First things first: I love Diet Coke, cheeseburgers and Sour Patch Kids. I sometimes keep the water running while I brush my teeth and leave my cell phone charger plugged into the outlet for days. Recently I have been making baby steps toward a more earth-friendly, natural and healthy existence and have found the beauty world a relatively easy (and fun) place to start.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a very comprehensive cosmetics database, Skin Deep, which has ingredient information and health ratings on more than 65,000 products, from shampoo to perfume to mascara. Below is a list of some of my tested and approved favorite natural products and product lines.

Tata Harper Skin Care
This revolutionary line is all made on Tata Harper’s Vermont farm. I’ve found that you can get the effects of chemical-based products (like those for anti-aging and pore minimizing) with plant-based products. My favorites are the Refreshing Cleanser and the Rejuvenating Serum, but I’d recommend getting her Starter Beauty set to experience the full line.

Coola Face SPF 30 Matte Finish Cucumber Natural Mineral Sunblock
This sunscreen is really light and amazing. It goes on like a silky powder versus an oily cream, making it a perfect makeup primer (and a pleasure to put on each day!).

RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
This is a wonderful (natural, not sparkly) highlighter for the corners of your eyes, brow bones, cheeks…anywhere you want a little glow.

Soapwalla Kitchen Deodorant Cream
If there were one area where I never believed it would be possible to go natural, it’d be deodorant. That was until I found Soapwalla. The owner, Rachel Winard, makes all the products at home in her Brooklyn apartment. It keeps me dry and fresh on the hottest days or during the most intense workouts—even more so than the chemical-filled “clinical strength” formulas I used to buy at the drugstore, and they cost about the same.

Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Liquid Soap
Simply the best! We use it as both a body wash and a hand soap in my home, and the scent is an invigorating morning wake-up call. It’s also very affordable and has a million uses (the company cops to 18 uses).

Looking for other product recommendations? I have found the blog No More Dirty Looks and the online shopping beauty site Spirit Beauty Lounge to be fantastic resources on this going-green journey.

(post by Courtney M.)