Preservative-free products

With the growth of Green as a lifestyle there's a trickle-down effect. Ten years ago I wrote a piece for CNN detailing the ins and outs of the organic label on food. Hard to believe now that it wasn't easy to find organic food or products outside of what we called a "health food store." Now I'm buying organic everything at my local supermarket. 

But back to the trickle-down idea. Originally you just had organic food, and you hoped the label meant something. But now there's a whole concept of Green that includes housing materials, for goodness' sake And jeans! The big blocks of how we live, really -- food, shelter, clothing. As for beauty products and skincare, there were hippie chicks who made their own face masks and scrubs, Laura-Ingalls style. And I do remember the occasional magazine article on beauty treatments you could make at home in Seventeen magazine, but not much more.

So it's interesting that there's been an explosion in beauty and skincare of natural products that you treat (significantly, I think) like food. You can't get away with a vague "herbal" label anymore. Take Boscia's skincare line: with no parabens (the usual suspect when you're preserving beauty products), it comes with a "use by" date. It's botanically-based, with no chemicals. What's not to like? But if you're like me you have loads of product in your bathroom cabinets.... so I tend to buy small amounts of these products so I use them within the expiration date. (Here's a link to a best-of-Boscia kit at Sephora.) 

What's your fave "natural" line of products?

Rock the (Natural) Vote

You know how it goes: you buy the yummy-smelling cream in the soothing green jar with artfully-illustrated botanicals. You get home, slather it on, and then check out the ingredients: petroleum, red dye #2, the blood of baby seals, etc.... Don't you wish there were a way to scope out products at a glance?

Here's your chance to cheer for a label designation that means something: Vote Natural. The official campaign is sponsored by Burt's Bees and the folks at the Natural Products Association. It's also endorsed by Julianne Moore, but you didn't need celeb cred, did you? Here's what you're voting for:

• The product must be made up of at least 95% truly natural ingredients, or ingredients that are derived from natural sources
• No ingredients with any potential suspected human health risks 
• No processes that significantly or adversely alter the purity/effect of the natural ingredients
• Ingredients that come from a purposeful, renewable/plentiful source found in nature (flora, fauna, mineral)
• Unnatural ingredients only when viable natural alternative ingredient are unavailable and only when there are absolutely no suspected potential human health risks

I'm a longtime fan of Burt's Bees products (especially their Baby Bee collection, which I use myself as well as put on my own two kids). But really this is about voting for an official seal of approval (much like the "organic" label for food) for personal care products that actually has enforceable statements behind it. Extra special goodies: Vote here and you could win a $500 worth of Burt's Bees products!