Though the US may not regulate the cosmetics industry as rigorously as Europe, things are moving in the right direction.  On November 5th the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) voted 12 to 1 in favor of heavier scrutiny by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) when it comes to organic labeling by personal care product manufacturers, holding them to the same guidelines as food producers.

The USDA holds strict standards for organic food products but up to this point cosmetics and personal care products have been very loosely regulated in the US.  The new recommendation will require cosmetic manufacturers who use the term “organic” on their labels to either meet certain requirements, reformulate products that do not meet these requirements or cease use of the organic labeling.

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The perfect cosmetic product is conveniently packaged, versatile, comes in a variety of gorgeous colors and, of course, is good for you and your skin.  Well, Revolution Organics has created such a creature with their Freedom Collection.

Beauty Balms ($33.95) are creamy colors that come in a a sleek twist-up tube (easily tote-able) and are made with good-for-skin ingredients, like olive oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil and aloe vera.  All are 100% natural and made with 85% certified organic ingredients and mineral-based pigments and packaged in recyclable material. (more…)

Switching to nontoxic skin care, body care, even makeup is easy enough.  With plenty of truly exceptional all natural product lines on the market today, you can swap out your moisturizer, body wash and mascara with no trouble at all.  But, when it comes to hair care, it can get a little more difficult.  In the past, few natural hair care lines lived up to the performance of their conventional, toxin-laden counterparts.  These au naturel shampoos and conditioners left hair waxy, stringy and feeling a little bit like straw.  Something their chemical cousins combat with harsh synthetic detertgents (like, sodium laurel sulfate), propylene glycol and silicones.  What is a girl (or boy) who wants silky hair without the chems to do?

Rare El’ements Salon Inspired Eco-Luxury Hair Care has totally taken care of this problem.  Not only does this indulgent hair care system leave hair strong, silky and smooth, but also helps to protect color.  Amazing!

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Photo credit: schoschie

You know there are certain ingredients that you don’t want in your cosmetic products.  But you may not know all of the name variations or even exactly why certain ingredients are harmful.

Well, leave it to Stephanie Greenwood at Bubble & Bee Organic to come up with an easy, convenient and (even) fun way to keep you in the know on toxic ingredient education.  With “Today’s Chemical” (Stephanie’s new chemical ingredient education service) you can ask a question about toxic ingredients in cosmetics, learn about chemicals and get recipes for homemade beauty products. (more…)

Photo credit: Unhindered by Talent

Okay, so the economy is bad.  And, yes, we have all had to make changes and/or sacrifices in the name of saving a buck.  But can this whole mess be put to good use?  Yes it can!  While you are already watching your spending closely, try keeping an eye on what you buy and not just how much it costs.

We can blame the big corporations for getting us into this economic mess and much of it may be deserved, but we the people are out there buying stuff up, so let’s make it count.  We are still a capitalist country and true to this is supply and demand.  We buy it, they keep making it.  If we buy cheaply made, toxic-laden products, that is what the big companies will make.  If we purchase nontoxic, safe products made with pure ingredients, the makers of these products will keep making them.  Not only that, but the producers of organic, wild-crafted and natural ingredients will have to make more of them which is not only good for us but for the planet as a whole. (more…)

Want a super cool summer treat for your lips?  eos lip balms are the way to go.  These cute and colorfully packaged balms come in traditional sticks and the highly innovative spheres, a variety of flavors and all are USDA Certified Organic and all natural.

Made with vitamin E, shea butter and jojoba oil to keep lips super soft and smooth, the balms are free from harmful ingredients, like petrolatum and parabens. 

Lip balm smooth spheres come in honeysuckle honeydew, summer fruit and sweet mint flavors. Lip balm smooth sticks offer vanilla bean, pomegranate raspberry and sweet mint flavors.  A pleasure to use and the cool, modern design makes them kid-friendly too. (more…)

PETA, an animal rights organization based in USA, has named this year’s “Sexiest Vegetarians Next Door“. Over 200,000 people took part in the voting process which involved 32 finalists. The voters selected Amber, from Minnesota, and Monty, from California, as the “world’s sexiest vegetarians”. They both win a free trip for two to Hawaii.

If you are interested the PETA Files blog has an interview with the two finalists.

Maybe it’s just me. But how does a contest like this help an animal rights groups cause?

It is definitely time to get the sunscreen out, but with so many chemical and not-so-natural versions on the market it can be very difficult to choose one that is safe.  In the past natural sunscreen product manufacturers used zinc oxide to provide UV protection.  And though it is safe and effective, it leaves behind that ghostly white skin we all wish to avoid.  So the next scientific breakthrough was the use of nanotechnology, the creation of incredibly small particles — measured in nanometers (nm), or one-billionth of a meter. This took care of the white film, but recent evidence shows that these nanoparticles may pose risks to the environment.  Not a great trade-off.

Not to despair, there are some terrific sunscreen products on the market that are safe, effective, free from nanos and leave your skin, well – skin colored.  Vivesana is a new product line that presents major breakthroughs in organic sun care.  The products are free from harmful synthetic ingredients, nanoparticles and even water, providing a stronger sun product.

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Aromatherapy is one truly beneficial indulgence most of us don’t make time for.  Afterall, you do have to know what you are doing, like which essential oils work  for what ailment, how to mix and use them and which to stay away from.  Essentials oils are very potent and it is not wise to throw caution to the wind when using them, as some are skin irritants and over doing it can be toxic.  That said, the right ones can go a long way toward good physical and mental health.

Nuworld Botanicals has come to our aromatherapy rescue with Aromatherapy Personals, little rollerball vials that combine aromatherapy and acupressure, along with health benefits of antioxidants, vitamins and 100% certified organic essential oils.  Nuworld Botanicals uses a base of 100% certified organic Jojoba oil to dilute the essential oils for safe use. (more…)

With the social season picking up again, you are probably looking to add something cute to your wardrobe.  A pretty dress in a fresh color adds splash and is a great go-to piece.  Lara Miller has some of the cutest for the season.

Lara Miller, Chicago eco-designer, designs clothing for women that is not only sweet and lovely, but ultra wearable…the perfect combo.  Her tops, dresses and skirts for spring are made from an organic bamboo and cotton blend for maximum comfort and, better still, are machine washable.  Each piece, angular in construction, seems to meld to the body in flowy femininity. 

NIMLI offers several items from the Lara Miller Spring Collection like the clean and simple Frances Dress and the spectacular Tiered Ronnie Dress (shown at right).  Choose a modern neutral (iron) or juicy color (raspberry). (more…)