Collective Wellbeing Hot Pore Cleansing Scrub with Active Charcoal

Grill season is here. And while this summer won't find me sizzling slabs of meat over charcoal (a potentially carcinogenic activity), I will be slathering a little of that black, porous rock over my face via a current product fav: Collective Wellbeing's Hot Pore Cleansing Scrub: a purifying mask and jojoba bead exfoliator in-one...that warms on contact!

Pretty factor:  Like a sponge, charcoal absorbs excess oil on the skin (much appreciated during Chicago's hot, humid summers). An exfoliation duo of jojoba beads and salicylic acid unclog pores and prevent breakouts. And antibacterial tea tree extract zaps acne-causing bacteria that might be having their own summer bash on your skin's surface.

Eco factor: Collective Wellbeing uses organic botanicals and no sulfates, parabens, or synthetic fragrance or color. They're members of 1% For the Planet and The Chicago Climate Exchange, through which they have completely eliminated their carbon footprint! 

To buy: $14.99 at Whole Foods and collectivewellbeing.com

Aventine Hill Bath Emporium Cleansing Grains

A blogging friend recently launched a lovely, affordable natural skin and body care line called Aventine Hill Bath Emporium. (Aventine is one of the seven hills on which Rome was built and the site of a temple to Minerva, goddess of wisdom, medicine, the arts, and crafts). Sheila's homeopathic concoctions include superb cleansing grains that I've been loving the past few weeks.

What are cleansing grains, you may ask? Typically oat or rice-based—and mixed with water—they've been used for centuries as a gentle, nutritional method of removing dead cells, unclogging pores and tightening the skin.

Pretty factor: My favorite among Aventine Hill's three varieties is Grandma's Herbal Cleansing Grains, which contain rice bran and colloidal oatmeal to exfoliate while soothing, and kaolin clay to tighten pores and reduce oil. Additionally, chamomile flowers calm, rose hips provide a lil' antioxidant vitamin C, and caffeine from cocoa perks up the skin.

To use: I've found that the easiest way to use cleansing grains is to sprinkle a bit into your cleanser to instantly transform it to an exfoliator. They also make an effective mask.

Eco factor: Aventine Hill products are free of parabens, sulfates, petrolatum, and synthetic color. No animal testing.

To buy: $9.50 at myaventine.com

Kiss My Face So Refined Jojoba and Mint Facial Scrub

Until recently, I had my skincare and exercise mantras badly reversed. With skincare, it was "no pain, no gain", which lead me to high AHA exfoliators and especially gritty scrubs. With exercise: "Slow down as soon as it hurts."

I'm still a workout wimp who claims "walking" as a favorite sport, but I have altered my skincare approach. I've discovered that mild, daily exfoliation is far more effective and healthier for your skin in the long run. We all want, for example, that red mark from a zit to disappear ASAP. But intense, harsh exfoliation isn't the solution because it can upset your skin's acid mantle, allowing in more acne-causing bacteria, and it can wear down your skin's ability to self-heal.

My recommendation? Use a gentle exfoliator nightly. Kiss My Face So Refined Jojoba and Mint Facial Scrub is amazing. It's a cheaper but still-as-stellar alternative to Ren's Jojoba Micro-Bead Purifying Facial Scrub.

Pretty factor: Perfectly round jojoba beads remove dead skin cells without scratching, tearing or irritating the skin. Jojoba oil cleans out pores and balances sebum production. Circulation-boosting peppermint oil and peppermint leaf extract leave your face tingling and fresh-feeling for an entire half-hour after use. Tea tree and lavender kill bacteria, lemon balm helps purify, and chamomile soothes.

Eco factor: Made with 81% organic ingredients. No parabens, phthalates, sulfate detergents, artificial colors, fragrances, animal ingredients, or animal testing.

To buy: $14 at Whole Foods, some drugstores, and kissmyfacewebstore.com

New British Brand: Pai Skin Care

Is it the Europhile in me who thinks that everything across the pond is more progressed, or is organic skin care more de rigeur in Britain?

Whichever the answer, the catalyst of the question was a press release from Pai Skin Care. Pai is a new, sparkling clean, London-based brand formulated with sensitive skin in mind...and it's reasonably priced! It was an instant hit with British beauty editors and named the No. 1 organic skin care line by U.K. fashion magazine Grazia (beating out Nude and Care by Stella McCartney).

Pretty factor: Pai products contain bases of plant oils such as camellia, jojoba, and rosehip seed to heal and moisturize, followed by essential oils like lavender, geranium, and manuka to kill acne-causing bacteria, regulate sebum production and lend a scent as fresh as the English countryside after rain. The Chamomile & Rosehip Moisturiser is a beauty for sensitive skin, and the lightweight Geranium & Thistle Moisturiser—which won me over with its outdoors-y juniper oil—is perfect for exceptionally oily faces.

Eco factor: Pai products contain organic ingredients certified by the Soil Assocation. They come in glass bottles (no plastic!) and do not contain parabens, petrochemicals, sulfates, phtatlates, propylene glycol, mineral oil, genetically modified or animal-derived ingredients, or artificial colors or fragrances.

To buy: Prices range from just $8 to $30 at paiskincare.com. International shipping to the U.S. is only $6.49

Naturopathica Rosehip Seed Regenerating Facial Oil

A couple week ago, guest writer Jen featured Juice Beauty's USDA Organic Facial Moisture Concentrate, which she's been loving lately.  The elixir that I'm enamoured with?  The Rosehip Seed Regenerating Facial Oil by Hamptons-based Naturopathica. 

First, a little info on facial oils.  As we age, our skin's sebum production decreases, causing dryness and dullness. Plant oils—e.g. rosehip, olive, evening primrose, coconut—nourish and hydrate to restore youthful plumpness.  Packed with vitamins and essential fatty acids, they also help reduce redness, fine lines and scarring.  

Should you shy away from face oils if you have oily skin? No! Contrary to popular belief, most plant oils are non-comedogenic.  In fact, many people think that their anti-inflammatory nature actually calms oil production. 

Splurge: Naturopathica Rosehip Seed Regenerating Facial Oil.  Sunflower and rosehip seed oils (rich in vitamins A and essential fatty acids) soften skin and boost collagen production to reduce fine lines and surface scars.  Pomegranate extract neutralizes free radicals and geranium and everlasting (immortelle) essential oils lend a divine aroma that quickly lulls you to sleep.  $40 at naturopathica.com and skinbotanica.com

Save: Burt's Bees Naturally Ageless Intensive Repairing Serum. I commend Burt's Bees for progressing from their hippie-in-the-woods image and making some quality skin care products the past couple years, including this new serum. It contains a base of repairative rosehip seed oil plus several other moisturizing and antioxidant-rich oils, such as pomegranate.  $26 at drugstore.com

Tip: Worried that facial oils will make your face an oil slick?  Massage just a few drops on slightly damp skin; they'll sink right in.

Save Your Skin While You Sleep: Hot Water Bottles in Bed

In the spirit of frugality and eco consciousness, I want to talk about a bedtime beauty secret that British and German women have used for years:  the humble hot water bottle.  

At night, turn down your thermostat, fill one of these bottles with hot water, cap, and slide it under the covers. (Insert "Is that a water bottle in your bed, or are you happy to see me? joke here.)

The bottle will heat your bed up to 9 hours. It will also alleviate aches, cramps and soreness and increase circulation!

Pretty factor: You’ll have softer skin and smoother hair this winter because hot, dry central heat didn't suck out their moisture.  You can spruce up your bottle (and protect your skin from the hot rubber) by wrapping it in a pillowcase or, for crafty gals, knitting a little sweater for it.

Eco factor:  Zero energy used. The traditional red or blue bottles are made of latex rubber. They last for years and keep your water the hottest. If you have latex allergies or are averse to buying non-recyclable rubber, you can buy a German-made transparent bottle of thermoplastic material that's odorless and recyclable.

Frugal factor: You’ll save quite a few bucks on utilities. The latex version costs as little as $3.95. The German version costs about $20 and will also last many years. Most drugstores carry the latex bottles. Click here to buy the German model.

— Jen from Skin Rhythm

Natural Treatments for Dark Circles

Happy inauguration day, readers!  It's been a goosebumps-giving treat to be able to work from home and watch the historic events in D.C.

But onto today's post: treating under-eye circles! The Obamas aren't the only Americans likely getting less than their recommended eight hours of sleep a night these days.  Few of us are.  As a result, those stubborn, bluish half moons under our eyes are becoming ubiquitous.

Dark circles are caused by a plethora of factors: allergies, irritation, heredity, thinning skin from collagen loss as we age, and lack of sleep.  As a result, they're notoriously difficult to treat.  But there are steps you can take to improve them:

1) Get more sleep. Since moving to Chicago and getting better rest than in rat-race NYC, my under-eye circles have noticeably lightened.

2) Invest in a moisturizing, vitamin K-based eye cream.  Hydration helps reduce dark circles' appearance, while vitamin K aids blood coagulation—it helps moves the blood pooled in capillaries under the eyes.  Here are my must-try products:

Splurge: Naturopathica Vitamin K Brightening Eye Cream. This is the best, most elegant eye product I've tried—and I've tested a lot!  It boasts vitamin K and elderberry extract to lighten dark circles plus camellia, grape seed, and sea buckthorn oils to luxuriously moisturize and nourish.  Finally, mica and silk powder refract light, making you look more awake.  $72 at naturopathica.com.

Save: JASON Vitamin K Crème Plus. This recently reformulated cream (now paraben-free) employs vitamin K, bioflavonoids, horse chestnut, and chamomile to minimize bruises, redness, spider veins and yep, under-eye circles.  It can be used on the entire face (it's a favorite of those with rosacea) or as a dark circle-lightening eye cream. $18 for a 2 oz tube at drugstore.com and Whole Foods.

Must-have: Jane Iredale Active Light Concealer.  I've gone through three tubes of this wander wand since discovering it two years ago.  Read my review here!

100% Pure Organic Acai Berry Anti-Aging Eye Cream

My mom looks fantastic for her 57 years.  She has nearly poreless, creamy skin with just light crow's feet around her eyes—which is remarkable for a woman whose only dermatological help has been a simple Mary Kay skin regime for two decades. 

But she's been fighting tired, puffy eyes recently and asked me to research a cream that might help. Anything for you, Mom. Your winner: 100% Pure Organic Acai Berry Anti-Aging Eye Cream.

Pretty factor: The base of this cream is organic white tea—not H20 like most cosmetics—which protects skin from oxidative stress (e.g. sun and pollution).  It's followed by organic cucumber juice, an anti-inflammatory and reputed puffiness reducer, then a load of antioxidant-packed fruits: blueberry, blackberry, pomegranate, and acai.  Beeswax, cocoa butter, and avocado butter lend supple hydration.

Tip: Store in the frig. The coldness restricts blood vessels and reduces the flow of fluids to the under-eye area.

Eco factor: 100% Pure products lack parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, sulfates or other harsh detergents, propylene glycol, PEGs, animal by-products, filler ingredients (e.g. thickeners and emulsifiers), artificial colors or fragrance, or genetically modified ingredients (GMOs)

To buy: $25 at some Bath & Body Works stores and 100percentpure.com

Best Face Exfoliator in a Recession (or in a Pinch): Sugar in the Raw

"When the going gets tough, the tough get resourceful," mama always says. I recently put her wisdom to use...on my face.  Four words, five syllables: Sugar in the Raw...mixed with your face cleanser.  Here's the scoop (pun intended):

I hadn't used a face scrub since running out of my former one several weeks ago.  I'm a frequent exfoliator, but am working only part-time on a new media startup and money is tight like a belt on Thanksgiving.

The other night, I noticed tiny flakes under my eyes and the overall pallor of an Addams Family member. I remembered that exfoliation is especially important in the winter because skin cells turn over less often in colder weather and can build up to cause dullness (and clog pores).

What could I use? Aha! Remembering Suki's best-selling Lemongrass exfolating cleanser, I headed to the kitchen and grabbed a packet of Sugar in the Raw.  I mixed it with Evan Healy's Tea Tree Gel Cleanser and gently massaged around my face for a minute then rinsed.

My face was a little ruddy afterward—but baby-bottom smooth.  I applied a soothing moisturizer and went to bed.  I kid not, I woke up to the most youthful-looking skin I've had in months.

Pretty factor: Sugar is not only a physical exfoliator but a "chemical" one, too—sugar cane is the natural source of glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that's used in skin care products for its resurfacing properties.  It helps reduce fine lines and acne by promoting cellular turnover. As a result, many face and body scrubs are sugar cane-based.

Eco factor: 100% natural, zero harsh or toxic chemicals

To buy: $14 for an entire box at Whole Foods and sugarintheraw.com.  Grab an extra packet from Starbucks and try it!

The Benefits of Exercise on Skin and Hair

Hi everyone. I apologize for the lack of posts this month. I've been rapidly preparing for a move from New York to Chicago (happening this weekend), and my mind has been OCD-fixated on the presidential race. I've developed a need to refresh CNN.com every 15 minutes and Gallup.com every few hours, even though they only update their polls once a day....

But for 30 min this past weekend, I re-commenced beauty research. Specifically: the benefit of exercise on skin. We know that aerobic exercise reduces stress and flushes toxins from the body. But I was fascinated to learn in this article from WebMD that exercise can also:

• declog oil from pores
• regulate the production of DHEA and DHT, the male-associated hormones that cause acne and hair loss
• increase collagen production in the skin—leading to a plumper, more youthful visage (in addition to giving that rosy flush, of course)

Now my experience: I'd been so busy with the Chicago move and having goodbye meet-ups with friends that, completely pooped, I had traded in my twice-weekly evening jogs for half-awake Netflix movies. By the end of last week, I was blah and sluggish, and my skin was looking too sallow for comfort. I forced myself to fit in a 25-minute run on Thursday and Sunday. And crazy enough, my complexion has looked much healthier, and I swear I've lost less hair in the shower.

So hurray for exercise: free, multi-beneficial, and without a carbon footprint!

The Best Natural Acne Treatment

I've tried an impressive number of skin care products for this blog over the past year. But few have done more for my complexion than Quixtar/Amway's clear.now™Acne Treatment Lotion. Since using it a few weeks ago, my oily skin (which has become more finicky since living in gritty NYC) has been uncommonly and consistently clear and even-toned.

Beauty buffs migh know Quixtar/Amway as the Avon-like (but-bigger) company behind Artistry® cosmetics (which recently announced Sandra Bullock as its spokesperson). A friend who sells the line enticed me first to the company's best-selling Nutrilite^® Women's Supplements. They're packed with high-quality ingredients from organic farms in California, Washington, Mexico, and Brazil, and the fish oil in their omega-3 capsules is mercury-free. But back to the lotion.

Pretty factor: Toss the Proactiv in the recycling bin! Clear.now™ contains an ingredient called sodium chlorite—whose particle size is 200,000 times smaller than benzoyl peroxide's, allowing it to thoroughly penetrate pores and kill bacteria. While it's debacterializing, .7% salicylic acid breaks down pore-clogging oil and a bevy of botanicals—aloe, lavender, willowherb to name a few—heal, moisturize, and calm redness. The skin is left clear and decongested without the slightest dryness or ruddiness.

Eco factor: No petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrance or colors, T.E.A., D.E.A., propylene glycol, silicones, PEGS, animal ingredients

To buy: $18. To get a 10% discount, e-mail me at ecopretty at gmail dot com, and I'll send you the contact info of my friend who sells the line.

Clinque Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam: No Sulfates or Parabens Plus Botanicals!

Well, the cows have come home:  This eco gal is using and loving a Clinique product.

I've been anti-Clinique for years. I've watched girlfriends stick with the line despite it doing nada for them—or causing more break outs.   That puke yellow "Dramatically Different" Moisturizing Lotion?  It's an outdated formulation of petrolatum, mineral oil and yellow dye.  Might as well slather Vaseline-brand lotion on your face!

However, there's always room for redemption. During a recent visit to Chicago, I noticed Clinique's Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam in my friend's shower. It belonged to her roommate, who has flawless skin. I skimmed its ingredient list, ready to shake my head.  Instead, I did a double-take: no harsh detergents or paraben preservatives, 2% salicylic acid plus tons of botanicals.

Due to job and relationship stress the past two months, I was breaking out around my chin.  So, in a moment weakness, I decided to "bring in the big guns" and headed to Sephora to buy this cleanser. 

I've been using it every night for 2 weeks—and my skin has completely cleared with no dryness.  As a result, I have vowed to use a cleanser or moisturizer with salicylic acid until I'm 40.  And to Clinique: congrats on a great product.

Pretty factor: 2% salicylic acid thoroughly cleans oil and grim from pores to prevent and clear zits. Peppermint extract further purifies while algae extract provides nutrients to the skin. Caffeine perks up skin and reduces inflammation, and glycerin and sodium hyaluronate inject light moisture.

Eco factor: No sulfates, parabens, or petrolatum.  Lots of skin-friendly botanical extracts.

To buy: $17.50 at department stores and Sephora (It's about 6 bucks cheaper than the Whole Foods cleansers I've been using!)

100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Eye Cream

Know how a cup o' joe gets ya going in the morning? Well, topically applied caffeine also perks up the skin. It encourages circulation, making it an ideal ingredient in facial moisturizers, cellulite lotions and, especially, eye creams. 100% Pure's Organic Coffee Bean Eye Cream is the best peeper product I've used. Dark circles are notoriously difficult to treat, but I've seen a small improvement in mine and a big boost in overall hydration.

Pretty factor: A caffeine combo of organic green and white tea plus green coffee de-puffs, gets that blue blood moving, and provides antioxidant protection. Blackcurrant oil—a rich source of essential fatty acids—moisturizes, plumps and reduces inflammation. The souffle-like cream gets bonus points for its hygienic pump container.

Eco factor: 100% Pure products lack synthetic chemicals, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, sulfates or other harsh detergents, propylene glycol, PEGs, animal by-products, filler ingredients (thickeners, emulsifiers, etc), artificial colors or fragrance, or genetically modified ingredients

To buy: $19 at 100percentpure.com and skinbotanica.com

Ingredients

Just Say Soy: The Dairy-Acne Connection

If you've been battling acne around your jawline and chin that just won't go away, try this simple, very cheap solution: eliminate dairy from your diet.

In December, out of nowhere, I started getting cystic breakouts around my jawline. After my mom commented on them while I was home at Christmas, I booked an appointment with a reputable dermatologist here in NYC.  In the middle of our session, he asked, "Do you consume a lot of dairy?" I was surprised by his question because he isn’t a holistic doc.

"Yes," I said. "Milk on cereal almost every morning and a couple servings of ice cream a week."  (Dang you, Ben & Jerry's!)  I also told him that I had started working at a new publishing company, whose brand of milk in the fridges (which I have on my cereal while reading email every a.m.) was different than at my former company. Would that matter? What’s dairy got to do with it anyway?

To summarize his explanation and subsequent research I did later, since milk is from lactating cows it is loaded with hormones.  Our bodies break down these hormones into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).  DHT stimulates the skin's sebaceous glands, increasing oil production.  (Excessive DHT is also responsible for male and female pattern baldness.)  I also learned that hormonal acne typically occurs around the jawline—exactly where my zits were.

I traded in my regular milk for organic soy milk and (painfully) quit ice cream. I was stunned.  Within just three days, the cysts were gone and no new ones were in their place. Even better, my face was significantly less shiny at day's end.

It’s now been two months since I quit milk and ice cream (can't part with cheese), and the jawline breakouts are completely gone.

**By the way, drinking hormone-free milk likely won't keep zits away because all cow milk contains hormones. Hormone-free just means that the cows weren't given extra, synthetic hormones.

Juice Organics Brightening Moisturizer

If you're thinking that this packaging looks a heckuva lot like Juice Beauty's, you're right. Juice Organics is the drugstore version of Juice Beauty, the certified organic skincare line sold at Sephora. There's minimal difference between the two brands' ingredients—and JO's prices are half of JB's.

I've been using Juice Organics's Brightening Cleanser for several weeks and it works. My face is two shades lighter. Seriously. If you have to pick between the cleanser and the moisturizer, though, go with the moisturizer. Because it stays on longer, it'll be more effective.

Pretty factor: Know how you can use lemon juice and hot water to get rid of scum and mineral deposits in the kitchen or bath? Well, it does a similar job on the face. Juice Organics products contain organic lemon juice, whose natural hydroxy acids exfoliate, detoxify pores, and help fade age spots and red marks from acne. Malic acid from apple juice and glycolic acid from sugar cane additionally exfoliate. Aloe leaf juice alleviates any redness that might result from the acids and honey moisturizes. The moisturizer is also loaded with antioxidants including green tea, coenzyme Q10, and alpha-lipoic acid.

Ideal for: All skin types

Eco factor: Juice Organics products are made with 100% certified organic ingredients. No parabens, synthetic fragrances, petroleum derivatives, artificial dyes, harsh sulfates, or phthalates. Juice Organics has a strict no animal testing policy and contains vegetarian ingredients.

To buy: $9.99 for the cleanser, $14.99 for the moisturizer; at Ulta stores, Ulta.com and juiceorganics.com

Ingredients: cleanser moisturizer

Earth Science Chamomile & Green Tea Eye Makeup Remover

More than once, I've wondered who decided that women would only buy eye makeup remover if it was dyed Technicolor blue and smelled like grandma's stale face cream. And also: Why all those harsh chemicals in a product for the face's most delicate, sensitive area? If you've also asked this question, pick up Earth Science's Chamomile + Green Tea Eye Makeup Remover the next time you're at Whole Foods.

Pretty factor: This remover is a clear, fragrance-free gel that doesn't irritate, smell funky or leave behind an oily film. Further, it's packed with eye-beneficial ingredients: Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate hydrate, bilberry extract stimulates capillary circulation (= more lively-looking peppers), chamomile soothes, and antioxidant green tea keeps crow's feet at bay.

Eco factor: Santa Barbara-based Earth Science is committed to making environmentally safe skin and haircare products. No petroleum derivatives, parabens, soaps, toxins, heavy metals or artificial dyes

To buy: $6.50 at shopearthessentials.com and Whole Foods

Ingredients

MyChelle White Cranberry Cleanser

Updated 5/15/2008: MyChelle Dermaceuticals is an extraordinary yet reasonably priced skin care line, and if you have oily or acneic skin, you must try its recently re-formulated and renamed White Cranberry Cleanser. I'm a product switch-a-holic and have gone through three bottles. Here's why:

Pretty factor: This nicely foaming, sulfate-free cleanser contains gentle surfactants and an anti-acne combo of

• .5% salicylic acid, an exfoliator that can penetrate oil
• 5% azelaic acid, an exfoliator and skin lightener that helps reduce annoying post-zit red marks.
• Bacteria-killing cranberry fruit juice, tea tree oil, and totarol, which is even more potent than tea tree oil.

Eco factor: MyChelle products contains organic ingredients and are toxin-free, lacking phthalates, parabens, propylene glycol, ureas, EDTA, and artificial fragrances and colors. The company is actively involved with local animal rescue programs.

To buy: $10 for 2.1 oz and $17 for a 4.4 oz. at mychelleusa.com and Whole Foods

Ingredients

Earth Science A/B Hydroxy Acid Night Rejuvenator

Before switching to all toxin-free skincare, I used products that contained skin-refining alpha and beta hydroxy acids with a nun's devotion. After months of hunting for a natural but dermatologist-worthy AHA/BHA product, I happily discovered Earth Science's A/B Hydroxy Acid Night Rejuvenator.

Pretty factor: Unlike a huge majority of cosmetics, the main ingredient in this lightweight facial lotion isn't water but skin-energizing ginseng. It also contains a 10% blend of glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids, which smooth the skin via exfoliation and diminish fine lines, acne and hyperpigmentation over time.

Finally, I commend Earth Science for listing the pH levels of all its products. Don't have a snooze fest while I wax scientific—this is important info: Most skin has a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. So, for a hydroxy acid product to be effective, its pH should range from 2.5 to 4.0. With a pH of 3.5, this lotion exfoliates without being overly harsh.

For: all skin types

Eco factor: Santa Barbara-based Earth Science is committed to making environmentally safe skin and haircare products. No petroleum derivatives, parabens, soaps, toxins, heavy metals or artificial dyes

To buy: just $19.95 at Whole Foods and shopearthessentials.com

Ingredients

JASON Super-C Cleanser™ Gentle Facial Wash

When I decided to "green" my beauty, like my lifestyle, a few months ago, my first purchase was JASON's Super-C Gentle Face Wash. Its ingredients were nearly identical to Ole Henriksen's On the Go Cleanser, a best-selling wash when I worked at Sephora—but JASON's was half the price.

Pretty factor: Gentle surfactants—no drying sulfates—remove makeup and grime without stripping the skin. A 10% vitamin C concentration perks up skin and orange essential oil lends an amazing, fresh-sliced oranges scent, making it a perfect a.m. cleanser for those with combo, oily or acne-prone skin.

Eco factor: No parabens, petroleum, animal ingredients or animal testing

To buy: $10 at drugstore.com and Whole Foods