Choosing foods for you and your family that are made from quality ingredients can sometimes be a daunting task.  Many people depend on stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s to make quick decisions on what foods are healthy, nourishing, and not filled with harmful chemicals or treated with pesticides.  Although it may seem difficult to avoid foods that are possibly harmful to your body, it is often even harder to figure out what health and beauty products do not contain similar toxins.

Often we forget that not only what we put in our body but what we put on our body can affect our health. Everything from lotion to perfume, nail polish to shampoo can greatly affect the natural chemistry of our bodies. These products are often ridden with chemicals that contain carcinogens and toxins that can have negative effects on our health.

The ingredients of these products are so important that according to a recent New York Times article Whole Foods has recently announced a strict regulation of the products they sell in their stores.  While many products will claim that they are made from “natural” ingredients, starting in June 2011, Whole Foods will only sell products that are certified as organic by either the Agriculture Department’s National Organic Program or NSF International.  They will continue to sell other products that are not organic, as long as they do not claim to be organic. 

With Whole Foods taking this regulatory step, most truly organic cosmetic labels will do what they have to and get certified by these agencies. In the future when buying cosmetics you should:

1. Purchase from a store that you trust to carry quality, safe, and healthy products
2. Check for a certified organic label
3. Remember that your health can be affected

What are your favorite organic health and beauty products?