GUIDE TO NATURAL BODY CARE

You only get one body with one chance to treat it right—and what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it. That’s why we have such high Quality Standards for our body care products. It’s better for your body and your planet.

Products that work naturally with the body are safe and just as effective as their artificial, chemical-laden counterparts. If you’re making the switch from ordinary body care products, our shelves may at first seem a gallery of mysterious potions and lotions.

Explore a little and you will find there’s nothing at all mysterious lurking in our products.

These luxurious-looking bottles are much less enigmatic than those you find at other supermarkets because ours contain an abundance of naturally derived ingredients with names you can understand. These ingredients enable you to care for your body effectively, gently and completely, nourishing every part while helping you look and feel fabulous.

For decades, we have been working to redefine natural body care with our strict standards.

Just because a product label has the word “natural” doesn’t mean it is without artificial ingredients. Many products make this claim, yet they contain only trace amounts of natural ingredients and they still contain the same questionable, synthetic additives found in conventional body care products.

It helps to know what ingredients you should look for and which ones to avoid.

You can trust us to select the most natural products possible so you can experience results without exposing your body to potentially harmful ingredients. We scrutinize every product to ensure it meets our strict Quality Standards, and our special Premium Body Care line even features products without parabens, sulfates and other questionable ingredients.

One of the most common questions people ask about natural body care products is: “Do they work?”

Of course they do! Natural body care products are effective because they safely nourish and work harmoniously with the body, not against it.

Here’s how you can harness what nature has to offer to nourish, cleanse, protect, relax and beautify your Whole Body...

Clean up and green up your daily cleansing and moisturizing regimen.

Skin is your body’s largest organ, so you know it has important functions. It is constantly working hard to regulate body temperature, hold in moisture and rid the body of toxins—all the while providing a barrier against infection and the environment. Many soaps, lotions and other skin care products contain artificial and petroleum-based ingredients that may interfere with these functions.

Instead, choose products that don’t hinder the skin’s natural role of protecting your body. Skin is happiest with a natural regimen of cleansing and moisturizing that features natural oils, botanical extracts and nourishing nutrients. With our cruelty-free, natural products, you get what you need to look good and feel comfortable with your choices.

Many soaps found in conventional supermarkets and drugstores contain harsh detergents, animal fats, heavy mineral oils, preservatives and artificial colors and fragrances. How can you get your skin clean by washing it with ingredients like that? Our natural soaps and cleansers are soothing and effective with natural sudsing action and cleaning properties.

Follow up your cleansing ritual with lotions that contain natural moisturizers, nutrients, antioxidants and pure essential oils. And when selecting a sunscreen, choose from our PABA-free formulas that are water resistant.

Some of our favorite natural ingredients for soaps, shower gels and lotions include:

• Pure plant and seed oils that cleanse without drying or stripping and provide rich moisturizing.
• Natural ingredients with skin-healing properties, like tea tree oil.
• Natural floral and herbal scents and pure essential oils that provide aromatherapy benefits.

These and other naturally effective ingredients are also found in our acne treatments and other skin care products, shaving creams, bath salts and relaxing, at-home spa treatments, which can further enhance your overall well being with relaxation benefits that go more than skin deep.

Get a little closer to the truth about underarm deodorants.

Bacteria, not sweat, is the true cause of underarm odor. Natural deodorants are effective because they reduce those bacterial culprits with ingredients such as:

• baking soda
• lichen
• fruit extracts
• essential oils

Conventional underarm deodorants usually contain chemical antiperspirants, which are irritating and can cause allergic reactions on the very sensitive skin of the underarm—and the common ingredient aluminum chlorohydrate can clog pores, which may inhibit your skin’s natural function. Our deodorants don’t contain any of that!

Realize that cosmetics go more than skin deep.

Cosmetics and other beauty treatments are most often applied to the sensitive areas on the face around the eyes and mouth where synthetic ingredients, solvents, mineral oil and other artificial ingredients are most likely to cause a reaction when absorbed into the skin and body. That’s why so many substances in makeup have to be extensively tested before they are considered safe to use—and you may also be surprised to find that some ingredients in major brand cosmetics are still tested on animals.

Why not use something you know is naturally derived? When cosmetics get their color from natural flowers and mineral pigments, it’s easier to achieve a subtle, natural look. We feature a selection of foundations, face powders and color cosmetics made with natural pigments to flatter all skin tones and with natural ingredients that provide lasting moisture and rich color.

Petroleum-based ingredients in lip color and lip balms can actually dehydrate lips instead of moisturizing them. That’s why ours contain moisturizing oils and waxes from natural sources—ingredients like shea butter and beeswax—that heal cracked, chapped lips naturally and are flavored with natural ingredients like peppermint oil.

Use your head when it comes to hair care.

Hair care ingredients can be absorbed into your scalp, meaning whatever goes on your hair goes into your body. Keep that on your mind the next time you choose what to put on your scalp!

If your hair had a mind, it probably wouldn’t appreciate the assault of harsh chemicals in conventional hair products. Chemical ingredients can strip hair of natural oils, making it vulnerable to damage, while synthetic dyes and other ingredients may actually damage hair and follicles.

Natural hair products with plant extracts support healthy hair while making it more manageable. These ingredients can protect and nourish hair while balancing the pH of your hair and scalp. Boosted with botanicals, they also build body without making hair feel heavy, and they help prevent split ends and breakage. So you can enjoy all the style benefits with none of the harsh chemical additives—now that’s using your head.

Personalized Natural Hair Care

A few things to look for in shampoos and conditioners for the four main hair types:

Hair Type	Shampoo	Conditioner
Fine	mild, clear, “daily use” formulas	light conditioners, volumizers like panthenol and glycerine
Dry/Coarse	moisturizing formulas	rich conditioners like jojoba oil or shea butter
Oily	mild, oil-free, unscented formulas	oil-free products that prevent buildup, “daily use” formulas
Thinning	biotin, panthenol, clarifying formulas	growth-promoting biotin (a B vitamin)

Show off your smart mouth.

When you consider that ingredients in oral care products can be swallowed or absorbed, just reading some ingredient labels out there is enough to leave a bad taste in your mouth. Why open wide for artificial ingredients when there are natural options that promote a healthy mouth and a sparkling smile? And while you’re visiting our aisles to make smart choices for your mouth, you can also make a smart environmental choice with natural, recycled or recyclable toothbrushes and other oral care accessories.

Natural products make your mouth happy because:

• Instead of artificial sweeteners, preservatives, flavors and colors, our natural toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss derive flavors from plants like peppermint, cinnamon, fennel or fruit.
• Our mouthwashes destroy odor-causing bacteria with such ingredients as tea tree oil and aloe vera, and without overwhelming amounts of alcohol.
• Rather than containing abrasive chemicals that bleach and possibly harm teeth and gums over time, our toothpastes derive their whitening power from natural ingredients like silica. Purified zinc and calcium provide natural tartar control.
• We offer you the option of fluoride-free products as well as choices with fluoride that is naturally sourced.

Nourish nails with safer alternatives.

Nails serve a vital purpose of protecting your sensitive, nerve-dense digits. Adequate moisture and vitamins are necessary to keep them healthy and looking good. Unfortunately, additives in many nail polishes and removers can actually compromise the condition of nails or cause damage. Many conventional nail polishes contain formaldehyde or toluene, which can cause redness and allergic reactions, while many polish removers contain the solvent acetone, which can dry nails.

Instead of just adding a pretty, temporary layer, choose nail colors that will keep nails healthy in the long term. Our safer alternatives replace harsh ingredients with nourishing ingredients like amino acids and proteins, and natural tints made from such things as sand, rocks and minerals.

Natural vitamin supplements and oils can also prove beneficial for nails. Vitamin E can moisturize and improve the condition of nails and cuticles, and natural tea trea oil and grapefruit seed extract can provide other healing benefits.

Breathe easy with aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy has been used since the beginning of recorded history to stimulate the senses and heal the psyche and the body. In the early 1900s, when Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French cosmetics chemist, discovered that lavender oil was an effective treatment for burns (after burning his arm during an experiment), a whole new science of aromatherapy emerged. Essential oils have been found to increase circulation at the surface of the skin, open the pores, reduce stress and conjure feelings, thoughts and attitudes that can stimulate, energize or relax us.

Today, essential oils are found in varying concentrations alone or in a wide variety of products from lotions to soaps to candles. Essential oils are extracted from plants using a variety of different methods. It takes a large amount of plant material to produce a small amount of pure essential oil, and there are variations in the quality and purity of different oils.

Smaller concentrations of essential oils provide natural fragrance and relaxing scents when used in body care products, while 100% pure essential oils are generally recommended for therapeutic aromatherapy treatments. Pure essential oils are typically administered through inhalation or absorption through the skin into the body. Some essential oils should not be applied to the skin in full concentration and require the use of a lotion or “carrier” oil. Diffusers and atomizers are used to create an essential oil mist or fog that can be inhaled for relaxation and relief.

Synthetic fragrances that are used in conventional body care products are manufactured in a laboratory in an attempt to duplicate essential oils, and while they may be similar in aroma, they do not have the same chemical makeup or potential therapeutic benefits. So, why not use the real thing instead of an imitation?