Sometimes I find myself in quite a rut- focusing on the negative aspects of my life rather than the positive. The past year of my life however, has been quite incredible (and I need to remind myself that.) Jobs have fallen in my lap and people have been placed in my path for a reason. And at times, when I get muddled down by negative thoughts I have to remind myself of the opportunities I’ve been so gracefully handed. Which quite a few, wouldn’t have happened without my main source of income.

My full time job (amongst many small ones) has been working at the eco-friendly fashion boutique, Eco-Tique, in St. Paul, MN. During the past year working here, I have had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Terri Bly, owner of The Nature of Beauty, and being able to work not only for Eco-Tique but her company as well. So today, I give a shout out to Eco-Tique’s top fall must haves which can be found at The Nature of Beauty.

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One of my all time favorite home beauty routines incorporates freshly brewed green tea, as a refreshing and antioxidant packed facial toner. Not only is it soothing to the skin because it is kept nice and cool in the fridge, it is rich in powerful antioxidants that are incredible for helping to reduce redness and inflammation, preventing sun damage, killing bacteria, toning, refreshing and tightening pores. Using an iced tea pitcher, I brew fresh green tea leaves weekly, and use the full pitcher throughout the week. I love the one that I have made by Lupica Fresh Tea.

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One year ago, after watching her father lose his battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease and her 35-year-old friend receive a diagnosis of breast cancer for the third time, Christy decided it was time to make a change. Since early on in her career, she suspected the chemicals in the high-end makeup she used on her clients were potentially harmful; she had stopped wearing the stuff years ago. So she emptied her makeup kit and started over, this time filling it with nothing but natural cosmetics. If she was going to remain in the only career she had ever known or wanted, she could no longer use products containing the chemicals she suspected may have killed her father, or possibly contributed to the cancer haunting her friend.

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In March of last year, the Organic Consumers Association published the results of a study examining 1,4 Dioxane contamination in what most of us considered to be natural and safe beauty products. This particular chemical is a known carcinogen and environmental pollutant, a cheap short-cut used to make harsh detergents more gentle on the skin. In other words, it clearly has no place in so-called natural brands like Giovanni, Jason, and Whole Foods 365. The California Attorney General’s office agreed, launching a series of lawsuits against companies whose products tested high for 1,4 dioxane but provided no warnings that their products contained high levels of this dangerous chemical.

Fast-forward one year, and the OCA conducts a follow-up study to determine if any of these companies have cleaned up their act, as most promised to do once faced with a lawsuit (and quite a bit of negative publicity, which I can’t imagine made them very happy, either). So…did your favorite body wash, hand lotion, or go-to hair spray make the cut?

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Without going into the environmental and ethical benefits of supporting earth-conscious clothing and shoe companies right now, I will tell you that all of my preconceived notions of eco = hippie art teacher have been soundly demolished, no thanks to this little number (and many of its peers) from Synergy Organic that I try on nearly every day I’m at Eco-tique in St. Paul:

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Named for the region near the Xingu River in Brazil where the unique and potent medicinal plant oils and extracts are gathered, the Xingu cream and serum were specifically created to meet the demanding skincare needs of the modern woman. The indulgent, highly effective and preventative formulas regenerate and renew skin cells, provide high levels of protective antioxidants to prevent damage from free radicals, stimulate collagen production and provide healing anti-inflammatory benefits.

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There’s something very alluring about the promise of fuller lips. Even if we can’t all be Angelina Jolie, most of us like the idea of a saucy pout. The vast majority of commercial lip plumpers, however, contain a horrifying list of ingredients you most definitely do not want to be eating, like polyethylene, aluminum and BHA. Basically, the idea was to irritate your lips, enflame them so they swell in anger. Sexy, no?

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Many of you visit to find the latest, best and most effective natural and organic beauty brands amongst other things. Organic beauty is one of my favorite topics and one I’m passionate about.  And I don’t know about you, but I value honest recommendations from fellow consumers much more than I do when it comes from an owner or employee of a business.  And I know I’m not alone, otherwise Googling “review of X product” would not be the common pastime that it is.  So with that in mind, I’m bringing you the real deal about NatureOfBeauty.com. I’ll clue you in on which products I’m loving right now, the scoop on two hot brands they just launched, share my Christmas gift ideas and divulge how to get free shipping and 15% off your order.

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When it comes to natural and organic beauty and personal care products, you usually get what you pay for. Yes, you heard that about commercial products, too, only to find out the face cleanser that took an entire weekend of tip money worked no better than the Clean & Clear you had been using since you were 14. Unfortunately, with natural products, price often reflects quality. The reason is pretty straightforward: it’s much cheaper to create synthetic ingredients in a lab than it is to source them from nature, let alone from a certified organic farm. Organic ingredients are expensive to sow, expensive to reap, and therefore expensive to buy. You can bet your precious, rapidly-depreciating 401k that more companies would be all over this natural/organic thing if it were cheaper to do.

That’s what makes it newsworthy when I stumble upon a rare exception to the Organic = Spendy rule of thumb, in the form of Max Green Alchemy. They’ve kept their line of skin and hair care simple, focusing on the basics like one shampoo, one conditioner, one hand cream, and so forth. The MGA conditioner was the first natural conditioner I found that actually made my hair soft and manageable. Everything else I had tried thus far, particularly in that price range, left my hair dry and dull (I know I totally sound like an infomercial; my apologies). My husband, whose skin reacts to everything, is equally in love with the line. Oh, and did I mention the packaging and aromas are gender neutral? How about that - you and your partner, regardless of gender, can share in the joys of Max Green Alchemy together!!

The creators of MGA also keep careful watch over their ingredients to make sure nothing is synthetic, no quality is compromised, and no animals are ever tested anywhere along the manufacturing process. I was fortunate enough to get a bit of time on the phone with one of the co-founders, Wil Baker, to learn how they went about creating what I think is easily one of best lines of natural, affordable skin and hair care. Here is an exerpt:

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