Healthy inside and out!

For the last few years, my husband and I have been making every effort to eat organic, and, when possible, locally produced foods. It's better for us, it's better for the animals, it's better for the environment! We visit farmer's markets during the summer, tried out a winter season CSA, and order local organic meat/dairy/eggs and organic (local when possible) produce from a local organic grocery delivery company.

We've pretty much got a handle on that sort of thing at this point. We've got our sources, we know what we can find organic and what we can find local and what we'll just have to compromise on, etc.

So now we've decided to turn our attentions to the things that go on the outside of our body, not just the inside...that is, shampoo/conditioner, body wash, lotion, deodorant, etc. Late last week we visited a couple of different stores and took a couple of hours (yes, hours! We're picky!) to read the ingredients, check for organic certification seals, and to smell every product that looked interesting. (My husband is very sensitive to scents, so we both had to agree on something, which wasn't easy! We tend to like different sorts of smells for our products, I think.)

We ended up with yummy vanilla-scented shampoo and conditioner from a brand called Organix, a wonderful Passion Fruit bodywash from Alba Botanicals that reminds me of Hawaii, and a Kukui Nut Cream lotion from Alba, as well. The lotion's scent...which reminds me strongly of some sort of sugar cookie with a bit of spice...is very strong at first, but fades pretty quickly into just a hint of creamy deliciousness. So far, so good!

Now, I just need to figure out which of the many, many kinds of mineral make-up out there so I can stop slathering chemicals on my face! Anyone have any suggestions for brands that have worked well for them? I bought a lipstick by Bare Minerals, just to try it out, and so far I like it! Anyone have feedback on the mineral foundations, though? What brand to go with, whether to use pressed or loose powder, etc? There are just so many to choose from these days!