Even though they already use organic and all-natural ingredients, the company is currently going through the process of having all these ingredients certified as organic—a long, tedious, and very expensive process, but one that they feel is worth the time and effort to prove the quality of their products. A process, that personally, I am extremely grateful for!

The company’s website also has a page that offers a list of the top ten synthetic ingredients to avoid…an extremely handy reference for reading your own labels and tossing out potentially harmful products (which is what I will be doing upon completion of this article): www.aubreyorganics.com/about/treat_10synth.cfm.

All of Aubrey Organics products are hand-made in small batches, so chances are any item you purchase by this company was made recently in their Tampa, Florida manufacturing plant.

Aubrey Organics offers a diverse line of skin care products as well as cosmetics. The Collagen & Almond Moisturizing Hand & Body Lotion ($12.25) is a lovely light-smelling lotion that absorbs quickly into the skin. All products are also packaged in simple, white, recyclable bottles. The Honeysuckle Rose Vegetal Soap ($5.89) contains fragrant honeysuckle oil and is definitely a sturdy (as in not soggy) but gentle cleansing bar that is also wonderful for dry skin.

One of my favorite products is the Blue Green Algae with Grape Seed Extract Soothing Mask ($8.75). For less than nine bones you can have a spa-quality facial mask in the comfort of your own home. It contains kaolin clay as well as active enzymes that smooth away dead skin cells, and you can literally feel it warming on your face as soon as you apply it. Not only that, it was very effective in bringing my clogged pores out of hiding; which was both a blessing and a curse!

The line of Moisturizing Shampoos & Conditioners ($9.98-$15.48) is probably one of the best investments you can make in terms of a safe product. They contain no harsh detergents or foaming agents, which are found in almost every shampoo and conditioner on the shelf at your local Target. While I noticed that the lather factor indeed was a little less intense than other shampoos I have used, I was simply happy to know that I wasn’t getting a direct injection of toxicity via my hair follicles, while the conditioner worked just as well to detangle my long, overdue-for-a-haircut hair.

Most products that are all natural and organic are certainly going to cost a bit more money. But considering how slowly you actually use an entire bar of soap or tube of face mask, these products are worth every extra cent you might pay for them!

Aubrey Organics can be found at your local Whole Foods or Wild Oats Markets.

www.aubrey-organics.com

Anne Vickman, April 12, 2008