Can I wax poetic for a minute about my new favorite antioxidant? Sea Buckthorn is popping up in all sorts of body care products — mostly skin care, it seems — and it is yummy. I first dabbled in sea buckthorn after Weleda sent me samples of its delicious hand cream and body oil, which have a light citrus-like scent and velvety texture that made them instant favorites. Now I use the body oil compulsively on my roughest parts (think elbows and cuticles, people).



Despite its name, sea buckthorn has absolutely nothing to do with the ocean at all. Rather, it’s a drought-resistant shrub used in food in the far East and Russia. It’s currently gaining prominence in the United States for its awesome nutrient content. The fruits of the sea buckthorn are rich in amino acids and vitamin C — it has more of this crucial antioxidant than oranges, tomatoes, and strawberries. And notably, it contains high concentrations of the antioxidant vitamin E, which accounts for its anti-inflammatory, healing properties. As Americans become more familiar with this antioxidant-laden ingredient, we’re bound to see it on more and more product labels. For now, check out Weleda’s fabulous line of sea-buckthorn-based products.

Around this time of year, I start to anticipate the dry hands that usually accompany hotter weather. True, Colorado is a super-dry place, but my guess is that no matter where you live, your digits could use some TLC this summer. That’s why I’ve been so ecstatic about these recent hand-cream finds. Here are the hand-creams I can’t do without. more

Bet you didn’t know that April is Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month. Us either. Prevent Blindness America designated the month as a way to raise awareness of all things having to do with eye health. The FDA has picked up the message and has posted a refresher page of tips on how to keep your eye makeup safe. Also check out “About Face” for info on natural options.

As a former resident of New Zealand, I am always on the lookout for all things Kiwi. Last night at a party, I randomly met the founder of new, yummy body care company NZP Naturals. I’m slathering on their lanolin-based lip balm now. If you don’t know about lanolin, you should. more

In case you stopped by the mall on Monday, you might have noticed Banana Republic’s newest fashion foray: Gap Inc. and BR launched a 50-piece “Green Collection” complete with bamboo-fabric tops, organic cotton dresses, and lots of chartreuse leaf patterns. Is Banana’s new offering my favorite so far? more

Did you know that the white filling in Oreos contains the same stuff that’s in all of your eye shadow and foundation? Neither did I before I listened to “Revealing the Secrets in Concealer” — an NPR interview with Stephen McNeil, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of British Columbia. A lot of the ingredients discussed (talc, for example) are linked to health problems. To find out exactly what’s in your favorite cosmetics, go to the Environmental Working Group’s excellent Cosmetics Database. And check out our report “About Face” for natural options.

Ideal Bite is one of my favorite sites — it’s where I get tons of ideas for how to live greener. And if you’re not already receiving their daily tips, you should be! For the month of February, if you invite friends in LA and Chicago to sign up for local editions of Ideal Bite — an amazing resource for doable green tips — you might win some nifty prizes, including $200 to Pangea Organics or bouquets of organic roses.

This is a pretty cool new project from the folks at natural skincare company Derma E. The company is selling Paraguayan Spiderweb Lace — or nanduti — to raise money for two Paraguayan nonprofits — Global Infancia and Guyra Paraguay. (Derma E will also donate 1 percent of sales of its Organic Expressions line.) Why is it called “Spiderweb Lace”? Because each colorful little doily is gorgeously embroidered to look like a vibrant web — or a sun, depending on your POV. So you can be beautiful and help the world, all at once.

Ever since I burned my lips this past weekend outdoors in the winter sun, they’ve been incredibly dry and insatiable. I’ve tried moisturizing with natural lip balms and drinking water to hydrate them. It all helped a little bit, but I’ve finally resigned myself to just picking off the dead flaky skin and getting on with my life. Not the best beauty advice, I know. But what really chaps my hide (so to speak) is that I could unknowingly be walking around with the biggest lip crust — gross image, sorry — imaginable and no one would tell me! This happened just this morning. After having a long conversation with a co-worker, I went to the ladies room only to discover that I’d had an entire heart-to-heart while wearing an embarassing armor of scaly mouth skin. Ugh. Word from the wise: Please, the next time I’m walking down the street with visible lip glop, please offer to buy me a lip balm. I won’t take you up on it, promise, but at least you will have done a good deed and I’ll know to pick more effectively.

I was shocked when I read this Yahoo! report about mercury in mascara. How can it possibly be legal to use a substance known to cause neurological damage in consumer products? And why is Minnesota the only state banning it? Unbelievable.