Note, 7/13: Over the last couple of years, I’ve been gradually greening my lifestyle on a budget. I’d intended to do a series on greening different areas of your life, but since I posted this last month, I’ve realized how challenging it can be to evaluate how green a product actually is. I searched the Skin Deep cosmetics database evaluates how toxic the ingredients are to the body, and how easily they’re absorbed through the skin. I also searched Good Guide, which evaluates the performance of products based on health, environmental, and social impact (including a company’s business practices). Note that a high rating on Skin Deep is negative and a high rating on Good Guide is positive.

While it may be hard to definitively say how green a product is, the most thing is to raise the question every time you shop. Read labels, do research if you can, shop with merchants you trust, and have a general awareness about buying products that are as natural as possible and do whatever is manageable for you.

The motto of Heather Loraine cosmetics is “If you wouldn’t put it in your body, don’t put it on your body.” While I’m not taking this advice literally (you can apply some things topically that you shouldn’t ingest), I’ve adopted it as a general guideline. As my non-natural self-care products run out, I’m replacing them with a natural alternative. It’s not nearly as expensive or labor-intensive as you might think. To find products, I usually scope out the beauty section at the local natural foods market, ask friends’ advice (Facebook is a good polling tool), or search online for natural remedies. The key is taking baby steps so as not to get overwhelmed or go broke.

Avoiding petroleum-based products is my priority, because they’ve been linked to a whole host of health problems. Petroleum-based moisturizers, such as mineral oils, actually clog the pores and interfere with your body’s natural moisturizing ability. According to ecogreenbeauty.com, a petroleum-derived product “creates the very conditions it claims to alleviate.” Isopropyl alcohols also dry the skin and let microbes enter the blood, opening the body to infection. Parabens mimic estrogen and have been linked to breast cancer. If you need more convincing, skim Consumer Health Digest’s Looks to Die For. Eek.

The recent “greenwashing” of mainstream beauty products is misleading and insidious. Just because a product contains natural ingredients or scents doesn’t mean it doesn’t have toxic ones as well, or that the natural ingredients themselves aren’t toxic (arsenic, for example, is naturally occurring). “Organic” doesn’t mean as much as it should these days, so look for the green USDA certified label (see recommended brands here). Read the ingredients before you buy, or search an online database like Skin Deep.

Here are the natural products I’ve been using lately:

Body wash: I’d heard that Dr. Bronner’s castille soap was of high quality and had many uses, but I just tried it recently. For $10, Darren and I got a 32 ounce bottle that I’d estimate will last us three to four months. We use an empty hand soap container as a dispenser, because the liquid comes out of the big bottle quickly, and it’s clunky to invert. Some of the scent options are funky, but the almond smells awesome. The soap has many common uses, including laundry and pet washing. I found it too thin for washing hands and not sudsy enough for dishes, but it does the job for both. Ignore the religious rantings on the label; Dr. Bronner himself was a harmless, wealthy eccentric who was zealous about world peace.

Insect bite remedies: It’s getting to that time of year when I’m attacked by mosquitoes, and the southern variety has taken a special liking to me. I’m looking into natural ways to prevent being bitten (e.g. eat garlic), but for now I’m trying to soothe the nine bites on my legs so I don’t have to resort to amputation to preserve my sanity. I used to depend on Caladryl, but this week I’ve tried a few friend-recommended natural remedies. Aloe vera (the plant was maybe $4 and hardly needs any maintenance), baking soda-water paste (kind of crusty), and vinegar (the smell fades) all relieved the itching temporarily, as did ice. A dab of toothpaste stayed sticky all day but seemed to give me the longest relief. Other friends recommended rubbing alcohol or tea tree oil. The swelling hasn’t gone down, but at least I’m not scratching like a crazywoman anymore.

Makeup: Natural makeup tends to be a bit expensive and doesn’t always work as well as I’d like, so I find what works for me by trial and error. For example, I’m still looking for a mineral foundation that has good coverage. I use Mineral Fusion pressed powder but found their foundation too sheer. For mascara and concealer, I’m trying out the Gabriel line available at Whole Foods, and I like it so far. Instead of buying makeup remover, I use a bit of almond oil (olive oil would work just as well). I’m working up to natural eyeshadow and eyeliner, because it’s all pretty pricey and I don’t wear it every day. For now, I’m making do with mainstream products, including a couple expensive ones that I bought at Sephora.

Turns out, the Earth Science moisturizer pictured above gets average to low ratings on Skin Deep and Good Guide. Although the product works well for my skin, I will buy a different brand next time I shop. If you do buy Earth Science, buy products without fragrance or sunscreen.

Deodorant: Ever since I learned that the aluminum in regular deodorant has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer, I’ve been on a quest to find a natural deodorant that actually works. I’ll use pore-blocking anti-perspirant when absolutely necessary (e.g. a fancy event), but I avoid it for daily use. Sweating gets toxins out of your body, and you don’t want to keep them in. My favorite deodorant is Crystal, which comes in dry stick form — which lasts for at least a year — and the more convenient roll-on. I used to combine it with scented Avalon Organics roll-on. I’ve found that, as my former acupuncturist predicted, as my body has gotten more balanced, I’ve had less of a need for deodorant. I’m also Asian, though, and we don’t sweat much.

Hand soap and lotion: I love the Nature’s Gate brand. It’s paraben free and is available in unisex scents, which makes Darren happy because he’s not so keen on smelling like pomegranate or mango. The soap cost us around $4 and the lotion around $6, comparable to non-natural brands. The lotion works as well for me as Curel, my previous brand of choice.

The jury’s out on Nature’s Gate products. Skin Deep gives it moderate ratings (it found low levels of the contaminant 1,4-dioxane in its Coming Clean study last year), and Good Guide gives it high ones. I like the quality, variety, and reasonable price of the products, so I plan to keep my eye on the company.

Toothpaste: With makeup and deodorant, you may argue that the natural versions don’t work as well as the chemical versions, but toothpaste is toothpaste. It’s mostly the brushing action that cleans the teeth. If you don’t like the baking soda taste, Tom’s makes a bunch of different flavors, from traditional peppermint to cinnamon and even fennel (licorice). It’s priced well, too, a little over $5 and even less at Trader Joe’s.

Skin Deep gives Tom’s of Maine toothpaste decent ratings, and Good Guide gives it high ones.

Shampoo and conditioner. Again, Nature’s Gate comes through. These were the cheapest of the natural bunch, are paraben-free, and have a gender-neutral fragrance. They’re mild and work as well on my hair as the fancy pants brands I used to buy from the salon at $25 and upward per bottle.

Nature’s Gate shampoos rate moderately with Skin Deep and Good Guide, about the same as Pantene shampoos.

Shaving cream. Oh, Trader Joe’s, how I miss you. You sell such cheap natural shaving cream. I stocked up on the paraben-free, good-but-girly smelling stuff before I left California. Dr. Bronner’s also sells a shaving soap, but I think it’s made for guys. To reduce waste, avoid disposable razors and instead use a sturdy razor with replaceable head, or an electric one (they come in wet/dry versions).

Blemish sticks. Straight tea tree oil is harsh to apply directly to pimples, so Desert Essence dilutes it into a formula (available and reasonably priced at Trader Joe’s). Burt’s Bees makes one from various essential oils, and the solution smells like fennel oil. Both seem to work fairly well, drying out blemishes in a day or so. A dab of toothpaste works pretty well for the same purpose, and aloe vera is supposed to help, too.

Burt’s Bees and Desert Essence blemish sticks both have a Skin Deep rating of 1 of 10 (low hazard) and score well on Good Guide.

Chapstick, lipstick, and gloss. Lip products that contain petroleum-based products like paraffin don’t let the skin breathe, drying it out. You probably don’t want to eat petroleum, either. Burt’s Bees chapsticks use beeswax instead, and other brands use Shea Butter. FYI, Burt’s Bees weatherproofing lip balm heals cracked lips, but it also turns them a corpse-like shade of white-purple. If you’re a DIY person, you can make your own lip balm.

Burt’s Bees lip products have a Skin Deep rating of 1-2 of 10 (low hazard) and score well on Good Guide.

Lady products. I’ll spare you an in-depth discussion of feminine products, but the mainstream brands are bleached with chlorine, a toxic chemical that you most certainly don’t want all up in your lady business. Natracare, Organic Essentials (Trader Joe’s carries them), and Seventh Generation are good chlorine-free brands. A couple of friends of mine have opted successfully for the more environmentally friendly Diva Cup or The Keeper. Might sketch you out at first, but they are significantly cheaper in the long run and reduce landfill in a big way.

Natracare and Organic Essentials aren’t in the Skin Deep database, but Seventh Generation products have an average rating of 2 of 10 (low hazard). Natracare scores well on Good Guide.

To the left are examples of misleading “natural” products that I bought without thoroughly reading the labels. Shikai bath gel smells amazing, but it contains parabens. So does Zia foundation and Jane mineral eyeshadow.

I’ll soon be in the market for a natural facial cleanser, because my Clinique mild facial soap is running out. I avoid harsh cleansers like those containing salicylic acid, which counter-productively make me break out. I’m also on a quest for natural sunscreen and insect repellent, because the regular versions have especially toxic ingredients like titanium dioxide and DEET. Any suggestions?

Clinique mild facial bar soap has a Skin Deep rating of 3 of 10 (moderate hazard).

Where to get these products: You can now buy a lot of these brands, like Burt’s Bees and Tom’s of Maine, at mainstream drugstores. Trader Joe’s has a small but mighty selection of self-care products. Buy an aloe plant at a local plant nursery, and the vinegar and baking soda at the grocery store. Find the cosmetics and Dr. Bronner’s soap at your local natural foods market, or order them online.

Your Two Cents: Leave a Comment!

How have you greened your self-care routine, or how would you like to? What natural products do you recommend?

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