During my recent search for healthier personal care products, I couldn’t help but encounter Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. Available in many natural stores, it’s been around since the 1940s. I began to wonder…are its ingredients really organic, and who was Dr. Bronner?

As it turns out, the ingredients are truly organic, and there is quite a story surrounding Dr. Emanuel Bronner. Born in Germany in 1907, Dr. Bronner was a third-generation master soap-maker who immigrated to the US in the 1920s. Sounds like the beginning of a typical American success story, but here’s where things get a bit squirrelly.

A self-proclaimed rabbi and (allegedly) Albert Einstein’s nephew, Dr. Bronner escaped from a mental institution in 1947. Soon thereafter, he invented his now famous Magic Soap, made from all natural ingredients. Dr. Bronner developed a philosophy born from the loss of his parents and most of his family in the Holocaust: “All-One!” The phrase emphasized his belief that we are all children from the same divine source. This message, along with the organic soap’s popularity, catapulted Dr. Bronner to the forefront of counter-culture in the 1960’s and 70’s.

Wow, you really can’t write this stuff, and fortunately, you don’t have to. Documentary filmmaker Sara Lamm’s creation, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox, makes its Los Angeles premiere on Friday, July 13th, at the Laemmle's Music Hall in Beverly Hills.

Documenting the life and legacy of Dr. Bronner, the film delves into the complicated issues he left behind. One surprising example: his son Ralph (now 68) spent much of his childhood in orphanages and foster homes, yet remains a staunch supporter of his father. Truth really is stranger than fiction.

So the question is, does any of this make me want to buy Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap? Well, after hearing this wild tale, I've got to try it!

Photo credit: www.magicsoapbox.com