We expose ourselves to so many chemical nasties on a daily basis, whether it be in the food we eat, the water we drink or the air we breathe. We have created a toxic environment for ourselves.

The very least we can do is not compound the problem by slathering more chemical goo onto our fragile bodies. I’ve been making a gradual toiletry switch as I go through my bathroom shelves – out with the harsh chemical old and in with the safer, natural, cruelty-free organic new.

In the spirit of sharing I wanted to tell you about one of my new favourite product lines, Nature’s Gate Organics.

Nature’s Gate uses all natural herbs and botanicals in the creation of their extensive line of pH-balanced products. The company is as dedicated to being environmentally friendly and cruelty-free as it is to bringing the public a selection of quality, pure, natural, organic products.

Their handsome bottles have taken up residence in many of my shelves, from shampoo to lotions, but my favourite thing of all has to be that indispensable item I use on a daily basis, deodorant. It contains certified organic botanicals and is free of the parabens, propylene glycol, and aluminum chlorohydrate that plague commercial deodorants and put our health needlessly at risk.

It is also produced without animal testing, with no animal byproducts, and is certified vegan. It comes in several pleasing scents – my favourite is the Chamomile & Lemon Verbena.

And it’s effective. I smell great.

I danced a little jig over the PeaceKeeper Eco-Sensual Balm I picked up on a recent happy trip to the new organic supermarket in town. While perusing their ample array of cosmetics I also scored a nice little item from the nail section made by a company that is new to me, No Miss Nail Polish.

No Miss nail polishes include quite an assortment of colours and finishes – so many lovely shiny things. The range of choice was reflected by the inordinate amount of time I spent standing in front of their display trying to choose one. I finally settled on Panama Petal, a perfect translucent pink for that barely there but well groomed look. It wears very well too – no chips almost one week later.

No Miss nail polishes do not contain harmful formaldehyde, toluene, or dibutyl-pthalate and contain UV filters to protect your nails from the damaging and drying effects of the sun.

Check out the availability of No Miss nail care products at your cosmetics-carrying local health food store or check them out online at Alternative Outfitters and The Vegan Store.

Cruelty-free. Colours to suit every mood and personality. A healthy approach to nail polish. Long-wearing. Reasonably priced. All things considered there’s no reason not to go cruelty-free with your nail polish.

It makes my heart glad to see how much easier it has become to make cruelty-free choices, and makeup is no exception. Not too long ago I wrote about EcoTools, a cruelty-free line of makeup brushes (brushes used to be particularly difficult to find in a cruelty-free variety). Today I share my latest find from a recent trip to the new neighborhood organic superstore.

PeaceKeeper’s Eco-Sensual Balm, for lips.

PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics is, according to their bio, the first cosmetic line to give all of its after tax distributable profits to women’s health advocacy & human rights issues. They support animals, fair labour and all things natural, and eschew chemicals and slave labour.

PeaceKeeper makes a wide assortment of nail polish, lipstick, lip gloss and, of course, the lip balm. None of the products are tested on animals. Some of the makeup contains Carmine, so vegans beware – all vegan (Carmine-free) products are marked with a ‘V’ – as the lip balm is.

The natural mineral based nail polishes are particularly nice and, according to their site, rated one of the safest paint-based nail polishes around the world. They are also free of harmful chemical nasties such as formaldehyde, toluene, and acetone, and have no FD&C colors, parabens, or phthalates. The French Manicure Kit is particularly sweet and is entirely vegan. It includes: Nail Renewal Oil, Paint Me Eternal Top/Bottom Coat (clear), Paint Me Tranquil (soft, subtle translucent pink), and Paint Me Tender (the requisite opaque white), and French manicure tape for foolproof tip application. The oil and each of the polishes also come separately.

The Nail Renewal Oil is an absolute delight. Made with sweet almond oil, ginseng root extract, myrrha extract, and vitamin E, your cuticles and nails will reward you for using it by looking their smooth revitalized best, making it an absolute must have for my makeup shelf – and it smells awesome too. A little aromatherapy can’t hurt.

But I digress. Eco-Sensual Balm goes on clear and moisturizes your lips with all-natural, 100% vegan, 73% organic ingredients. I stress the goes on clear aspect for all the men who, like my husband, would sooner let their lips fry than apply a lip balm with even the most minuscule amount of colour. The lip balm contains the following ingredients: organic palm oil, organic virgin olive oil, candelilla wax, organic jojoba oil, organic coconut oil, essential oil of spearmint, tocopherol (vitamin E), grapeseed oil, rosemary extract, and vitamin C.

Your lips are left feeling soft, smooth and minty. I’m a firm believer that all lip balms should be minty – personally, I don’t think anything soothes as much as the cooling sensation of mint on the lips, particularly in summer.

It’s nice to see another new company making an effort to operate with ethics and in the spirit of philanthropy to bring us cruelty-free, organic, natural products, many of which are entirely vegan.

It does make my heart glad.

The side of my Eco-Sensual balm reads, ‘Deep healing for your lips and the world.’ Agreed.

I was flipping through the pages of a fashion mag today when I happened upon a small blurb about celebrity vegan Alicia Silverstone and a comment she made about a new line of makeup brushes made by EcoTools. If you know anything about makeup brushes you know that most of them are made with animal hair. What caught my eye about this particular line of brushes was the phrase ‘cruelty-free’. This merited some investigation I thought. A small bit of surfing later and after having read up on this delightful new product I’ve decided I must have them.

Not only are EcoTools made with cruelty free hair (they are made of taklon, a synthetic material), but they are also made using natural and recycled materials. The handles are made from the notoriously sustainable bamboo and the the metal cuffs are made from recycled aluminum cans. Even the reusable pouch is biodegradeable. Plus, the brushes are soft, the importance of which cannot be understated, and they were designed by a makeup professional who knows how these things are supposed to work. We want our brushes to be as comfortable to use as they are effective. They’re also really attractive and chances are, if you’re applying makeup, looks probably matter to you.

As if they didn’t already sound amazing enough, EcoTools has also joined up with 1% For The Planet, an organization made up of businesses that contribute 1% of their sales to environmental groups around the globe. Cruelty-free? Check. Environmentally conscious? Check. Sustainable? Check. Recyclable? Check. Girly? Check. Sounds like a winner to me.

I’m always chuffed when I discover a great new product that is environmentally friendly, sustainable, and cruelty-free – so I was thrilled to discover Smudgepot. Smudgepot was started by Michelle Palmer, a Toronto-based esthetician and make-up artist. Michelle developed the line of skincare products with the desire to create something that was completely vegan-friendly and chemical free. The products, which address the needs of varying skin types, are made in small batches using fresh, quality ingredients, free from synthetic dyes and perfumes. The medley of essential oils make each product smell fantastic. With an eye towards the environment, Michelle has also made an effort to keep packaging to a minimum and encourages people to either recycle or reuse. I always appreciate the fine look of things and, since we’re on the topic, Smudgepot’s packaging is beautifully simple – a synthesis of aluminum and glass that looks fabulous on my shelf.

If you do Facebook, Michelle started a Smudgepot group page and fan page to promote the brand and get feedback. She welcomes questions and feedback and is as knowledgeable on the topic of skincare as she is generous with her time. She happily advised me in my quest to find something suitable for my problem skin (super oily, yet thirsty and ultra-sensitive). Oh, did I mention it’s Canadian made? Extra bonus.

You can find Smudgepot in Toronto at Heart on Your Sleeve and online at YourMomma.