My journey to becoming vegan did not start out with the food I put into my body but with the products that I put onto my body. Like many, I bought skincare products based on commercials, word of mouth and often what was on sale. I never spent any time considering what ingredients were in the products I used and had no idea that a sentient being might be harmed so that my mascara didn’t make my eyes sting. I was unconsciously incompetent. When I was about 31, my boyfriend (now husband) Steve and I bought our first home and moved into a new neighborhood near Denver. While getting to know my neighborhood, I began to shop at a new (new to me anyway!) grocery store called Wild Oats. Wild Oats was what friends called a “health food store”. I had heard of these mystical places before but this was my first experience actually shopping in one. While wandering through their health and beauty section, I began to notice phrases printed on the bottles and containers that I had never seen before. Things like “cruelty-free”, “not tested on animals” and “animal-product free”. What??!!! What in the world could have been cruel about my lotion and tested on what? I was in shock! I had just become consciously incompetent. And that is when my life changed forever! Over the next several years of my life, I learned everything I could about the products I used on my body and slowly became consciously competent of anything that I bought from my shampoo to my body wash to my make-up. And then one day I woke up and realized that for all I was doing to help myself and the precious bunnies and rats and mice that had been suffering because of my choices, I still ate meat! And that was the day that I finally reached unconscious competence. That day I made the most profound decision ever. I became a vegan and ended my role in all animals’ suffering! That was 14 years ago and I haven’t looked back since!

What has helped me throughout this journey has been the Whole Body section of the grocery store chain Whole Foods. They have applied the same high standards for the food they sell to their personal care products. Over the course of two years, they examined every personal care ingredient that is sold in Whole Body and created a set of Premium Body Care Standards. First and foremost, they do not allow any animal testing for any of the personal care products…EVER! Additionally, they encourage their vendor partners to use plant-based and naturally derived ingredients, pure essential oil fragrances, gentle preservatives and non-petroleum based ingredients. To be labelled as a Premium Body Care product there are several steps that must be met. First, the products need to offer results – and only contain ingredients that are necessary for the product to do what it says it will do. Next, where the ingredients are sourced must be as close to nature and as minimally processed as possible. Followed by the environmental impact they cause. Every product we use eventually makes its way down the drain and into our environment so these products must not only have minimal impact when they are manufactured but also when they are used. The next stage is safety. Since what goes on the body goes into the body and there is no governmental regulation, Whole Body has done the research for us. All Premium Body Care product ingredients are labeled accurately, have established safety data or are less likely to cause skin irritation or allergies. To be specific, they have identified over 400 ingredients that are unacceptable. A short list includes parabens, polypropylene, sodium lauryl and laureth sulfates. Though preservatives are necessary in body care products, they only allow milder versions that have a lower likelihood of causing allergic reactions and sensitivities. Chemical based fragrances (that are now becoming linked with not only exacerbating asthma but also causing it), are replaced by fragrances made using natural essential oils or components of the essential oils. Whole Body sells over 2500 skincare products that fit within the guidelines I just listed with more being added every day. When making your decision on what products will be the safest for you and our planet, look for the Premium Body Care Standards logo. With the fact that the U.S. government does not EVER require health studies or pre-market testing for our health, beauty, skincare and cosmetic products, I will forever be grateful to Whole Body for doing much of the research for me!

Though every Whole Foods has a Whole Body section, I had the pleasure of visiting my first stand-alone Whole Body Lifestyle store recently in Sebastopol! This is only the second Whole Body store to open EVER! And it is right here in beautiful western Sonoma County. Now, of course, all of the things that I mentioned are important to me. I only want to use products that are good for me and for the planet. But what is most important to me is if the product is vegan! Along with a couple other local bloggers – Dale with savvy spice and Adrienne with The Rich Life On A Budget – I had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time with each of the vendors at the event. And here is what I found!

Gabriel De Santino, Founder and CEO of Gabriel Cosmetics and ZuZu Luxe watched as his grandmother made homeopathic cosmetics from seaweed, kelp and herbs that he helped gather by the ocean in Mexico. As a naturopath and herbalist, his grandmother knew of the healing and revitalizing properties of ocean plant life. As he grew up and entered the field of beauty, he used these healthy alternatives to create clean cosmetics. The cosmetics are 100% vegan and cruelty-free; certified gluten-free and are free of coal tar derivatives, FD&C coloring, parabens, mineral oil, lanolin, talc, propylene glycol, hydrogenated oils, carmine, lead and nano-sized particles! I have been using ZuZu cosmetics for years and love them. And now I can add Gabriel Cosmetics and try some new colors in lipstick, gloss and eye shadow!

I have always been a huge fan of Evan Healy products. In fact, I found them for the first time in the Whole Body section of my store in Raleigh, NC about seven years ago. I had always had oily skin so the concept of using oil and water to care for my skin seemed very counterintuitive to me! But there was an Evan Healy representative there that day and I was really searching for a product that I could trust and would help my skin look its best. She explained that our skin uses a protective layer of sweat glands and sebaceous glands that work together to produce a thin layer of lipids (oil) and perspiration (water). This is called our acid mantle. This acid mantle is our skin’s protective barrier from disease. When this delicate balance between acidity and alkalinity is disrupted, our skin’s ability to protect itself is weakened. And her products help restore that natural balance by using oils and waters from the plant kingdom! And I love the intimate connection they have with the product. From the fields and forests where they gather the plants to the lighting of the stills and the pressing of the nuts into oil, every formula is hand blended, hand labelled and hand packaged. Such a beautiful connection! All Evan Healy products are certified organic, non-GMO and vegan!

Shikai was formed in 1970 by Dr. Dennis Sepp, an organic and medicinal chemist. He began exploring the unique properties of certain plants and how they could benefit our hair and skin. One of his first studies was done with shikakai – a plant grown in India that was well known for its ability to clean hair, leave it soft and shiny but not dry it or the scalp. He created his first shampoo and the rest is history. Shikai now makes over 50 products from start to finish in their Santa Rosa facilities. And Dr. Sepp continues to oversee the formulation and manufacture of all of the products. All 50 products are cruelty free and free of all animal products. In fact, they have a Master Ingredient List right on their website that was most recently updated in August 2015. Bravo Shikai!

Three Sisters Apothecary makes hand crafted artisan soaps in small batches using high quality, cruelty free ingredients. This adventure started when the founders’ daughter came into this world at 3 lbs, 1 ounce! She began growing and making organic baby food, questioning every immunization and even making her own soap for her daughter! Now they make this soap together! They even make a soap for our dogs. All the ingredients are listed on the website and they all appear to be vegan-friendly!

My husband and I have both been using ACURE facial cleansing products for a couple years. In addition to skincare, they offer facial oils, beneficial oils for hair, skin and scalp, body wash, body lotion, bath soap, dry oil body spray, physical sunscreen (vs. toxic chemical), lip care, hair care and baby products. I have to admit that I had no idea they offered so many products! Their products are made with organic ingredients, no petro chemicals, sulfate-free, paraben free, cruelty free, no synthetic fragrances, gluten free and no mineral oil. Kristy Guerra founded ACURE to honor her grandmother who battled breast cancer for a decade in hopes of bringing awareness to the importance of healthy skin care made without toxins. Part of their “green’ culture includes planting a tree through Trees for the Future for every lotion that is sold and ten cents from every hair care unit sold goes to Water.org. They us 100% plant and food based ingredients. This does include beeswax in a limited number of their products.

My husband has been a huge fan of Dr. Hauschka products for years. They are a German organic, biodynamic skin care company founded in 1967 that offers skin care for our face and body, cosmetics, deodorants, body oils, foot creams, nail & cuticle oils and bath & shower products. But it all began when Dr. Hauschka began making natural, alcohol free homeopathic medicines in 1935. Though it was a huge success, it was banned by the Nazis and he and his future wife were both imprisoned before finally settling in Bad Boll/Eckwalden in the 1950s. They have an area of just over 11 acres where they grow 150 different nurturing plants using biodynamic methods. Most of the seeds for the next year’s cultivation come from their own plants. And they tend to more than 25 compost heaps that are then converted into high-quality soil! When they can’t grow it themselves, they find renewable resources all over the world to use. This provides them with abundant quantities of the ingredients they need while also benefitting the earth and providing work for local communities. Whenever possible, they source ingredients from biodynamic or organic farms and when that is not available they initiate the organic farming project themselves. Again, making jobs and supporting local communities. They literally have partners around the world and are currently working with the World Health Organization to offer about 700 farmers the opportunity to work and earn an income using organic rose cultivation methods rather than becoming opium producers. Along with their own bee colonies, they are always thrilled when other animals make a home in their gardens! They offer 48 vegan products that include face care, body care, bath & shower and cosmetics!

Aura Cacia offers high quality essential oils and aromatherapy products. Using their own ethical and sustainable sourcing program, their goal is to always guarantee high-quality oils from source to shelf. Unlike many companies, they believe in full ingredient disclosure – you will see every ingredient listed in order of quantity used. You will know exactly what is in the bottle you purchase! Aura Cacia products are never tested on animals and they contain no animal by-products with the exception of beeswax in some of their products.

I had such a wonderful time learning more about products that I already trusted and those that were new to me. I really enjoyed the stand-alone concept of the Whole Body Lifestyle store. It has the feel of a cosmetics and skincare boutique and is much calmer and relaxing then being featured in the middle of a bustling grocery store. I hope that we see more of these open up. And a big thanks to Amy Pellegrini, Whole Foods’ Marketing and Communication Lead – North Bay and her wonderful team for inviting me and sharing this new concept.

If you are looking for clean, toxin free, cruelty-free, vegan products, be sure to check out your local Whole Foods. And the next time you are up in Sebastopol be sure to stop by the new Whole Body Lifestyle store. I hope you love it as much as I did! I look forward to seeing you there and as always…eat, drink and be vegan!

And to learn some tips on improving your eating habits, visit this link from Health Ambition. Though not all suggestions are vegan, they offer some great common sense tips like minimizing processed foods & caffeine, eliminating soda (especially diet!) and as we vegans already know…eat lots of organic, real whole plant-based foods! To read the entire article, follow the link HERE!