Dude! You’re clean shaven but are you green shaven?

Yes, the eco marketing of all consumer goods has reached the scratchy male whisker. Despite the notion that the greenest face is the hairiest one, not all men like sporting facial fur and not all females like going into-the-wild to make out.

What steps can you take before going under the knife? Don’t roam far from the healthy foam; don’t be a fool with the wrong disposable tool; never brace your face with a jug that’s mean to your mug.

Here are a few products your barber-in-the-hood probably never chatted you up about:

Razors:

Be kind to your face and to the planet with this innovation in shaving, the Preserve® Triple Razor. Featuring titanium-coated blades and lubrication strip for comfort, this cutting edge razor is made from recycled plastic – including Stonyfield Farm® yogurt cups. It delivers a clean, close shave for both men and women. What’s more, it comes in four fun colors with an ergonomic handle that exhibits contours and gripping regions that enhance performance and control. Unlike other plastic disposables, after the shave it is fully recyclable. The blades are easy to replace by squeezing the arms of the Razor handle, popping off the blade cartridge and pressing in a new blade. The Preserve Triple Razor package doubles as a reusable travel case and can be returned for recycling using the postage-paid label.

Each Triple Razor package comes with two of Preserve’s titanium-coated blades. Replacement blades are available wherever Preserve Triple Razors are sold.

How to master the art of shaving so you don’t cut up your face? For that, check out this E How tutorial.

For those hooked on electric razors, Procter & Gamble’s Braun division has introduced a line of Energy Star-certified shaver chargers – a world’s first. According to a review by Trend Hunter, the Smart Plugs use 64 percent less energy than standard shavers and, according to the company, will save over 12 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year, or the equivalent of removing 1,073 cars from the road, planting 1,526 acres of forest or lighting 5,861 homes for a year.

The Lotion

Only $7.95 for 11 oz., Kiss My Face Moisture Shave is a cool way to go lime green. The lotion is a natural, cooling antiseptic that also acts as an astringent with its moisturizing formula containing highly effective natural essential oils, extracts and vitamins. Features include:

- antiseptic peppermint to cool and stimulate
- emollients olive oil and coconut oil and aloe vera for healing
- antiseptic goldenseal, also for healing
- Arnica aids circulation
- Lady’s mantle is an astringent and has styptic properties
- Sage, horsetail, and orangeflower act as astringents and refreshers
- Soapwort is rich lathering, effective with acne, and like lemongrass, cleansing
- Vitamins A and E are important nutrients for healthy skin
…all in a refreshing key lime.

Another soft touch is the Baby Face Healing shaving Cream from Ken Men.

The company is on a mission to formulate the “best possible shaving cream” and admits the word foam is not on its agenda, as there already exists a myriad of shaving foams on the market. Baby Face combines essential oils to create a shaving cream which can “adhere” to hair no matter how rugged the follicle. Ken says you no longer have to bleed to be smooth! (Ingredients include: De-Ionized water, Vitamins E and F, Ascorbic acid, Tea Tree oil, Rosa Mesquita, Flax seed & Macadamia Essential Oils, Salicylic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Oleth-20, Meadow foam Seed Oil, Lime, Coconut oil extract,oils of Mentha Veridis, Aloe Vera Juice Extract, Bisabolol, Essential oils of Sage, lime, vetiver, coconut pulp, patchouli & frankincense.)

The After Splash

Are you man enough to slap your cheeks with a product called Nancy Boy? The $20 blue bottle contains a refreshing gel that won’t burn or shock your skin. As the company puts it, “our position is that alcohol-based bracing aftershaves should have gone out with Joe McCarthy. They inflame the skin you’ve just abraded by shaving and worse, dry it out mercilessly.”

According to the site, this stuff is composed mostly (75%) of aloe, the healing, moisturizing wonderplant, and the bracing, cooling effect is naturally derived from the oil of peppermint. The natural witch hazel hydrosol in the formulation is another of nature’s best skin healers and soothers, while the alcohol, present at less than 1 part per hundred, is there to help sterilize any nick you might have self-inflicted.

Aubrey Organics Men’s Stock after shave is made with organic oils and extracts with a handsome scent of cedar, sandalwood and bergamot. It leaves a cool, tingly feeling and invigorates the face and tightens the pores. It is said to leave skin smooth and smelling yummy. Think English Leather without the beating. The formula includes witch hazel extract, organic aloe, cedar oil, sandalwood and patchouli.

Main image: dotbenjamin

We brought you the goods on great green hair conditioners. Naturally, now we’re following up with the best eco-friendly, natural, organic shampoos! (Or should it be the other way around?)

But first, why do we want to go organic and nontoxic with our shampoos? One reason: it’s called sodium lauryl sulfate.

This chemical is what makes regular shampoos suds up. Among other things, it can lead to skin damage, permanent eye damage in children and even liver toxicity.

The news is not much better for sodium laureth sulfate (SLS). On the up side, SLS cannot be metabolized by the liver. But that just mean the other bad things about it hang out that much longer in your body.  And don’t forget, it is also used to degrease engines.

There are alternatives. Some natural shampoos use disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, which can be considered the lesser of two evils. (Skin Deep rates it only a moderate health hazard.)

Better than that, there is decyl glucoside.  This is a mild sudsing agent certified for its eco-clean production. And some natural shampoos don’t use any sudsing ingredients at all ““ though this means they don’t foam up very well and if you’re accustomed to the foaming action of most shampoos, it can take some getting used to.

Confused? Not to worry. We went through quite a few natural and organic shampoos to sort out the best picks for your different hair types. And we point out the good and the bad.  So get ready to get lathered up!

And Our Top Pick Is”¦

Tasmanian Lavender Shampoo from Sea Chi Organics

Out of all the shampoos I sampled, this combined the best of everything. It had a fantastic scent that can best be described as “spicy lavender.”  It really foamed up in the shower and didn’t leave any build up. Best of all, if left my hair feeling silky and light.

Its ingredients read like a breakfast menu: seaweed extract, nettles, marshmallow root, comfrey root, calendula blossoms, oat straw, kombucha tea and more. It does not contain any solvents or sodium lauryl or sodium laureth sulfates. Bravo on the organic suds! And finally, it is great for all hair types.

Best for Normal Hair…

Lavender Rosemary Shampoo from John Masters Organics

This is another great product from John Masters Organics. It was a bit thick and heavy going on, so it is probably not best for every day use.

It is free of sodium lauryl sulfate, using decyl glucoside to get sudsy. It contains 13 other certified-organic ingredients and is cruelty-free.

Pampering Carrot Juice Shampoo from Yes to Carrots

This fun product has a fresh, light floral smell.  It lathered well, rinsed well and left my hair feeling light.

This paraben-free shampoo is blended with organic carrot, sweet potato and pumpkin, which act as potent antioxidants to cleanse and moisturize the hair. It also contains Dead Sea Mud (seriously), melon, orange and honey. However, it does contain some sodium laureth sulfate, so be warned.

Best for Dry Hair…

Teatree Mint Shampoo from Organix

Out of all the samples I tried, this is the best bang for your buck. It retails for about $6 and has a delicious mint smell that lingers. It left my hair feeling soft and clean, and there’s a good suds factor.

It has organic Australian tea tree oils, moisturizing milk proteins and micro-infused peppermint oils for hydration and balance. It is sulfate free, but does contain disodium laureth sulfosuccinate.

Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo

This smells exactly as you would imagine ““ sugary and grapefruity. It is pH-balanced, and sodium laury/laureth sulfate-, paraben- and phthalate-free. And it contains decyl glucoisde.

I found it rather hard to work through my hair and had to follow with conditioner. But it did leave my hair feeling clean and refreshed.

Best Clarifying Shampoos…

Why do we want an occasional rinse with a clarifying shampoo?  Well, to remove chlorine and mineral buildup. Use them once a week and you will notice a difference in your hair. Just be sure to follow with a great conditioner, as overuse can strip your hair of all the good oils.

Hair Detoxifier from Aveda

By far, this is the best product for the task at hand. It has a clean, camphor smell that perks you up. It is almost magical how clean and silky your hair will feel after use. (And trust me, it has to be magical to get me to use the term magical.)

It contains certified organic aloe and no synthetic reducing agents. And it suds with disodium laureth sulfosuccinate. Like all Aveda products, it is cruelty-free and contains 80% post-consumer packaging.

Clarifying Shampoo from Alba Botanica

This has a pleasant fruity scent that didn’t disappoint. My only complaint is that it is a bit thick, so leave some time to lather it out of your hair.

Alba Botanica’s shampoo is made with eucalyptus, which has antiseptic and cooling qualities. It is free of sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, artificial colors and of course there is no animal testing. It also contains 100% vegetarian ingredients.

Best Volumizing Shampoos…

Volumizing Shampoo from Nurture My Body

This product lathers sufficiently and left my hair feeling full and clean. It contains oat extract and honey to help strengthen the hair.

Nuture My Body’s product does not contain sodium laurel sulfate or any harsh detergents. It is supposed to be fragrance-free, but it smells more like light vitamins. Not bad, just not exactly fragrance-free. (Though it is free of the “fragrance” that is often used in non-organic brands which is nothing more than parabens.)

Big Body Shampoo from Kiss My Face

This product has a complex, fruity scent. Another great value, it is made with certified organic ingredients like floral water of rosemary, chamomile, lemon balm and more.

It contains no animal ingredients, sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial colors, or unnecessary chemicals.

Image: Meg Yarsh

Fashion this season has taken on a bright and colorful slant – it’s no wonder the world of furniture design is following suit. If a beautiful blouse or a sumptuous sofa is dressed in a dazzling color, it can create all kinds of crazy – the good kind of crazy, of course. The properly placed pop of color will catch your attention, whether you want it caught or not. It is that powerful.

Steel, on the other hand, doesn’t bring much to mind other than cool, modern, slick and smooth. But when said steel is slathered in non-toxic powder coated color, an entirely different style of steel emerges.

Take the Origami Side Table (above) made from two sheets of laser-cut, recycled steel. It’s the perfect little piece for next to the bed or reading chair. Made in the USA from locally sourced material, the table ships flat-packed and is simple to assemble without tools or hardware. Bend each piece and the folds lock the parts together. I bet there’s a color that suits your situation – bright red, brilliant white or sensuous black. Find it for $185 at Mio Culture.

I also found myself attracted to the Hive Bench/Table (above) the moment I laid my eyes on its intricate and sexy pattern. Made of powder-coated recycled steel, I think the reddish-orange is especially spectacular, although any of the color options are cool.

The Coral Bench/Table (above) is another winner, and would be just as stunning in white as bursting berry. Both pieces are manufactured in the U.S. by Arktura using solar and wind power. Purchase them at Vivavi for $1790 and $1495, respectively.

Image at top via stylebakery