Great finds in the search for green cosmetics 1

I smell yummy. Very very yummy. So yummy, in fact, that my roommate's dog just tried to lick all the yumminess off my face. Still, even that salivary interlude couldn't kill my French Rosemary With Sweet Orange buzz.

I'm on a mission to replace all my pharmacy-bought personal care products with non-toxic, petrochemical-free alternatives. Alas, it's been slow going, especially in the skin care department. It took me years, after all, to find cleansers and moisturizers that simultaneously control my oiliness, don't dry me out, and prevent breakouts. (Sigh.) Saying good-bye to those standbys is tough.

I decided to try the Pangea Organics skin care line because of the packaging. Not only does the company wrap its stuff in boxes made from 100 percent post-consumer newsprint, the boxes are also plantable. Yup, all I have to do is soak the packages my lotion/cleanser/toner came in in a bit of water, stick the soggy suckers in the garden, and -- presto! -- medicinal herbs will theoretically sprout from the earth in twin miracles of nature and marketing ingenuity.

Alas, my thumb, unlike the rest of me, is not green, so I haven't done any planting yet. All I've been doing is compulsively spritzing my face, neck, and roommates with French Rosemary with Sweet Orange facial toner, which may be the -- yes -- yummiest-smelling stuff on earth. (The Egyptian Calendula & Blood Orange facial cleanser and the French Chamomile & Orange Blossom facial cream I tried earlier weren't half bad either.)

All in all, my new skin care regiment has left my face and neck feeling incredibly pure and soft (as opposed to burn-y and chemical-y), almost as if I just spent an entire week in a steam room ... eating raw vegetables ... while doing yoga.

It's also made me feel incredibly virtuous. All of the Pangea Organics products are free of synthetic chemicals, GMOs, and artificial colors and fragrances. Which means that (finally) I don't have to worry that all the stuff I'm using to look pretty on the outside is silently trashing my health on the inside.

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