What most of our families at Living the Science have found is that this really is the one area where buying via the internet has helped us make safer choices more automatic because it has SAVED US MONEY. So many of the organic products on the grocery shelves and at specialty markets like Whole Foods are REALLY expensive. This doesn't mean we don't buy them at regular stores maybe 25-50% of the time but really just about every time we do we regret it.

Consider making some of your own comparisons - you may find (like we have) that if you identify an internet site for buying many of your organic personal products that you are able to switch to a more natural lifestyle without it costing you more and in many instances going this route can actually be the more convenient choice.

Both Amazon.com and Drugstore.com have most of the organic and natural personal care products we get like shampoos, conditioners, lotions, diapers, baby wipes, toothpaste, and tampons (we also use them a lot for buying non-toxic/natural cleaning products - but that's for another installment). We are big fans of brands like Avalon Organics, Nature's Gate, Tom's of Maine, Burt's Bees, Seventh Generation, and Nature's Baby Organics.

It is worth mentioning that some items are harder to buy online than others. Most of tehm women in our office agree that the hardest thing thing to go all natural and organic on has been hair products and cosmetics. Still there are a few good brands out there and more and more are popping up (see discussion of Origins Organics below).

Origins Organics - the REALLY good stuff

For hair gels, pomades, and cosmetics we have recently moved to getting most things from Origins Organics (also a sponsor of the site after we asked them to be). Origins Organics is the first full line of higher-end skin, body and hair care products to be certified by the USDA National Organic Program and honestly, for those of you who are accustomed to brands like Clinique and Lancome, you give up nothing by moving to Origins (except all of those really icky toxins (some are worse than others and are discussed in our "Steps for Redoing Your Personal Care Routine" segment)). They have really great hair products and all kinds of cosmetics and skin care products

Ready for an Overhaul?

For those of you who are ready for a complete overhaul of your personal care routine (and that of your family), we provide eight steps for accomplishing it (this is certainly the going cold-turkey route). For those not quite ready for such an overhaul consider making some simple changes - like buying organic the next time you purchase something you are out of or making a commitment to buy the things that make a big difference online if you are having difficulty finding them in stores (like buying organic feminine hygiene products). Remember that each small change could make a big difference with respect to chemical exposures. For those of you not quite ready for an overhaul, you may want to take a look at some recommendations for further reading and resources for finding non-toxic products.

Detoxing Your Personal Care Routine in Eight Steps

1. Take the biggest bucket or bowl you can find and then head into the bathroom you use the most.

2. Fill the bucket with ALL of your personal care items: lotions, shampoos, cosmetics, hair gels, hair dye, toothpaste, tampons, perfumes, etc… .

3. Sit down at the table and start reading.

4. If there are no ingredients listed consider tossing it. Chances are this item came in some packaging that listed the ingredients. Now it is gone. Consdier playing it safe by tossing it.

5. If it doesn’t say “natural”, “organic”, or “non-toxic” consider tossing it. Many companies use the words “natural” or “non-toxic” when products are in fact loaded with artificial chemicals BUT in general no company using all organic or natural products fails to mention it. In other words, save yourself time by eliminating those that don’t even try to ACT natural or non-toxic. Also, remember that “not tested on animals” means nothing in terms of the chemicals contained in a product and as such, while this may be an important ethical decision for you don’t let this claim confuse you in terms of choosing chemical-free

6. Keep everything that is certified organic. The good news is, these items are likely non-toxic and free of artificial ingredients.

7. Start reading and start tossing. While it is impossible to know all the ingredients there are a few rules of thumb that will likely result in getting rid of 90% of non-organic products. If it contains sodium lauryl sulfate consider tossing it. This stuff likely isn’t as bad as it has been made out to be but there is solid research showing an association between it and oral ulcers and certain types of cancers. In other words, consider tossing it. If it contains the word “paraben” (generally preceded by methyl-, ethyl-, butyl-, or propyl) consider tossing it. This stuff is often used to prevent clumping or bacteria growth but it is also a known endocrine disruptor which is particularly problematic during pregnancy.

Still have more in your bucket? A few more rules: Formalin and DMDM hydantoin are types of formaldehyde that are typically used in nail polish, blush, powder and cosmetics as a preservative. Citric acid and other vitamins are safer and can do the same thing and as such, consider tossing items with formaldehyde based ingredients.

Carefully toss the hair dye. This stuff actually has to be put in a landfill so don’t just simply put it in the trash. Hopefully you have some kind of hazardous waste place in your garage where you can put this (with your car oil and old paint). Hair dye and some medicated shampoos contain coal tar, FD& C Blue 1, Green 3, Yellow 5&6, and D&C Red 33. All of these have been shown to have some carcinogenic activity and as such, may be dangerous to pregnancy and fetal development. While pregnant and breastfeeding stick with henna and plant based dyes and shampoos. They may not work as well as you would like but for this period of time they are the much safer alternative.

Two last notes: a) Mascara. Most mascaras contain mercury. If it wasn’t marketed as mercury-free consider purchasing some that is. Most studies show that this is a relatively safe use of mercury but considering the danger of mercury in general you may want to consider crossing this off your list. b) Tampons and pads. Most tampons and pads are bleached using chlorine which releases dioxin into the environment and our bodies. Dioxin is a known carcinogen. Sound bad? Consider tossing these (don’t worry, there are organic alternatives).

8. Bucket empty? Consider simplifying and not repurchasing everything you just got rid of. Replace the items you feel you really need or just want with organic, non-toxic, plant based products. The good news is that everything in your trash has an organic alternative. The bad news, well, replacing them will cost something BUT the cost to your health of not replacing them may be more. In all likelihood all would be fine but in this instance why even take the chance? Keep in mind that even replacing one item is an improvement. What may surprise you is that in some instances the all organic plant based product may cost less. This is certainly the case with cosmetics where the very expensive department store products are often the ones loaded with man-made and potentially dangerous chemicals.

Read Part 5: Green Cleaning

Read other parts in the series: Bring Water with You, Making Eating Organic Easy, Reevaluate Your Relationship with Plastics, Clothes and the Chemicals They Come With.