Soft, Green Skin

I recently had to buy new facial moisturizer (it’s getting cold out now and it makes my skin dry), and I had a hell of a time trying to find something that wasn’t laden with carcinogens and other chemicals that are too hard to pronounce. In the end, I actually kind of failed and settled for a Body Shop moisturizer that has parabens in it (parabens are a nasty preservative and I’ve currently got them all over my face).

So you don’t fail like I did, I recommend using the Green Guide’s “Dirty Dozen” to learn about cosmetics ingredients you should avoid. The New York Times ran a good article about the green beauty industry today that you should check out, too. And here’s a list of brands that I like for their natural ingredients and high-quality products:

Dr. Bronner’s – best soaps ever – especially lavender and peppermint

Desert Essence – I like their shampoos, toothpaste (tea tree) and lotions

Burt’s Bees – good lip balms, lipsticks, body lotions

Tom’s of Maine – they’ve got great toothpaste and deodorant

Dr. Hauschka – pricey but really nice skin care (good for sensitive skin, too)