I love energizing natural lip balms, but sometimes it's difficult to find a blend that isn't irritating to sensitive lips. When your lips are cracked and dry, it's counterintuitive to slather on invigorating natural lip balm that could end up stinging your kisser!

Refreshing yet understated, Prairie Essence Herbal Garden Lip Balm is the perfect blend of rosemary, shea butter, sweet almond oil and cocoa seed butter; the moisturizing oils and butter balance the woody, fragrant, stimulating rosemary while still allowing it to tingle your lips for a quick pick-me-up. Rosemary, which is part of the mint family, is an easy choice for natural lip balms; rosemary is a natural disinfectant and helps clear bad breath. This doesn't give you free reign to lick your lips all day (tempting!), but the slight scent of rosemary lips complements fresh breath.

Prairie Essence Herbal Garden Lip Balm is packed with natural moisturizers and invigorating rosemary essential oils. Photo Courtesy Prairie Essence.

Prairie Essence Herbal Garden Lip Balm's main moisturizing ingredient is beeswax. Beeswax is a natural moisturizer that adds body and thickness to lip balms without being overly oily or slick. In addition to beeswax, Prairie Essence Herbal Garden Lip Balm combines shea butter for extra skin-penetrating moisture; sweet almond oil for added vitamins A, B1, B2 and E; and cocoa seed butter for free radical-fighting antioxidants.

Prairie Essence Herbal Garden Lip Balm is smooth and uber-moisturizing, but has a thicker consistency, similar to a salve, that feels good on super-chapped lips. Compared to most natural lip balms, Prairie Essence Herbal Garden Lip Balm has a less sticky feel and a longer staying power (even though I still reach for this natural lip balm every hour—I love the feel of this one!).

Prairie Essence has a firm commitment to sourcing only the best eco-friendly ingredients. Prairie Essence Herbal Garden Lip Balm (as well as other Prairie Essence natural beauty products) contains no petroleum, artificial dyes or colors, parabens, formaldehyde donors or urea-based preservatives. For a natural lip balm, Prairie Essence Herbal Garden Lip Balm has a reasonable price point—$3 for a 0.15-ounce tube—and is available online and in small retailers in Minnesota.

A certain air of nostalgia surrounds baby’s first bath. Finding the best, mildest wash for baby’s delicate skin is a top priority—one that should go hand-in-hand with finding the most natural blend of ingredients.

Johnson’s Natural Head-To-Toe Foaming Baby Wash has an impressive blend of low-hazard ingredients, 98 percent of which are derived from coconut, palm and sugarcane, to keep bath time simple and sweet. Johnson’s Natural Head-To-Toe Foaming Baby Wash lathers gently and rinses off easily, and the product is housed in a convenient, number 2 HDPE, 60 percent post-consumer recycled content bottle.

Johnson's Natural Head-To-Toe Foaming Baby Wash suggested retail cost is $4.59 for 9 ounces and $6.49 for 18 ounces. Photo Courtesy Johnson's Natural.

Check out the ingredients list (which is listed in full on the product label) and each ingredient’s corresponding toxicity rating, according to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. The ingredients are listed in the order in which they appear on the label. A general rule to remember is the first few ingredients of a product is what the bulk of the product consists of; the last few ingredients are usually present in trace amounts (though that is not to say that their presence should go unnoticed!).

Johnson’s Natural Head-To-Toe Foaming Baby Wash

• Water (0)
• Decyl Glucoside (0)
• Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate (0)
• Cocogylcerides (0)
• Sodium Coco-Sulfate (0)
• Coco-Glucoside (0)
• Glyceryl Oleate (1)
• Sodium Benzoate (2)
• Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose (0)
• Xanthan Gum (0)
• Fragrance (8)
• Citric Acid (2)
• Sodium Hydroxide (3)

We’re becoming savvier about what kinds of ingredients lurk in our everyday personal-care products. Of the ones that Johnson’s uses in its Natural Head-To-Toe Foaming Baby Wash, the one you and I are most concerned about is “fragrance,” which we know means nothing yet means everything. Fragrance, unless specifically listed as “certified organic fragrance from pure essential oils” is a catch-all phrase that can include traces of lab-created, petroleum-derived ingredients.

In Johnson’s case, fragrance could refer to the company’s patented ALLERFREE allergen-free fragrance, which the company says is created from naturally derived components. Johnson’s developed ALLERFREE fragrance to be absent of irritants. Johnson’s opted not to use essential oils (and promotes this on the Johnson’s Natural labeling, alongside the phrases “paraben-free,” “dye-free” and “allergy tested”) because of the concentrated nature of essential oils. Pure, undiluted essential oils can be extremely harsh on the skin and can cause allergic reactions and irritation (I have had a few painful experiences with peppermint oil on freshly tweezed eyebrows!); imagine this level of power on fragile baby skin. To dilute essential oils, a solvent—such as alcohol (a no-no for delicate skin as it is very drying) or oils (coconut, jojoba and olive are all great, natural oils to use with essential oils)—is necessary. But, if offering a small amount of a diluted essential oil alleviates Johnson’s Natural Head-To-Toe Foaming Baby Wash from having any ingredients that fall into the Environmental Working Group’s “high hazard” toxicity level while maintaining Johnson’s standards of using ingredients that cause zero reactions, it could be worth the research dollars and time for Johnson’s to invest—and please both “light green” moms and “dark green” moms.

What do you think about the ingredients in Johnson’s Natural Head-To-Toe Foaming Baby Wash? How closely do you screen personal- and baby-care product ingredients before purchasing them? Leave me a comment and let me know!

It’s getting warmer, and I’m beginning to add capris and dresses back into my daily wardrobe. Though my legs haven’t seen much sunlight (it was a harsh Kansas winter—and even on the first weekend of spring, it snowed!), I haven’t forgotten about them. To get my legs ready to see the light of day again, I’ve been using Ec-Oooh-Chic by Ooohlala Organic Shea Butter and White Tea Shave Cream.

Ec-Oooh-Chic by Ooohlala Organic Shea Butter and White Tea Shave Cream costs $24 for a 4.5-ounce tub. Photo Courtesy Ec-Oooh-Chic by Ooohlala 

Ec-Oooh-Chic by Ooohlala Organic Shea Butter and White Tea Shave Cream is a rich shea butter cream that features aloe vera, sunflower, green tea, white tea, marshmallow root, oat, chamomile, lavender, sweet almond, comfrey, clover and vitamins A, D and E. Even though it contains all these essential moisturizers, Ec-Oooh-Chic by Ooohlala Organic Shea Butter and White Tea Shave Cream is fragrance-free! It provides a thick, moisturizing layer of protection between your skin and your razor and delivers soothing moisture and bump-protection.

While Ec-Oooh-Chic by Ooohlala Organic Shea Butter and White Tea Shave Cream is uber-moisturizing and leaves skin super-soft, I always follow up with a layer of either moisturizing oil or light lotion. Ec-Oooh-Chic by Ooohlala also makes terrific body lotion!

What shave creams, soaps or gels do you use? Leave me a comment in the comments section.

While I'm usually pretty healthy and rarely suffer from head pain, when I do get a headache, it's always piercing and intolerable. My "goodie drawer" at work is stashed with vitamins, lotion, medicine and any other I-live-at-my-desk essential to handle those days when I feel a little under the weather; now, I can add another essential to it: Badger Headache Soother Mind Balm.

Badger Headache Soother Mind Balm is available online and at major natural retailers nationwide. Photo Courtesy Badger.

Through the power of aromatherapy, Badger Headache Soother Mind Balm helps clear sinuses with eucalyptus and peppermint oils while calming your senses with a light touch of lavender. Simply rub the balm on your temples, sinuses and anywhere else you feel a little tense; breathe in the invigorating aroma, and relax.

Sounds good, right?

While I still may pop an ibuprofen, Badger Headache Soother Mind Balm definitely helps put me at ease. The cool, minty spots on my temples have a therapeutic effect on my mind.

All Badger Mind Balms are USDA-certified organic, cost $8 and come in 1-ounce tins. I bet this tin will last at least a year; you don't need a whole lot of balm to hit the right spots to get that bad headache away.

If you aren't a habitual headache sufferer (or you aren't surrounded by people who may need some headache relief), check out Badger Mind Balms in Stress Soother (who doesn't need that?!), Clear Mind Balm, Cheerful Mind Balm and Yoga & Meditation Mind Balm.

Do you have any go-to remedies for headaches or other minor pain/irritation? Leave me a comment and tell me about it.

It’s been a stressful few months. With the holidays, travel and decorating Blair House and the State Department in D.C., I’ve taken a break from my blog—but not from my skincare routine! I have a boatload of new products to tell you about, so I thought I’d start with one that I use every morning. 

For the past month I’ve been lathering up with a fun new foaming body wash. HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury Rosemary and Clary Sage Body Wash is made with certified organic essential oils and is packaged in a convenient pump bottle which makes lathering up super-easy. HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury Rosemary and Clary Sage Body Wash leaves winter skin gently cleansed and hydrated. It's made with a generous helping of organic coconut oil, which slides seamlessly onto your skin and leaves a light, pleasant scent.

Purchase 8.5 ounces of HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury Clary Sage Body Wash for $17. Photo Courtesy HollyBeth's Natural Luxury.

HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury Clary Sage Body Wash is made without artificial colors, fragrances, preservatives, parabens or sulfates and is suitable for vegans. Just be sure to recycle the plastic container when you're finished with the body wash!

Besides producing a great body wash, HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury supports philanthropic efforts, including breast cancer research, the Atlanta pet rescue, United Methodist Children’s Home and many more. HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury is also a member of the Organic Trade Association and is a signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. 

If you’re curious about other great HollyBeth products, check out Butterfly Lip Nectar (it’s out of stock right now—that’s how awesome it is!) and Marigold, Sandalwood and Grapefruit Organic Cleanser. 

I've spent most of the summer poolside, and the sun and chlorinated pool water have not been nice to my skin. To combat dryness, I've been moisturizing with Garden of Eve Hand and Body Cream for the past few weeks—it's the perfect after-sun, natural lotion because it's light yet it really sinks into your skin to deliver much-needed after-sun moisture.

Garden of Eve is a small, Virginia-based natural cosmetics company founded in 2003 by health consultant Eve Stahl. Garden of Eve offers natural personal-care products that are free of parabens, phthalates and other synthetic ingredients. Committed to safe personal-care products, Garden of Eve is a member of the Green Products Alliance, American Botanical Council, is a signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and is Green America-approved. Garden of Eve products are also cruelty-free. Not every natural beauty company has those kinds of green beauty credentials!

Peace & Calm lotion is light and luxurious on your skin. Photo Courtesy Garden of Eve.

Garden of Eve offers 10 natural lotions and creams for all of your needs and tastes. I tested eight different hand and body creams (packaged beautifully in a fair-trade, bamboo-woven box), but my favorite was Peace & Calm Hand and Body Cream. It blends the essential oils of blue tansy, tangerine, orange, ylang ylang and patchouli with a hydrating base made of organic coconut oil, organic beeswax and vegetable glycerin. All of the hand and body creams slide onto and blend seamlessly into your skin. These natural lotions are great on hands, elbows, knees and other rough spots. Your skin is left feeling smooth, nourished and hydrated—but never greasy.

Try eight different natural lotions in the hand and body sampler kit. Photo Courtesy Garden of Eve.

A 3-ounce pump bottle of natural lotion costs $30. The hand and body sampler kit, which contains eight 0.3-ounce jars of hand creams, costs $37. While the prices are a little steep, keep in mind that you're also paying for the guarantee of natural, organic ingredients for your sun-beaten skin. I'm willing to shell out a little extra for natural beauty products that carry those kinds of green beauty credentials.

I’m continuing my search for the best natural shampoos. I’ve been using Eco Nature Care Natural Hair and Body Wash this week. 

Eco Nature Care natural shampoo appeals to the masses and is priced accordingly—$10.99 for 10 ounces. Photo Courtesy Eco Nature Care.

Eco Nature Care’s packaging is neat. This natural shampoo is housed in a thick aluminum, cap-topped container that adds an industrial look to your shower. The labeling is thorough, though the type is tiny. I appreciate Eco Nature Care’s willingness to list all ingredients on the label. 

While I admire the sleek design of the container, I do find the material choice inconvenient because this thick aluminum container is not squeezable—how will I get the natural shampoo out of the bottle when it’s running low? This also isn’t a container that is conducive to storing upside-down to let the natural shampoo slide to the opening for easy dispersal. The twist-off cap is a nuisance to me—it may seem hypercritical or lazy, but a pump would be more convenient than a twist-off cap. But, as Eco Nature Care points out on its website, pump tops are difficult to recycle, and making a product in easy-to-recycle material from top-to-bottom is more beneficial to the earth.

Eco Nature Care’s natural shampoo formula is pure. Eco Nature Care pledges that its products contain no parabens, phthalates, SLS or petroleum-based ingredients (what we like to call “the bad stuff").

“Natural aroma” is low on the ingredients list. This “natural aroma” consists of benzyl alcohol, limonene, citronellol, geraniol, linalool and citral. Benzyl alcohol is linked to allergy concerns and is a common ingredient in hair color, mascara and shampoo. It has a “high hazard” score of 7 from the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. (The EWG also scores products as a whole, but Eco Nature Care has not yet been submitted for review.)

Though this is shocking, Eco Nature Care makes no attempt to mask this—the ingredients that are potential allergens are marked with an asterisk. The other ingredients in the “natural aroma” are perfuming agents that may irritate sensitive skin. Use caution when considering products that contain perfumes and fragrances, but remember, even natural and organic essential oils can be irritating—and the ingredients in this “natural aroma” may occur naturally in essential oils.

Eco Nature Care has a convenient ingredients list and descriptions online that details possibly irritants. Eco Nature Care points out that benzyl alcohol is on the UK Soil Association’s list of preservatives approved for use in organic cosmetics. (Check out the Soil Association’s list of non-organic health and beauty ingredients to get an idea of what ingredients to avoid.)

Overall, I think Eco Nature Care Natural Hair and Body Wash is a good, green product for a new company (founded in 2008). This company’s puts the health of the planet and the consumers first.

How do you choose your natural beauty products? What ingredients are you allergic to? Tell me your standards for evaluating personal-care products.

Everyone needs balance in life. Whether or not scent plays a role in keeping you calm and balanced is for you to decide, but when I get a whiff of Golden Earth Chakra Wellness Therapy Roll Ons, I feel relaxed by the light, airy aroma.

 
Golden Earth chakra oils come in seven exotic infusions. Photo Courtesy Golden Earth.

I'm currently using chakra oil 4, which is supposed to inspire love and balance. The lovely essential oils of jojoba, rose, neroli and passion fruit make up this organic blend that is reminiscent of my childhood backyard: magnolias, fresh cut grass and honeysuckles. I was drawn to this chakra oil because of the light, homey scent and the idea of positive energies of balance, comfort and healthy relationships flowing to my heart. Who wouldn't want that?

Chakra oil 4 inspires love and balance to the heart chakra. Photo Courtesy Golden Earth.

Golden Earth Chakra Wellness Therapy Roll Ons are $24 for 1/8 ounce. The roll ons are made in the U.S. and the company is Coop America-approved. Golden Earth is also a member of the Green Products Alliance and is a signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

Do you believe in the curative effects of essential and chakra oils? How do you use them? Leave a comment and let me know your favorite scents.

It's interesting how this is changing. We are going back to basics again: growing our own food, shopping locally and (aha!) mixing up our own beauty concoctions. In an effort to save a little and feed my skin a lot, I've been playing around in the kitchen some more. Here are my top three tips for detoxifying home beauty treats you can whip up in no time.

Nail Nourisher
Break out the olive oil, friends. This rich oil is loaded with moisturizing and skin soothing properties.

Fill a shot glass half full with olive oil. Dip a cotton ball or cotton swab into the olive oil and smooth it onto your cuticles and nailbeds (don't forget your toes!). This will soften your cuticles and prevent them from getting hangnail-ish or irritated.

Use a wash cloth and gently push back your cuticles, but do not cut them with a cuticle trimmer! Your cuticles are there to protect you from bacteria, and removing them heightens germs' chances of getting into your system.

If you have any olive oil remaining, keep it to use on the ends of your hair to soften and seal split ends (just make sure to rinse throroughly with cold water!).

Mini Facial
All you need is a mixing bowl, hot water and a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to get a fresh, steam cleaning for your face.

Fill a large mixing bowl with hot water. Quickly add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil (I like tea tree) to the water. Grab a towel big enough to drape over your head and the bowl. Put your face (if you have long hair, pull it back into a ponytail and use a headband) over the bowl, about 2 inches away to avoid scalding, and drape the towel over your head to trap the heat. Relax, and breathe in the calming or invigorating scents of the hot oils. The steam helps open up pores, and the essential oils are comforting for your senses. Stay under for about 5-10 minutes, then come up for fresh air. Blot your skin with the towel, and enjoy your freshly steamed, flushed face! Remember, reuse the water in your garden.

Natural Hair Rinse
If you have product buildup in your hair, strip it clean of its commercial toxins with our favorite cleaning product: vinegar!

We've all hailed the cleaning powers of vinegar time and time again, but did you know it works wonders on your hair, too? There's no special recipe for this hair detox, so simply mix one part vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar) with one or two parts warm water. At the end of your shower, pour the mix over your hair. Done! You should notice instant shine and bounciness.

What are your natural beauty secrets? Share them with other users here! The commenter with the best, most unusual beauty tips will receive an organic cotton Natural Home tote bag!

I am not a morning person. Never have been, never will be. 

My coworkers and I were talking about how we can be more efficient in the morning, so that we make it to our daily carpool on time (which never happens often). 

The first idea was to shower at night so we can get up and go in the morning. 

This will never happen, either. My morning shower is my wake-up call, and I look forward to it (minus the whole waking up part). 

Now, when I get in the shower, I also look forward to washing up with Kathy’s Family “Early To Rise” citrus body wash gel. I’ve tried many citrus- or mint-infused washes that are supposed to energize you at 7 a.m., but this one wins for many reasons. 

First, Kathy’s Family uses no synthetic detergents (SLES, SLS), so I’m not feeding my skin chemicals every day. Instead, I get a thick, rich foam of vegetable-based wash that cleanses my skin. Olive oil and organic alfalfa leave me soft and smooth. 

But it’s that citrus smell that really gets me going. Essential oils of lemon, lemongrass and organic sweet orange are like little drops of sunshine in my morning shower. Plus, the cute packaging makes me smile (when I'm usually unhappy so early in the morning). 

At $12.95 for 8.5 ounces, Kathy’s Family body wash gels are a medium-priced score. The other good stuff you’re guaranteed? 

• Vegetarian and organic ingredients

• Recycled containers

• Biodegradable solutions 

An added bonus: I’ll smell refreshing in my carpool every morning. 

How do you start your day?