I’ve always been kind of bothered by disposable razors. I mean, you use it a few times and then you just THROW IT AWAY. It’s absurd. What really pushed me over the edge, though, is when my husband tried the free Gillete Fusion we got in the mail and decided he really liked it. Yes, it worked nicely but the replacement cartridge heads? Cost a freaking fortune (around $25 for 8 heads). Shaving had suddenly become not only bad for the environment but ridiculously expensive, as well.

After succumbing to his pleas to buy the overpriced, ungreen foolishness a few times I decided there had to be a better alternative and I started looking at real razors like my dad used to use, also known as double edge safety razors. Usually made of stainless steel, chrome or nickel-plated brass, you use stainless steel blades that are generally inexpensive (and recyclable) and you DON’T need to replace the head or handle at all.

After much research, I settled on one and ordered it for my husband (it came with 100 blades) for $37 and change and guess what? HE LOVES IT. Even better? I love it—no more dull blades, no more throwing the whole thing away and no more buying new razor heads at an average price of $3 per head. And as an added bonus…my legs have never been smoother.

Find It Here: Amazon.com

What: Badger’s Winter Wonder Balm

Features: Natural ingredients (like essential oils, Eucalyptus, Rosemary and Peppermint) offer soothing time-tested relief from coughs, colds and congestion

Green Factor: Its USDA certified organic

Bonus: Can be used as a rub OR in a humidifier to help with cough and cold symptoms

Find It Here: Badger

Bath and beauty products that are made using all-natural ingredients and come in completely recycled packaging, from a company that doesn’t test on animals. That’s not too much to ask, now is it?

Not if you ask Danny Seo, whose line of organic skin care and body products, called wholearth, is chock full of goodness. Created by combining natural ingredients like juices and essential oils, beeswax and plain ol’ water, wholearth’s perfume spray and body specifics (such as wash, lotion, scrub and soufflé) are good for you and your bod, and our beloved Mother Earth.

What’s not in any of wholearth’s products is the bad stuff: parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, sodium laureth sulfates, aluminum and synthetic dyes, to name just a few. The list of harmful substances found in some of the bath and beauty products out there is long and hard to pronounce, whereas all of the additives used to make up wholearth’s delectable wares are USDA certified organic. Check their web site for a complete list of what goes in to their products, along with what, thankfully, doesn’t.

Find It Here: wholearth

My name is Janet and I’m a lip balm addict aficionado. My current balm of choice is the EOS (Evolution of Smooth) Smooth Sphere. Of course, I love it because it’s 100% natural with 95% organic ingredients but I also love it’s unique shape—inside it’s weirdly wonderful round case, the balm is shaped like an egg. Well, half an egg, actually, and applying it to my lips is oddly pleasant. In fact, I think I need some right now. Stop looking at me like that. I don’t have a problem. I can quit any time I want!

Find It Here: EOS

On Our Blog: One of the Easiest Ways to Go Green

When my daughter gets bitten by a mosquito, an angry red welt shows up on the surface of her skin within minutes. I’ve never seen anything quite like it – one minute she’s outside playing and the next, she’s close to tears because she’s dotted with big, itchy bumps. The bites swell up, turn a bright shade of crimson and last for days – there have been times when I’ve deliberately kept her out of the public eye, lest folks think she’s covered in chicken pox.

I’ve been using bug spray on her this summer – sparingly, mind you – but unfortunately, it really hasn’t given her much relief. I was just saying to my husband earlier this month that I wished there was a product I could use on her without feeling like I was dousing her with chemicals, and then I heard about Bug-it-Off – a natural, organic bug repellent from Greenerways Organic that’s safe for people (including pregnant women!), pets and the environment. Bug-it-Off is the first – and only – organic bug spray to hit the shelves, and I gotta say, it’s about time!

Bug-it-Off is a mixture of pure water and essential organic oils (citronella and cedarwood). There are no additional ingredients – no soaps, glycerine or alcohol will take away from the oils. Those ingredients are added separately to each bottle so that they maintain their purest state; the end result is a product that’s not only 100% organic bur also DEET-free!

Find It Here: Bug-it-Off

A clerk in a store today said “Oh, you’re all green and stuff, huh?” with just a hint of mockery in his 25 year old voice when I handed him my reusable bag. Granted, it was a thrift store. Maybe they don’t get a lot of reusable bag people in there. Whatever.

When my son was an infant, though, I sometimes got the same kind of reaction from other parents of babies when I mentioned organic foods or toxin-free baby products. I felt like shaking them and saying “WAKE UP! The world is a very toxic place and your baby is this precious, brand new little life. You need to be aware of these things.” But I didn’t want to be all preachy or make anyone feel like crap so I would just smile serenely and let it go. Well, these days I have this site and I can talk about organic and eco-friendly baby products as much as I want. WIN!

So… As you may have guessed, I love organic, non-toxic products and as I’ve mentioned before, Miessence makes some really great ones, even for babies. Free from phthalates, petroleum by-products, parabens, artificial preservatives, synthetic detergents, fragrance, allergens, semi-natural ingredients and certified organic, Miessence delivers some of the best baby products around and even it’s packaging is 100% recyclable.

If you haven’t tried Miessence for babies yet, you just may get your chance—ON US— because we’ve  partnered with Ely Organics to give away, to one randomly selected winner, a trio of Miessence certified organic baby wash, baby lotion and barrier balm (butt cream!)

Find It Here: Miessence

Win It: We’re giving away a set of Miessence certified organic baby wash, baby lotion and barrier balm). Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter MI08 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: Name three  of the “ingredients to avoid” found listed on the Ely Organics site. Enter by 8/18/09. $85 value. Open to residents of US and Canada. Winner to be notified by email. Contest Closed.

You like green stuff, right? Yeah, we knew that about you guys (we haz powers!) and that’s why we’ve partnered with Ecostore USA to give away a $25 gift certificate to one lucky reader. Ecostore USA carries plant and mineral-based, non-toxic personal care stuff, baby stuff, household stuff and pet stuff and and it’s all “super concentrated” so that a little bit goes a long way and saves you some of that other kind of green.

Find It Here: Ecostore USA

Win It: We’re giving away a $25 gift certificate to Ecostore USA. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter ECO5 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is the Ecostore USA slogan? Enter by 5/21/09. $25 value. Open to US and Canadian residents. Contest closed. Congratulations to Beth!

Of course, we dig everything we feature on this site but it occurred to me recently that I’ve never really written about the green products I use in my everyday life. Sooo…I thought that every now and then I could feature some of the things I really can’t live without because I love them THAT MUCH!

One thing I refuse to compromise on is my toothpaste. I won’t use any of the conventional brands anymore. Why? Because they have a lot of nasty chemicals in them that aren’t necessary to have clean, healthy teeth. My personal fave is Tom’s of Maine Natural Whole Care. We’ve been using it for about two years now and it does exactly what it’s supposed to do but without so much toxic junk in it. And it also tastes really good, thanks to actual spearmint and peppermint oils. Additionally, The Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database gives it a 1 out of 10 which means it’s regarded as “low hazard.” It does cost a little more but considering that we brush at least twice a day and it goes in our mouths, I’m willing to pay more for it. One way to save is to stock up when it’s on sale OR buy it in bulk on Amazon.com when it’s on sale and save BIG!

Find It Here: Tom’s of Maine

If you have a little girl, there’s a very good chance she’s already asked to have her nails painted—and if she hasn’t, you can bet she probably will at some point. The problem is that conventional nail polish is full of nasty toxic chemicals that can and DO find their way into the human body. Yuck! There’s nothing cute or glam about THAT! But rest assured that we’ve found an awesome alternative that’s water-based, non-flammable, odor-free and completely safe for your wee ones to wear on their nails. It’s Piggy Paint non-toxic, kid-friendly nail polish and it’s 100% free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, biphenyl A, ethyl acetate and acetone. As the Piggy Paint folks like to say…it’s as natural as mud (but comes in way better colors!)

Find It Here:  Piggy Paint

According to the Breast Cancer Fund’s Pure Prevention Campaign, only 1 and 10 women with breast cancer have a genetic history of the disease, and science increasingly points to radiation and harmful chemicals in our everyday environment as factors for the high rates of breast cancer. Yet some people are still not aware of the environmental links to this terrible disease. During the month of October, The Breast Cancer Fund is focusing its breast cancer awareness efforts on the importance of prevention by asking a simple question: What do chemicals (like those in some of our food, make-up and cleaning products) have to do with breast cancer? Visit the Pure Prevention Campaign to find the research behind this link and why prevention is so important. Then check out their 5 Tips for Prevention and help spread the word by sending an e-card to share simple, everyday prevention steps with your loved ones.

Take Action! Send a Breast Cancer Prevention E-Card

According to my son, bathtime is waaaay more fun when bubbles are involved. Unfortunately, I banned the bubbles for a long time because I was having a hard time finding a bubble bath that didn’t contain toxic ingredients. Then I stumbled upon Little Twig. Little Twig is this really fun line of children’s bath products that includes a bubble bath line without synthetic fragrances and artificial colors, which by the way, is totally hard to believe when you smell their Tangerine Bubble Bath. The scent is so yummy and fruity that is just doesn’t seem possible that it could not contain phthalates. But no! As confirmed with the company, none of their bubble bath products contain phthalates, parabens or sulfates. And for those with allergies, the Little Twig Extra Mild Unscented formula is also wheat, soy and nut free. And before you worry too much about the plastic bottle it comes in, Little Twig bottles are totally recyclable. They also donate a portion of their proceeds to the Everychild Foundation. But the best news for my kids is that bathtime is fun again thanks to Little Twig!

Find It Here: Cocotier Kids

Win It! We’re giving away a Little Twig Gentle Care Gift Pack worth $40! The pack includes unscented bubble bath, body milk, body wash and a ladybug washcloth. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “CK21” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite Little Twig product available from Cocotier Kids? U.S. and Canadian residents eligible. Enter by 8/14/08. Contest closed. Congrats, Lily K!

Some time ago I’d heard that it was common for fragrances to contain petrochemicals and other toxins but in my ignorance, I didn’t allow this bad news to tear me away from my beloved Angel by Thierry Mugler. It smelled so completely unique and delicious that you could instantly zero in on another Angel wearer in a crowd, inevitably leading to this total perfume bonding moment in which we would gush over our mutual love of the scent.

So…imagine my shock and dismay upon learning that my most favorite perfume ever is allegedly made with the same ingredients found in pesticides & chemicals that attack the eyes, skin, central and peripheral nervous systems, respiratory, hepatic, hematological & reproductive systems along with damage to the DNA of sperm in adult males.

In fact , a class action suit is being considered for Nordstrom employees who were unknowingly and continuously exposed to the aformentioned toxic chemicals while selling Angel. Oy. I guess it’s a good thing I could never afford to wear my most beloved scent every day (and now, of course, I don’t wear it at all). But what about your favorite fragrances — just how safe or dangerous are they?

Our hardworking friends over at the Environmental Working Group have made it easy peasy for you to find out by consulting the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. In fact, there’s a section just for fragrances for both women and men and a number of very popular ones received the highest ranking possible for toxicity. Lucky for all of us, there are a number of very safely rated scents also listed because seriously, we shouldn’t have to make ourselves sick just so we can smell nice.

Find It Here: EWG Fragrance Safety Ratings for Women and Men