Did you know that Dr. Bronner escaped from a mental institution?

Not once. Not twice. Thrice.

This is an excerpt from my Substack, which is called Crazy/Old. I started it because I wanted a different site (sorry Medium) to explore topics of mental health and the history of care. You can read way more on the site and also you can subscribe to see all of the content for a meager amount of money that will help me keep doing this kind of odd stuff.

The mysterious all-purpose soap with the lengthy label has been a staple in crunchy households for ages. Where I grew up, in Eugene, Oregon, it’s common for people to bathe their babies with it, only to turn around and wash dishes with it. Dr. Bronner’s All-One Castile Soap — which is made to be heavily diluted, making it both eco-and wallet-friendly — can be used on your face or the floor, your linens or your labradoodle. Seriously, if you’re unfamiliar, it’s time to get right with whichever savior you belong to and ask “how did you not put this into my path yet?”

Also, if you’re unfamiliar, you may never have pondered over the absolutely bonkers label that wraps around this big cylindrical bottle.

You know the one.

I could not, having grown up seeing these bottles at the local natural food store (shout out to Sundance), have been less shocked that the titular Dr. Bronner was not…