Dawn Helps Wildlife...?

[Miyu]

So Dawn dish soap has been doing this thing lately where they have "episodes" of a "documentary" as commercials. This series basically shows how different non-profits and volunteers use Dawn soap to help the environment. The seal pup one is adorable! But in the pelican "episode" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RPywjT_ASE), the Narrator (Rob Lowe) says how Dawn is used to clean oil spill from animals because it's the best there is. In the seal pup "episode" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArCltnFo6hk), they use it for cutting the massive amounts of salmon oil from the giant pots they use to make abandoned pups "fish milkshakes", because, again, it's the best.

I am very happy that Dawn is donating $1 million to two charities - I'm not sure if it means each gets half a million or not. But here's one thing: Why not more? For a large corporation, $1 million seems a little like a publicised tax write-off to me. Wouldn't such organizations get so much more work done with more donations from corporations and the uber-rich? Although I'm sure all the organizations Dawn worked with got a large supply of free dish soap :)

Now here's my big question - is it REALLY the best? I searched to see if it was biodegradeable, with different sources saying both yes and no on this. Dawn doesn't like to let anyone know the ingredients list, either, but they proudly claim that it contains no phosphates and that its surfactants are biodegradeable. Then I found this website (http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/2448-DawnUltraConcentratedDishwashingLiquidOriginal), and they have a wealth of information on the ingredients of Dawn, including:

"Top Scoring Factors: Poor disclosure; May contain ingredients with potential for acute aquatic toxicity; respiratory effects; nervous system effects"

Take a look at the ingredients list. Does the ocean need artificial blue dye, or fragrance?

Has any volunteer/non-profit group ever tried using something like Dr. Bronner's? It's my absolute favorite soap, made of all sorts of lovely natural, organic ingredients that DO biodegrade. My puppy loves it, and it's so gentle on her skin but I tell you, that stuff can cut through some dirt and grime! And I've watched some documentaries on Dr. Bronner's, and it seems that they still make it the old-fashioned way. They even encourage you to bring back your old containers to refill with more soap. Also, this stuff lasts for-freaking-ever! a $15 bottle can last us 6-8 months while being used for a myriad of things.

I think someone needs to do some tests to see if Dawn really IS the best for environmental uses, or if something like Dr. Bronner's might be more safe for the environment.

[Mermaid Cascada]

I agree. Maybe it's for publicity but then again maybe it's not.

[AniaR]

I have environmental illness, and Dove is one of the worst products. It makes me so sick, and has parabens, and in Canada it's made with BPA

[Mermaid Veruliya]

The company dove is just the worst. They're full of white supremacists and misogynists. And their products are full of chemicals that shed the skins natural oils.. I would hate to use that on an animal, they need theirs more than we do..

[PearlieMae]

Dawn works so well on cleaning up after oil spills because it, too, contains petroleum products. They don't want you to know that. I have a link on my computer at work. I'll post it tomorrow.

Dove, with it's "real beauty" campaign is also made by the same company that makes Axe. That should tell you something right there.

[Mermaid Varshana]

Advertisers are full of lies. I would approach anything that wants your money with utmost skepticism.

[Miyu]

Cool, so it's not just me being weird :P

I'm very sensitive to chemicals, there are only a few soaps I can use regularly, and I always tend to fall back on Bronner's. I *know* what all the ingredients in that are, and realistically, I could make it at home if I felt like it. Not so with Dawn.

ugh, Ivory. They said it was the gentlest, it is NOT. peeled layers of my skin off once with dove and a rough washcloth :( And seriously, it's the same company as Axe? I freaking hate Axe with the firey passion of a thousand burning stars. "real beauty" grumblegrumble

Pearlie Mae, I'd like to see it :)

My puppy loves Bronner's. She used to wiggle and squirm and do anything to get out of a bath, and now, she's not exactly super-relaxed or anything, but she sits there and takes it and enjoys the nice soapy massage (though she won't admit it). I think maybe the scent we use - lavender - probably helps. Her coat used to be dull and she had dandruff, now she's all super-shiny and soft :) Got the closed-minded cousins of the BF to like it, we're getting a gallon now :) So after all the Dawn is used up, there will still be plenty of Bronner's, and I may just stop getting Dawn.

Maybe I should start a kickstarter campaign to buy a whole lot of gallons of this stuff to donate to organizations? I mean, it could last them AGES really...