Eco products I'm digging right now

I've been a little quiet on the posts. Shame on me. I've been doing a lot of reading and participating in social media. It's fun...and time-consuming. Anyway, in my travels, I'm come across some brands I've never heard of before and also report on some of my favorite products right now. Please comment if you've got any favorites I should try.

First, a site I just found through their Facebook ad: sweetpeaproducts.com. They don't have the best website or lots of products, but they do have something called boo-boo balm that is free of harmful chemicals and seems to have quite a loyal following. And it's only $6. Gotta get me some of that, especially considering my boys' tendencies to acquire boo-boos. Their gift basket would also make a very nice shower gift. The founder is an infant massage practitioner, so she has a massage oil and a book on how to massage your infant in the basket. This can be especially effective in soothing fussy babies.

Second, a lot of new alcohol-free hand sanitizers seem to be cropping up. I use CleanWell, both the wipes, which are great for the diaper bag, and the spray, which I keep at work. It smells a little, well, antiseptic, but it's got no triclosan and no alcohol and it's proven to work. My friend, Cobie, turned me on to Grandma Minnie's Hand Sanitizer because she tired of using Giovanni's expensive lavendar-scented wipes. I have not tried this stuff, and it's $30 a bottle! Also, it contains alcohol and triethanolamine, which scores a "6" in the Cosmetics Database. I also shy away from lavendar for my boys, after reading that it *might* be an endocrine disruptor. That research from 2007 has been disputed, however new research has come out just last month on this topic. Read my post about the Endocrine Society's report.

I'm really loving a Korres summer beauty promo package I bought with Face Primer, Watermelon Tinted Foundation SPF 30 and Bronzer (though I've used this the least of the three). I already use their Ginger & Vitamins Foundation SPF 10 and love it. And their mascara is great. Though it's gotten quite gloopy the longer I've had it, which is not long. Still, it's easy to wipe the wand off as I'm pulling it out and it doesn't clump on my eyelashes. Also liking my NVEY ECO Organic Erase and my Tarte Cheek Stain. These all happen to be available at Sephora, which is convenient. They have lots of "natural and organic" products, but some are better than others, so be sure to read the description and ingredients.

Another thing I'm loving is Bubble & Bee's Pit Putty. I cannot say enough good about this product. If you've tried a natural deodorant before, it probably didn't work. Now, I'm not a super sweaty person, and this is not an antiperspirant, but I don't find that I sweat much when I'm wearing it, plus, it does deodorize the pits. It's white and it can get crumbly if the stick gets too warm, but I don't mind as long as it works and I'm not putting aluminum on my body. They also make a Geranium Lime Spray Deodorant that is quite nice and tucks neatly into a purse, as a refresher or backup or "oops, I forgot my deode this morning" (which happens to me!). This product is not officially launched, but you can get it with the "buy two" deal. It's really very lovely smelling. I've also tried the Bubble & Bee Root Beer Lip Balm, and it's yummy and emollient. I also got an Orange Organic soap, and while I liked it, we went through it too quickly for the price, so I'm going back to my basic big olive oil bar soap. I plan to try their hair products and the Geranium Lime Pit Putty when this one runs out. Thanks, Stephanie, for a great bunch of products!

Hair today: a fungus among us

Nontoxic haircare is one of the most difficult things for me. I've always been worried about how my hair looks, since it's so, well, noticeable. First, there's the products. Kenra works but it's full of sulfates. I tried a Shikai everyday conditioner, but it gets a "4" in the Cosmetics Database, plus I didn't really like it. Giovanni conditioner is rated better but I didn't like it either. I am now using Avalon Organics Biotin B-Complex Thickening Conditioner, which is still a "3" but I do like it. The search continues. If only I liked Dr. Bronner's. It's one of the safer ones and super concentrated (read: economical).

For the kids, I use California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo & Body Wash (comes in gallon jugs so it's not only super nontoxic, it's also earth-friendly). Sometimes I use it, too. I've also started to use Kiss My Face Orange Shampoo & Conditioner (not the exact name) for Gregory.

I seek out great stylists (my all-time favorite is Christina Liberatore in NYC at Salon Chinois) and I always color it or lighten it to get rid of that dishwater ashy brown-blonde color it's become. I used vegetable-based dyes while I was pregnant and living in Connecticut. Pia at Noelle Spa did my color and it looked and felt great. Was it really healthier? I don't honestly know. I can tell you that the other demi-permanent color she used on my hair would burn my scalp, so I'm guessing that stuff wasn't so great. She used to add Sweet-N-Low to it and it would not burn as much. Evil calmed evil. Bizarre.

Single-process brunette is easy, but I'm always toying with the idea of going back to blonde, so this article caught my eye. A Japanese company is working on an alternative to the standard hydrogen peroxide bleach based on a type of white-rot fungus. While it's better for your hair, for salon workers and the environment, I have to chalk this up to one organic idea that's going to need some serious marketing magic to sell! Sorry, but I'm not easily able to associate "rot" and "fungus" with something I willingly put on my head.

Love new tub toys ratings on GoodGuide

Wondering if the toys your kids play with are safe? Want to support companies who are trying to be good stewards of the Earth, paying fair wages and using energy resourcefully? GoodGuide is providing a tool to see how popular brands score in these areas, with tub toys being the first (presumably) segment evaluated. I checked out Gregory's bath whistle by ALEX and was happy to see it had a decent score! I'm looking forward to more good stuff from this site.