Each day, as you shower and get ready to face the outside world, do you think about what in your beauty products actually makes your hair shiny or your lipstick last? You should. According to Safe Cosmetics, beauty and body care products of all kinds contain tons of chemicals, many of which are linked to cancer. The average woman in the United States uses about 12 personal care products a day, and men use about six—and each of these products contain a dozen or more chemicals! Of these hundreds of chemicals, less than twenty have been evaluated by the industry’s consumer safety panel—so it is a big mystery what they are doing to us!  Thankfully, there are ways to replace these dangerous chemicals in your daily usage with natural products that won’t make you sick. Here are five of the best, natural solutions to our beauty (or handsome-ness) dilemmas:

1. Need to control your frizz? Instead of Infusium 23 Complete Frizz Control Treatment, try Got2b Glossy Anti-Frizz Shine Serum. Where Infusium contains eight ingredients known to be dangerous to your health, Got2b has infinitely fewer ingredients and only one that may be questionable.

2. The shampoo you use to wash your baby’s hair is also a place where dangerous chemicals hide. Instead of Johnson’s Head-to-Toe Baby Wash, use Method Baby Squeaky Green Hair + Body Wash. Method’s product only contains only four ingredients of low concern, while Johnson’s has over 30 ingredients, nine of which pose some health concern.

3. When you are washing your own hair, look out for Nexxus. Their Botanoil Botanical Treatment Shampoo contains at least one ingredient that is a suspected immunotoxicant, not to mention the company’s disregard for the climate and ethics in their manufacturing practices. Instead, use Dr. Bronner’s Magic Citrus Hair Rinse—it contains only ten ingredients, most of which are natural oils, and only two of low health concern.

4. If lipstick is your thing, switch out Stila for Peacekeeper’s colors. Stila’s lipstick has an ingredient, Oxybenzone, that is a suspected skin or sense organ toxicant. Peacekeeper’s Paint Me Accepting Lipstick has no ingredients that raise a health concern, and they make their product while reducing climate change emissions and giving back to their local community.

5. We know you can’t live without your deodorant—or at least, we don’t want you to. Instead of Arm and Hammer’s Ultramax Victory deodorant, which has the very dangerous Triclosan in it, try Burt’s Bees Herbal Deodorant. It has no ingredients that raise a health concern, and is made of five ingredients that are all natural.

Until the government regulates the chemicals that are allowed into beauty products, our choices are frequently going to have to be between the greater and lesser evils. To see how your favorite products rank in terms of health, environment and ethics, check out www.goodguide.com. If you can, switch to products that will help you, rather than hurt you.

Don’t forget your mother—or Mother Earth—this May 10. Think creatively and green when showing mom just how much you love her. Surprise her with one of these five gifts.

The Plantable Journal: Any eco-friendly mother will love The Plantable Journal, available at for only $25. This unique journal is made entirely of recycled office paper and wildflower seeds. Mom can first fill the 150 pages with her thoughts, prayers, poems, or drawings. Then when the journal is full, mom simply removes the cover, plants it in her favorite spot, and watches the beautiful wildflowers bloom. This creative gift truly embodies creativity and sustainability.

Organic Bath Set: Instead of paying big bucks at the local day spa and releasing toxic chemicals into your lungs and the air, how about providing mom with all the necessary goodies for an at home spa experience? The key to relaxing naturally is knowing that your lotions, soaps, and scents do no harm. Eco-express offers mom an elegant, complete spa box that features sparkling wine and organic chocolate in addition to the organic aromatherapy bath salts, hand and body lotions, and natural loofa. The entire presentation arrives in a reusable, keepsake box.

Flowers (…well not yet): Steer clear of the traditional roses that inevitably wilt and die, and this year, opt to give mom flower seeds instead! A long-lasting gift that cleans the air in addition to bringing beauty, these flowers can also serve as culinary herbs in mom’s kitchen. Mom will love the included eco-friendly bamboo pot—more durable than clay or maple and handmade from all-natural materials. The bamboo pot is more than sustainable with the earth’s resources, it’s also multifunctional. The lacquered lid, when placed beneath the potted snapdragons or lavender flowers, becomes a drainage saucer for the leak-proof pot. The entire package consists of the pot, soil, seeds, and growing directions, and the decorative ribbon is made in the United States from recycled plastic bottles.

Organic Chocolate: You can’t go wrong with flowers and candy for Mother’s Day (as long as you deliver them in person!) Try CocoaVino Persephone Bonbons for mom’s sweet-tooth. These chocolates are organic and fair trade, and are named for Persephone, the daughter of the greek goddess Demeter, respresenting the special bond that only mothers and daughters share. The fresh flavors and time spent together enjoying them are sure to be a hit.

Reusable tote bag: For mom’s many errands and “just in case” items she normally carries in plastic bags (or no bag at all!), help her out with these burdens by purchasing a reusable tote bag! Besides being super hip and must-haves from strolling the local farmer’s market to bringing a lunch to work, a tote bag is a green gift that keeps on giving past May 10. There’s a tote bag perfect for mom’s sustainable and portable shopping needs–make sure check out Ecobags’ massive variety woven, string, and canvas bags made entirely of organic cotton.

Don’t forget mom this year—make that phone call, drop by for brunch, or go the extra mile to give her a gift that improves her world. No matter what you do, one of these gifts will show mom how much you appreciate her and her efforts to live green. Happy Mother’s Day, Moms!