GREEN AND CLEAN

The Ultimate Green Store

Backstory: A one-stop web shop for green items owned by green lifestyle expert Laura Meyer, The Ultimate Green Store carries the coolest products from some of the world’s leading manufacturers of sustainable goods, including skincare lines from Suis for Face & Body, L’uvalla, Soleo Organics, Method, Abra Therapeutics and California Baby.
Groovy Item: Anything from Edelbio ($19 to $48). This Swiss skincare line is complex in its use of highly bioactive ingredients and phytoscience principles, but oh so simple in its end result: youthful, radiant skin. Separate products for women and girls all use great ingredients, like the organic Edelweiss, white lily, swiss honey and shea butter found in the Pretty Princess Body Lotion.
Website: www.theultimategreenstore.com

Novena

Backstory: Licensed medical aesthetician Jeanette D. Garcia Acosta set out in 2003 to find a line of skincare products that didn’t have parabens, sulfates and phthalates. When she didn’t find what she was looking for, she teamed up with an organic laboratory to create all-natural, animal-friendly items for pregnant women everywhere.
Groovy Item: Organic Fruit Face Wash ($28). For a truly refreshing, great-smelling face wash, you have to try the Organic Fruit Face Wash, packed with vitamins and fruit extracts. All the ingredients are vegan (check out a full list on the site) and 79 percent are organic. Saving the earth, one deep cleanse at a time. (Even husbands have been known to steal a squirt or two!)
Website: www.novenamaternity.com

Earth Mama Angel Baby

Backstory: “Just as our foremothers did, Earth Mama Angel Baby honors the ancient knowledge of natural and herbal remedies and plant medicine,” the company’s website says—and that’s lucky for the rest of us, because this site is chock-full of soothing, wonderful products that are good for the earth and even better for you.
Groovy Item: Their fabulous trio of bath products—all USDA certified 100 percent organic, naturally. The Angel Baby Bath Blossoms ($8.95) soothe cranky babies and are made with pure, organic blossoms of calendula, chamomile, rosebuds and lavender, plus an organic lemon balm and moisturizing organic oatmeal (and it’s not just for the tiny tots—moms can enjoy a soak, too!). New mamas can relax to the max in a heavenly bath of Postpartum Bath Herbs ($8.95), made with wound-healing, styptic and antibacterial organic yarrow, wild-harvested witch hazel, organic calendula and more to reduce swelling and speed postpartum healing. Not up for a full sitting? Treat those pregnancy or baby-weary tootsies right with Happy Feet ($8.95), an organic herbal foot soak complete with antifungal herbs and essential oils, guaranteed to melt your woes—and those swollen ankles!—away.
Website: www.earthmamaangelbaby.com

90210 Organics

Backstory: Started by a California mom passionate about living naturally, 90210 Organics has become a trusted retailer that vets products based on a company’s business practices, eco-friendliness and commitment to the planet.
Groovy Item: Rock Star Organic Baby Paparazzi Lime Shampoo and Rock Star Organics Baby Tangerine Limousine Conditioner ($12 and $14). For baby hair that rocks, stock up on these products. They’re 100 percent natural, mild enough for daily use and can be used on babes with sensitive skin, plus they come in cool scents like lime and grape seed for the shampoo, tangerine for the conditioner. Every budding rock star needs a hair-care routine to match that wild-child personality.
Website: www.90210organics.com

Enfusia

Backstory: Owner Debra Myers draws on her 20-plus years in the skincare business and work as a medical aesthetician to create this line of bath and body products that are formulated with organic and natural botanical ingredients and extracts.
Groovy Item: Bee Friendly Lip Balm ($3.50). As the cooler weather sets in, keeping lips healthy and moisturized gets to be a tougher task. Fortunately, to the rescue is Bee Friendly Lip Balm, made with ingredients like organic cocoa butter, natural food flavorings and sunflower oil—but never beeswax (in order to protect the homes of those little—but important!—buzzers).
Website: www.enfusia.com

Earth Baby

Backstory: Nationally renowned researcher and chemist Florence Nacino was inspired by the birth of her granddaughter to found Earth Baby in order to produce hypoallergenic baby care items. With years of creating products behind her, Nacino uses certified-organic and fruit- and vegetable-based ingredients to keep babies clean and happy.
Groovy Item: Forget Me Knot Baby Hair Detangler ($15). Hypoallergenic, tear-free, pediatrician recommended and made with certified-organic ingredients—what more could you want from a detangler? As if all that weren’t enough, it’s also got a sweet-smelling chamomile, vanilla, honey and mango formula that’s pH-balanced and leaves hair soft and shiny—and free of tangles (at least until your little one rolls around for a while).
Website: www.earthbaby-organics.com

Green Healthy Baby

Backstory: Green Healthy Baby was “created for concerned mothers who just don’t have time to go through detailed ingredient lists to find the best, safest products for their children,” according to the site, and a little less legwork is good news for today’s time-pressed, modern mom.
Groovy Item: Earth’s Best Toddler Toothpaste ($6.99). Start good brushing habits early with this strawberry-and-banana-flavored toothpaste from Earth’s Best. Free of preservatives and fluoride, it’s safe if swallowed, so you can breathe easy without worrying about your toddler getting the concept of spitting out—not eating—his toothpaste.
Website: www.greenhealthybaby.com

Dakota Free and Gluten-Free Savonnerie

Backstory: When a pesticide poisoning caused severe health problems for one North Dakota family, they developed their own line of natural, perfume-free, alcohol-free, latex-free skincare, bath, baby and home spa products. They’re known for offering full ingredient lists on each and every product, arming consumers with the information they need to make smart choices.
Groovy Items: Dakota Free has products for those with allergies, autism, celiac disease, chemical sensitivities or troubled skin, like the Cuticle & Nail Treatment Oil ($7.99), a nail pen that uses jojoba oil and vitamin E to keep cuticles in tip-top shape. Gluten-Free Savonnerie provides shampoo, conditioner, soaps, lip balm, lotion, shaving foam, deodorant, massage oil and shea butter to those who are intolerant to gluten. The company’s Shampoo ($3.99) contains no plant oils or extracts and is fragrance-free.
Websites: www.dakotafree.com and www.gfsoap.com

Erbaviva

Backstory: Husband-and-wife team Robin Brown and Anna Cirronis founded Erbaviva back in 1996 to keep moms and their babies away from harsh detergents and chemical fragrances. Now with a wide range of bath and body products, the company has become a go-to retailer for high-quality items with an eco-conscious sensibility.
Groovy Item: Organic Baby Washbag ($32). A new baby means plenty of extra loads of laundry, but it shouldn’t mean harsh laundry chemicals coming into contact with a newborn’s skin. These one-of-a-kind sachets are filled entirely with herbal ingredients, like organic oatmeal and lavender flowers, that get all that spit-up out of onesies without drying the skin. Another cool fact: The outer canvas packaging is made by a hill tribe in Northern Thailand and Burma to support their children’s clinic and sustainable farming efforts.
Website: www.erbaviva.com

The Spoiled Mama

Backstory: “Honest, pure and simple” is the philosophy behind this company that produces products by mamas for mamas (and their families). Sustainability is also a top priority here—even the website is powered by clean, renewable wind energy.
Groovy Item: No Nuts About It Rump Gloss ($15). With a name this awesome, how could you not try this product? Seriously, it’s called rump gloss, and we think that’s amazing. Anyway, it’s clever and protective, with organic jojoba, apricot and grape seed oils to moisturize and nourish that oh-so-precious skin.
Website: www.thespoiledmama.com

Ruby Pinwheels

Backstory: Ruby Pinwheels was born when Teresa Leighty and Andrée Greer decided to take their substantial business experience and apply it to something they really cared about—natural and organic products for babies and children. Fair trade is especially important to them; in their words, “We search out woman-owned businesses and other organizations that provide environments where individuals can earn sustainable incomes that can help break the cycles of poverty and violence.”
Groovy Item: Alaffia Shea Butter Blissful Baby Balm ($8). Soothe your little one’s skin without adding extra moisture, which can lead to rashes and chafing, with this balm from Alaffia, a leader in fair-trade and handcrafted shea butter. With no added preservatives, colors or scents, you can be sure your baby is safe—and well moisturized!
Website: www.rubypinwheels.com