge of tears and search for a new product.
This is how TikTok creator @sugarhoneyicey reacted to her beloved Dr. Bronner’s soap.
“I’m dead[expletive] not even being dramatic, I’m literally about to cry because I realized that they changed the [expletive] Dr. Bronner’s formula,” she tells 39,000 viewers, her voice cracking as she walks into her bathroom.
Then, she flips the camera to unveil three liquid soap bottles she bought from Marshalls standing on her bathroom sink. The middle one contains honey-colored soap, topped with a black cap and a periwinkle label. On opposite ends, there are two empty bottles: one with the same cap and the other with a white cap.
“I bought these two new bottles,” she says, pointing to the center bottle.
When she bought the new bottle, the content creator had a feeling that something was amiss.
“I did notice the cap was black and I thought that was weird, but I didn’t think much of it,” she says.
The following day, she observed another discrepancy with her new liquid soap. “Then, today, I turned it. I don’t know why but I see an [expletive] face,” she adds, spinning the center bottle where a dim outline of a face is printed. “That was never there.”
Next, she shifts to the new name. “What the [expletive] is ‘magic soap?’” @sugarhoneyicey demands, reading off the periwinkle print.
She mourns the new version of Dr. Bronner’s soap
Afterward, she flips the bottle and lists several new ingredients. “Wax?! There was never any wax!” @sugarhoneyicey shouts angrily. “Then, they put less kernel oil. They added potassium hydroxide.” Because of the new design, she is distraught.
“I don’t even know what I’m gonna do. I literally want to cry,” she says. “This is the only thing I use that I love. It didn’t need [any] changes.” To add insult to injury, the price of the soap jumped from $14 to $18.
“I’m very, very hurt and I [expletive] hate capitalism,” she concludes, sniffling.
@sugarhoneyicey continues to express her devastation in the caption. “I’m so upset. I felt like something was different with this bottle. I can’t believe this,” she writes, tagging the brand. “I feel so betrayed @drbronner please can anyone tell me if there is another soap I can use? This is a big deal for me.”
Dr. Bronner’s consumers weigh in
Most of them have noticed a difference in the soap and experienced negative reactions to it.
“Their soap is giving me bad eczema now. I had to stop using it,” one viewer shared.
“It’s throwing my PH OFF. It doesn’t get the job done anymore and the consistency and color is NOT the same,” another noted.
“Yess I can tell it’s a different cause my skin gets so dried out now,” a third revealed. “Even when I moisturize, it dries up and my skin was never like that before until I started buying ‘magic soap.’”
What did Dr. Bronner’s say?
Despite the claims from the content creator and viewers, the company denies any significant adjustments. “Rest assured that our formula and soap is fundamentally unchanged. Our high-quality Coconut Oil and Palm Kernel Oil are nearly identical in their chemical structure and function which helps us provide the product experience our customers know and love. Jojoba wax is exactly the same ingredient as Jojoba oil, but we updated it to ‘wax’ as this ingredient is not yet Regenerative Organic Certified.”
When did the brand update its Distill soap formula?
The company added more coconut oil and reduced the amount of kernel palm oil in March, according to their website. Furthermore, they included “Made with Regenerative Organic Certified™ Oils,” the EWG Verified logo, and listed the scents on the bottle in their commitment to sustainability. To comply with California’s new recycling standard, they reduced the size of the bottle. As a tribute to founder, Dr. Emanuel Bronner, his photo is printed on the label. However, all of their distilled soaps have undergone the same makeover, including bar soap and refill cartons.
@sugarhoneyicey I’m so upset. I felt like something was different with this bottle. I can’t believe this I feel so betrayed @drbronner ♬ original sound – sugarhoneyicey
The Mary Sue reached out to @sugarhoneyicey via TikTok comment and direct message as well as Dr. Bronner’s via media contact form.
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