In line with my goal to gradually switch to 100% organic, chemical-free personal care products, I would like to share a couple of the brands I’m using at the moment. I’ll share my reviews of some of their products in future posts.

For me, a major consideration for choosing any organic product, aside from the fact that it has to do its function (ex. a shampoo should clean my hair, a lotion should moisturize my skin, etc)… is its PRICE. It shouldn’t be a lot more expensive compared to the non-organic, synthetic, preservative-laden commercial version. Let’s face it, it’s easier to be motivated to save the environment and take better care of our health when the cost is reasonable. More and more people are becoming conscious of how they spend their hard-earned money, especially with the unstable economy and unpredictable nature of global warming – at least I know I am, hehe (flooding, anyone?).

So, here are a couple of brands I’ve been using lately. I’ve included links to the websites where you can read more about them. Thanks to my officemates for introducing me to these 2 companies. Not only are their products organic, locally-made, and affordable, these companies also have a vision and advocacies bigger than themselves.

Human Heart Nature (http://www.humanheartnature.com/)

They make a range of different personal care products for the whole body like shampoos and conditioners, lotions, liquid facial and hand wash, hand sanitizers, toners, and many more. They very recently increased their prices, and added new products to their line. I started using Human Heart Nature products about 6 months ago. There are some products I liked and some I didn’t. These are my favorites so far:

• Moisturizing Shampoo & Body Wash – Egg White & Aloe Vera (Guava scent) [this works well for my fine and thin hair]
• Hair Mask – original Mango butter and natural vitamin E (Peppermint scent) [this is a very light conditioner]
• Facial Wash – Calendula & Seaweed Gel [very mild on my skin!]
• Honey Facial Cleanser & Make-Up Remover [not greasy like other make-up removers I've tried]
• Acapulco Anti-bacterial Handwash in Mandarin scent

By Nature Handmade Soaps (http://www.bynaturehandmadesoaps.com/)

As the name suggests, they make mainly soaps. There are regular, special, and premium bars available, and many variants to choose from. The website lists the main ingredients used for the soaps and indicates the % naturalness of each variant. They also carry other personal care products like balm, salves, and different oils, though I haven’t tried those yet. I’ve been using their soaps for less than a month, so I’m still a guinea pig. Here are the ones I’m using right now:

• Regular bar – Cocoa Butter Melt  (100% natural) [I use this on both my face and body]
• Special bar – Just Tea Tree (100% natural) [I use this on my body only]

These are the other bars I bought, that are in the line-up for testing:

• Regular bar – Very Oatmeal (100% natural)
• Special bar – Baby Blue (100% natural)
• Premium bar – Olive Beauty (100% natural)

If I really like these, I will definitely be recommending and sharing more about them in my future posts. Have you tried any of these brands? Do you have any other affordable, local organic brands and products that you like? You can share them here or suggest them to me by leaving a comment. Thanks!