Happy Earth Day!

I am by no means an expert in the area of super-green living, but I have been trying to make small changes every year for the last 3 years and have done a decent amount of research as to what products are cleanest, greenest, and most importantly, what is safest for my family.

Below is a round-up of the products we use every single day in our home.  These items have been tested, used and then determined – sometimes despite a few undesirable ingredients – that their results combined with their ingredients serve my purposes best day to day.  Some of these rate a bit high on EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, so I’m always looking for better replacements.  In the meantime, these do the job.

Caudile Instant Foaming Cleanser ($26),  Beauty Elixer ($46), Grape Water ($13) – A great line. Love it all.

Josie Maran Organic Aragan Oil, $14 – This makes a good early morning or before bed moistureizer.  I rub it on if I’m heading out to breakfast with the fam and don’t feel like putting on make-up, but want a healthy glow.  I love to top it off with a spritz or two of Caudile Grape Water.

Alba Botanica Very Emollient Body Lotion Daily Shade Formula SPF 16, $19 for 32oz – I like the SPF, and it moisturizes well in this dry climate.

Alba Shave Cream in Coconut Lime, $4 – Coconut & Lime! This shave cream is so yummy!

Mustela Stelatopia Moisturizing Cream, $19 – The best stuff I’ve found to help with Evie’s dry skin.  We’re in Colorado, so I know dry.  This really works and is unscented.

Mustela Bebe Vitamin Barrier Diaper Cream, $9 – I love the scent and it keeps her moisturized as well as protected.  Ok to use on cloth diapers.

Ok, I use a whole lot of Mustela products on my daughter – I love the line, I really do.

Tom’s of Main Long Lasting Deodorant Wild Lavender, $6 – The ingredients in standard deodarants are just scary, so I decided to make the switch to natural.  I’m not crazy about it, and I sometimes still need to use a bit of Degree if the day calls for it, but for most days, this works really well.  It takes some getting used to, but I think it’s worth it.

Kiss My Face Moisture Hand Soap Lavender Shea, $7 – Clearly I like lavender! This is the hand soap we use around the house.  Cleans up well and smells great.

Seventh Generation Liquid Laundry Concentrate Free & Clear, $22 for 150oz – No dyes or crazy perfumes. Plant-based and keeps our clothes clean. I just use a smaller amount for the baby’s clothes and she’s never had a problem.

Seventh Generation Dish Liquid Lavender & Floral Mint -  Love the scent and again – cleans dishes really well.

Better Life cleaning products (all of them!) – Oh man, I can’t say enough great things about this line.  We’ve been using it exclusively in our home for nearly two years.  I love the people that own the company, and I love love love the products!!

Ecover Automatic Dishwasher Tablets, $8 – I’m annoyed they wrap each tablet individually, but beyond that these clean our dishes wonderfully.  I can’t say I understand the intricacies of dishwashing detergents, but I think these are a step in the right direction.