So it’s confession time. (I have just locked all the doors, pulled the blinds shut, and am currently crawling under my bed to type this out.) Okay, here goes. I write an eco beauty column. Gasps all around!

And while we wait for my computer to now crash with an angry commenting mob, allow me to explain my need for secrecy. The organic beauty industry is currently something like the Wild West of Green Movement. Rumors tumble and float around like tumbleweeds, organic companies dress up in satins and feathered boas promising good times, and the Sheriff McLawster seems to change her mind every three days about what is safe and what needs a gun-slinging show down at high noon. And everyone has an opinion that they are quick to unleash on anyone who says otherwise.

So what’s a green beauty consumer to do?

First, there are a lot of great green resources out there. At the top of the list is Skin Deep, a safety cosmetic database compiled by the Environmental Working Group.  And then you can read labels. There is the USDA Organics system, which develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products. The BDIH Certified Natural Organics label comes out of Germany and details what is organic and natural in cosmetics. Then there is the Australian Certified Organics label, currently certifies about 55% of the Australian organic industry and appears on about 70% of all certified organic product in Australia.

Nonetheless, greenwashing is a Godzilla-like problem in the organic beauty world. (And in others.)  A company can throw a few organic ingredients into a product and not change a thing about all the other ingredients. And yet, they are still calling themselves the best little organic product this side of the Mississippi.

So really, the best you can learn to do is to read labels. And we can help you through it.

Let’s start with shampoo and conditioner. For lots of us, hair is step one in a beauty regime. . Despite certain hippie-haired stereotypes, there are green girls and guys out there who like clean, silky locks. So we looked at some eco products and labels to see what’s good in the green world of shampoos and conditioners.

First, why do we want to go organic with our shampoos? It is called sodium lauryl sulfate. This chemical is what makes regular shampoos suds up. Among other fun 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. 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 degreased engines.

So what are the 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 – though, go figure, they don’t foam up very well.

Tasmanian Lavender Shampoo from Sea Chi Organics
Out of all the organic shampoos I have sampled, this combined the best of everything. It has a fantastic scent that can best be described as “spicy lavender.” It really foams up in the shower, didn’t seem to leave any build up. Best of all, it leaves your hair feeling silky and light. Its ingredients read like a breakfast menu: seaweed extract, nettles, marshmallow root, comfrey root, calendula blossoms, oat straw and kombucha tea, and more. It does not contain any solvents, sodium lauryl or sodium laureth sulfates.

Lavender Rosemary Shampoo from John Masters Organics
This is another great product from John Masters Organics. It is a bit thick and heavy going on, so it is probably not best for everyday use. It is free of sodium lauryl sulfate, instead using decyl glucoside to get sudsing. It contains 13 other certified-organic ingredients and is cruelty-free.

And then there are conditioners. We use conditioners to keep our hair healthy, smooth, and shiny. Or to just avoid looking like the Scarecrow from Oz. Be you a daily conditionee, or someone who lathers it on once or twice a week, you’re going to want to keep it natural. Why? It’s called common ingredient Lauramide DEA. It strips away important amino acids like serine, histamine, and other hair and skin proteins. This can leave hair feeling dry and unmanageable. Thus creating the need to use more conditioner. Who knew hair conditioner could be so conspiracy-theory?

Nature Girl Lemon Thyme Crème Rinse
This conditioner has a fantastic scent, conditioned well, and it SQUEAKS off your hair. Just like a shampoo! It doesn’t weigh your hair down in the least. And it smells exactly like lemon and thyme. It’s a great daily conditioner for all hair types, and it works well with my best described as “fine” hair. This product is 100% natural, organic, and ethically wild-harvested.

Hamadi Shea Rice Milk Conditioner
This is another outstanding conditioner – it has a light, orangey scent that lingered. It rinses well, and thought the course of using it, I never had to deal with “build-up maximus.” It also leaves your hair feeling silky. This product is made with 100% organic essential oils and plant extracts. (However, I was not able to track down the rest of the ingredients.) It is completely biodegradable. And it is cruelty free.

Top Photo Credit: Mackl/Flickr