Remember back in the day when we used to head to the beach footloose and fancy free, slathered in suntan oil? That was crazy. The seductive scent of coconut that pervaded oils and lotions designed to enhance the sun rays throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s still jolts me back to simpler days… when getting skin cancer was as easy as building a sand castle. Those days are long gone. With sunscreen now not only recommended, but as mandatory as a bathing suit itself, we still can’t shake the cancer threat: Vitamin A has been shown in some studies as a cancer accelerator, and don’t even get me started on oxybenzone. That stuff is pure evil absorbed by the blood, leading to allergic dermatitis, hormone system disruption and all manner of cell damage. Both are loaded in many commercially available sunscreens. Best to go natural, sticking with sunscreens that call on titanium dioxide and zinc oxide to do the job. Some even smell nice. Not that nice, though.

Topping my list by a landslide is Josie Maran’s Argan Sun Protection for Body 30+ for one simple reason: Unlike many natural and organic sunscreens, rubbing it in is a non-event. This stuff is light, nongreasy and disappearing it into my epidermis doesn’t remind me of a peanut butter body masque like many natural and organic sunscreens do. UVA/UVB protection here is all titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, but the key ingredient otherwise is organic argan oil, a nifty little juice from the semi-deserts of Morocco that helps to repair and reverse previous sun damage as well as ward off future wrinkles. The scent is best described as Sweet Apricot Paradise Love, but nothing too in your face. No petrochemicals, no parabens, no toxins. Josie Maran calls its “Chic-logical.” I like that.
$24, josiemarancosmetics.com

Of their new line of reformulated suncreens, Aubrey Organics Natural Sun SPF 30+ Green Tea is obviously my favorite, both because I love the idea of overloading my skin with the antioxidant power of organic matcha green tea, but also because I love the attention and looks I get when I slather on this green-tinted gunk, which looks more like day-old split pea soup than any kind of sun protection. Plant-based emollients like organic shea butter, jojoba and sunflower oils give the skin a hydration boost and zinc oxide and titanium dioxide block the sun’s harmful rays— exactly what you want in a sunscreen if cancer is not on your to do list. I assume it’s not.
$15.95, aubrey-organics.com

Boasting a spicy scent not commonly seen in a sunscreen, Pratima’s Neem Vetiver Body Sunscreen SPF 30 is what I imagine myself using on an Indian beach, if there was an Indian beach nice enough to warrant sunbathing. The Ayurvedic company was founded by Dr. Pratima Raichur, a visionary in Ayurvedic skincare, and uses nothing but sustainable and organic essential oils— in this case, neem, licorice and vetiver, which lend its unique scent. Rays are warded off by non-nano micronized zinc oxide and beats down not only UVA/UVB but UVC— who knew there was a UVC? It is also Sattvic, which is pretty much Hindu for as noncontaminated, non-evil, non-harmful— noneverything!— that something can possibly be. I’m not even sure I should be allowed to wear this sunscreen at all. But when I do, I feel like a better person, if only while I lounge by the pool in the hot sun. (I take what I can get.)
$25, pratimaskincare.com

The French love to toot their own horn (hey, so do I, so I sympathize), so it should come as no surprise that L’Occitane’s Angelica UV Shield SPF 40 plays up a liberal use of organic angelica from the Drôme region of France. Legend has it Archangel Raphael brought angelica root to Charlemagne, Emperor of the West, to save his plague-stricken army— from what, I can’t say, but I hope it was from sunburn. Of course, I prefer to call angelica root by one of its nicknames: wild celery (I mean, how wild can celery be? Hilarious.), but that’s not important. What is important is that angelica root has been touted throughout the years as a cure for pretty much everything, so take its miracle curative powers with a grain of salt. Though L’Occitane is cryptic about it, the sunblocker here is acceptably titanium dioxide. A little goes on a long way, so use sparingly; and forget about it if you have oily skin. This one is a little greasy, just like an order of French fries.
$34, usa.loccitane.com

Kevin Raub is a travel and entertainment journalist and a contributing writer at Organic Spa. His work appears regularly in Travel+Leisure, Town & Country, Robb Report, American Way, and Lonely Planet, among others. You can find him at www.kevinraub.net.

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Coyuchi’s Jersey Men’s Cotton Robe is a 100 percent certified organic and Fair Trade robe born of a unique relationship between Coyuchi and the Chetna Cooperative, a 6,500-strong coop of family-owned farms in India. This robe, in a granite-like color called Indigo Melange, is a perfect hybrid robe – not too thin for colder climates and not too thick for, say, India in August. The company is a well-established leader in the organic bedding field, as well. $75, coyuchi.com

Pure Fiber’s Organic Combed Cotton Robe is a knitted cotton bathrobe sourced in Kolkata with a mildly silky texture that rides the fence between cotton and smoother fabrics. The one thing I absolutely love about it is that the wrap-around belt is permanently attached, so it doesn’t slide around or come loose and fall off. But my complaint is also with the belt: it rides too high. This is a kimono-style robe with two front pockets that are a nice touch. $69.99, pure-fiber.com

I live in a tropical climate so I don’t need any heavy-handed cotton hugging my body, but boy if I lived in colder climes, I’d love the Gazel Men’s Hooded Terry Bathrobe — though I’m not sure if the Anatolian-era inspired housecoat makes me feel more like an Arctic monk or a cold-weather Grim Reaper. Of course, that’s all to do with the hood. I’m digging the dark-side style of this 100 percent certified organic monolith that’s sourced from the Aegean region of Turkey. Beyond that, the other noticeable departure of this robe from the others here is its poundage – the cotton here is a weighty 400 gsm (grams per square meter), which translated into Green Groomer speak means it’s like wearing a Mack Truck. $165, gazel.com

Kevin Raub is a travel and entertainment journalist and a Contributing Writer at Organic Spa Magazine.

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It looks like a painting of colonial days gone by, when life was simpler and folks hadn’t a care in the world. Except in Trancoso, there still isn’t much to work people up, as evidenced by the traditional Bahiana (the local women of Afro-Brazilian descent from the state of Bahia) — one of whom is casually rolling along a dirt path that cuts through the Quadrado on a beach cruiser-style bicycle, the distinct waft of marijuana following her like a shadow cloud chasing the sun. She inhales as she rolls by me. Beyond her, the sea glistens. “Bom dia,” (“Good morning”) she sings as she slides away, the likely pinnacle of her efforts for the entire day.

Along the Quadrado, hidden behind walls of pink and green, lie one-third of the Uxua Casa Hotel’s accommodation inventory. This is Trancoso’s newest boutique resort, an exercise in sustainability that has raised the bar in Bahia. One of the three rooms here was once a modest vacation home for Uxua’s designer and owner, Wilbert Das, the creative designer of Diesel, who decided to lay down roots here after years of mellow vacationing.

“The first time I arrived, I was astounded by the beauty and peacefulness of this quiet fisherman’s village,” recalls Das, who first visited Trancoso 15 years ago. “I was by myself, and it was so quiet that I worried about being bored. It turned out to be the complete opposite. I always felt incredibly relaxed, but at the same time very stimulated during that stay, and after ten days I left Trancoso with the typical Brazilian saudade (a word meaning a nostalgic longing) and could not wait to come back.”

But what began in 2006 as a small, two-bedroom home away from home took on an eco-life of its own once Das got a good look at the natural resources at his disposal—and at the local artisans who are adeptly skilled at turning nature into living art. “Once I started working on a house for myself and realized the amazing potential for collaboration with the local artisans here who have an amazing skill level and respect for working in traditional ways, it really whet my appetite to expand the project,” says Das.

Suddenly, an abandoned lot strewn with deadwood and overgrown vegetation, essentially Das’s backyard, became the breeding ground for a hands-off-nature approach to construction (not a single tree was destroyed in the process) — and Uxua was born. Large trunks of salvaged eucalyptus, roxinho, jacca, and sucopira blanca trees became the artistic centerpieces of the resort in the form of massive showerheads (quite literally water-spitting tree trunks protruding from the interior walls). Last Supper-worthy dining tables carved from single pieces of hardwood and hollowed trunks evolved into outdoor shower stalls. And, one of Uxua’s showcase rooms, known as the Casa de Árvore (The Treehouse) is entirely carried with support beams that were once fallen trees.

When I arrive at Uxua it’s nearing three o’clock in the morning, but the late hour has nothing to do with the fact that Uxua doesn’t feel like other resorts. There is really no check-in to speak of. I’m merely escorted to my room, which is actually a one-bedroom home, complete with an outdoor kitchen, bar, living room, and pool. The room is creatively rustic, somewhere between barnyard bunker and wine country cozy. As far as resorts go, it’s one of the most welcoming and inspiring rooms I’ve ever slept in.

The love affair begins with the restored and refashioned Midcentury Modern furniture hailing from abandoned farms in Minas Gerais, an interior state of Brazil, the recycled wood giving off an aged air that burns home the idea that new is not always better. In their former life, the Little House on the Prairie-style locks and door handles also lived on Minas farms, as did the floors—pieced together from reclaimed timber like a mismatched puzzle, beautiful in its flaws—and lamps, hangers, and shelving.

Outside, the daybed is covered in a blemished canvas that formerly covered the back of an old Brazilian military transport jeep. In fact, with the exception of the iPod radio, mini-bar, air conditioner, and a plasma TV, I have to ask to be brought in, I don’t see a single new item in the place. The room’s only eco-flaws are its use of a non-natural Brazilian amenity line called Natura — high-end, but misleadingly named — and the entirely too large bathtub, which requires nearly an hour to fill (the aqua guilt I felt from one bath was enough to ruin its relaxing qualities). Otherwise, the attention to fashionable reincarnation and green construction practices is remarkable.

Throughout the property, which is tucked away clandestinely among the lush vegetation that borders the Quadrado, the commitment to sustainable practices permeates; most notably in the social areas. To make room for the pool, lined with some 40,000 gorgeous, hand-laid aventurine quartz stones that offer a soothing muted green glow, clay was lifted directly from the ground and transferred to the walls of the kitchen and other social areas in a traditional process known as pau-a-piquei, invented and performed by nearby Pataxó Indians whom Das employed. Down at the beach (the 10-minute walk from the Quadrado’s cliff-top real estate to Bahian’s cerulean shores) is the extent of a day’s work at Uxua: The hotel’s beach bar and DJ booth were carved out of abandoned fisherman’s boats, previously swept up on the shore and left to die. The boats simply reincarnated as the beach cocktail of choice for the fashionable and trendy and the soundtrack du jour for the hotel’s discerning guests.

Behind the scenes, Uxua is pouring on the community action, including the rebuilding and maintaining of the boardwalk that stretches across the mangrove swamp between the ocean and village, as well as providing literacy classes for those non-proficient in Portuguese (Bahian literacy rates leave something to be desired), English lessons, full tuition reimbursement and healthcare, which is somewhat standard practice elsewhere but still rare in Bahia. The hotel installed a 100 percent effective system to manage the sewage and waste of its beach bar, so as not to contaminate the mangrove area, which they have maintained on their own accord since opening, as well.

If Uxua has a fault it’s that its commitment doesn’t extend as far beyond construction and community as it should. Organic is M.I.A. in the restaurant, right down to the sugar packets (organic sugar is readily available in Brazil, so no excuse there) and there are cigarettes on the dinner menu (no printable comment, as this is a wholesome magazine). But its upper management and staff are extremely open to suggestions (after all, their background is expensive Italian jeans, not hospitality), so these problems very well may fix themselves by the time you read this.

Back in my casa I realize that I love this room so much, I’m not sure I even care anymore what goes on at the restaurant. I’m staying in. I decided after the first dip that baths are not practical at Uxua from an environmental standpoint (I cannot justify using that much water for a little R&R), so I stick to the tree-trunk showers, which I still revel at after my third day here. I’ll use my own organic products.

For more information: Uxua Casa Hotel, +55.73.3668.2166, www.uxua.com, doubles from $505 

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On first application, Lafe’s Natural and Organic Tea Tree Hemp Stick stung my pits a little—perhaps that was the certified organic hemp oil or just my sensitive skin—but after a day or two, the sting went away. I was happy. But then it returned, so this Texas-produced deodorant didn’t quite find its way onto my love list, though there is no shortage of great things about it. It’s 71 percent certified organic, it glides on invisibly like a regular stick deodorant, it smells slightly medicinal but not overbearingly so, and it works! How novel. The company even shells out one percent of its proceeds to breast cancer; and they have been at it since 1992, so there’s been plenty of time to get this right. I have Tea Tree under my arms, but this line also comes in Unscented, Active, Lavender, Fresh and Powder. www.lafes.com

Finally an organic deodorant that doesn’t feel like I’m using anything other than Speed Stick! Bumble & Bee’s Pit Putty is everything a natural deodorant should be. It looks and feels like a traditional deodorant stick, right down to the white smears on my colored T-shirts when I don’t get dressed carefully enough. It’s 100 percent organic and free of all things that will one day drive me batty. It’s smells wonderful, like lemon and clove, and after subway-testing it on a non-air-conditioned Brazilian Metro, my pits still smelled like Christmas. Arrowroot powder, extra-virgin coconut oil, lemon peel, and clove essential oils round out the certified organic wonders here. It comes in whimsical cartoonish packaging and with a 100 percent guarantee. I can smell a deal like that from miles away! www.bumbleandbee.com

A revolution in natural deodorants was promised by the new and improved Organic Grooming by Herban Cowboy’s Unscented Deodorant, just released in May. This one immediately grabbed my attention due to its ousting of propylene glycol, instead relying on a renewable corn-based derivative which is non-irritating (after my own heart, indeed) to handle fragrance distribution duties (it comes in Dusk and Wild scents, too). It contains certified organic sage, parsley, rosemary, and aloe and calls on both historic and cutting-edge bactericidals to bring this baby up to commercial deodorant strength and effectiveness without the damage. For a product that has spent a full seven years in Research & Development, I expected big results—the kind of results seen in testing during tantric sex or a marathon. But being that I’m neither Sting nor Kenyan, a standard run through the neighborhood had to suffice. Did it pass muster? Did it now! A 40-minute run in near-equatorial humidity and I was still respectable, according to the good ole spousal sniff test. My only complaint is the slighter “creamier” texture depletes a bit faster than traditional stick deodorants, so you need to buy it more often. Other than that, you’re looking at the next generation. www.organic-grooming.com

Europeans haven’t always had their armpits on the pulse of deodorants—let’s be frank here—but the Germans have manufactured a winner with the Logona MANN Deo Spray, an unassuming little guy that does a big-time job. I gave it the 5K test in 4 pm afternoon heat and lo and behold, a solid run didn’t deter this BDIH-certified natural deodorant. It smells woodsy without smelling like a pine tree, and owes much of its greenness to certified organic witch hazel and birch leaf extracts. I’m not sure why this one works over the ones here that do not, but I’m guessing it has to do with the poplar bud extract, as I don’t really know what that is, and it’s what’s missing from the others here. Either that or good old-fashioned German engineering. www.logona.de

Erbaviva’s Lemon & Sage Deodorant smells wonderful—certified organic essential oils of lemon, sage, patchouli, and tea tree make for a lovely underarm bouquet—but as with most natural deodorants, disappointment inevitably follows. If you are sitting around your air-conditioned house on a Lost DVD marathon, mixing these essential oils into a slightly stingy organic grain alcohol base might work, but if you move whatsoever in temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s not going to cut it. That’s a shame, because Erbaviva is a cute little company doing great things for the organic movement (especially for mothers and their babies), with a load of celebrity fans, but I can only think it’s the Organic Stretch Mark Oil for mama or Sniffles Organic Chest Rub for baby that they love, not the spray deodorant. So, this one works for couch potato-ing, but doesn’t work for beer runs to the kitchen. www.erbaviva.com

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You gotta give it up for Kiss My Face, which isn’t the most manliest sounding product line I regularly cover, but they sure do make chemical-free cosmetics affordable…sorta. Their Potent & Pure Pore Shrink Mask is half the price of anything else here (that’s the part I like), though its lasts half as long (not a big fan of that). White bentonite clay combines with tea tree (antiseptic) and lemongrass (anti-inflammatory) essential oils to provide a tingly, smooth facial ride that I especially enjoy after a close shave. Certified organic ingredients here are abundant: rosemary leaf, lemon balm leaf, and chamomile extracts, among others. Afterward, my face indeed feels kissable. Who’s first? www.kissmyface.com

Once again, I adore Yon-Ka for Men’s Mask, merely the latest product from this French phyto-aromatic company to steal my heart (though the company’s use of parabens in other products in its line is something that doesn’t turn me on quite as much). However, the men’s mask smells divine, a combination of the “Yon-Ka Quintessence” (geranium, lavender, cypress, rosemary, and thyme) along with citrus essential oils (orange peel, grapefruit, lime, lemon), all sourced from raw ingredients that are free of pesticides or preservatives. A three-clay cocktail extracts toxins and tightens pores, all the while eliminating signs of a weekend tequila bender or being roughed up in a brawly rugby match (the French are good at rugby, right?). You can actually see your pores shrink after one use. It’s fruity, but that doesn’t make you a fruit. www.yonka.com

My favorite mask has to be Rare2B’s Detox Facial Mask. I’m not vegan-but I love the fact that Rare2B is a 100 percent vegan and organic product line. But beyond that, this is the creamiest, most pleasant mask I tried. Amazonian white clay is the cause; drawing out toxins while spreading the most evenly of the masks I tested. Elsewhere, it’s full of indigenous ingredients from South America: Aa (fights inflammation), camu-camu (potent antioxidant), and the babau palm (soothes dry skin). Larch tree extract covers exfoliation, skin cell turnover, and tightening (who needs Botox). My wife likes it, too, so we can do it together, and I get credit for coming up with the idea. Brownie points! www.rarenatural.com

Yum Gourmet Skincare’s Organic Squamosa Buffing Masque is the odd man out here, both in design and texture. It feels more like a hair gel than a mask, first acting as an exfoliant upon application, with small beads of jojoba gently removing dead surface cells and impurities. It’s designed to remain on your face for 5 to 10 minutes, the shortest timeframe here (a good thing, as we men generally lack the patience for some of this stuff). Organic Squamosa, derived from the Sugar Apple tree, rocks collagen production and improves intercellular cohesion. An anti-aging, free radical Cosmopolitan of certified organic pomegranate extract and cranberry essential oil; and vitamins C and E keep environmental aggressors at bay. And unlike the more traditional masks, it never really dries into a facial crust, but is really more of an exfoliant that you leave on for extra time. The upside to that is this made-for-men mask lacks emasculating qualities, the downside is that its lack of viscosity allows product to run into your eyes. It stings like hell. www.yumskincare.com

Not named after a dude named Ken but rather a Kanji word meaning “the embodiment of well-being,” Ken-Men is an eco-conscious, Fair-Trade company with roots in the film industry offering products designed, among other things, to reduce skin inflammation and promote healing. That I like. Their Skin Fitness Rescue Anti-Stress Mask leaves the skin the least markedly smooth among the choices here, but probably digs the deepest into your damaged appearance, working on a cellular level to battle fatigue, stress, and dehydration. Shea butter, avocado, and wheat germ oils combine with herbal extracts like thyme, sage, willow bark, blue chamomile, and calendula to go on creamy and light; it doesn’t dry particularly cakey, either, which seems more manly. It’s perfect post-Trans Atlantic flight or for simple Sunday mug maintenance. www.kenmen.net. 

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I find Yum Gourmet’s Q10 Pumpkin Seed Serum to be a little greasy, yet still intriguing for its use of pumpkin seed and pomegranate, a combo that feels a little manlier on the mug. Laced with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, an anti-wrinkle formula derived from the sugar apple tree, and its namesake CoEnzyme Q10, this one handles aging, environmental damage, and moisturizing with a product you thought was only good for Thanksgiving pie and Jack-O-Lanterns. Turns out the certified organic pumpkin seed oil here is a natural anti-wrinkle combatant, moisturizer, and nutrient deliverer. Those with oily-prone skin probably won’t appreciate its greasiness, but the rest of us love this one. www.yumskincare.com

The only product from Urth’s Skin Solutions, a new natural-leaning skin-care line for men, that isn’t laced with evil parabens is its Hydra Therapy, a very male-friendly serum that glides on more like a cooling gel than a syrupy serum. For this reason, I’m a big fan, but would like to see some paraben-free improvements in the line as a whole (their Green Tea and Rice scrub is probably the best male scrub I’ve yet seen but, alas, I can’t use it). The two key ingredients in the Hydra Therapy are red seaweed and white tea, two powerful antioxidants, while rosemary and grapefruit peel oils and witch hazel and eucalyptus round out the anti-inflammatory and soothing effects. It’s a little sticky, so it makes me want to fall asleep face-up on my pillow, as not to soil my lovely and very expensive DKNY organic sheet set (I’ve been preaching here for months: You gotta treat your face right!). www.geturth.com

Billed by the company as an intensive age fighter, EmerginC’s Vitamin C Serum jolts your face with a powerful burst of orange love. This product is pure joy in the morning, delivering a citrusy shock that is perfectly slippery and light and, if it doesn’t work, it surely convinces you otherwise by it’s pure potency. At night, the company’s P.M. Fortifier aimed specifically for men, makes for a nice complement, tossing Indian lotus, green tea, white nettle, comfrey, calendula, arnica, and magnolia into the facial rejuvenation mix. EmerginC receives a star for its packaging as well—each container is made from Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forest Initiative-certified paperboard with non-toxic vegetable-based inks. www.emerginc.com

Intelligent Nutrients’ Certified Organic Anti-Aging Serum takes the botanical approach rather than the fruity one, delivering the fountain of youth in an Exorcist-green juice that’s much oilier than others here. That’s bothersome, but it feels so righteously natural, you soon forget. This serum is based around the company’s Intellimune Seed oil, a blend of black cumin, pumpkin, red raspberry, red grape, cranberry, açaí, argan, safflower, and apricot seed oils which discharge an explosive antioxidant blast to your grill. Elsewhere, omega 9 fatty acids help retain moisture and tocopherols work as excellent free-radical scavengers. There is a whole hell of a lot of other plant-derived stuff in here as well, too much to wrap one’s head around. Though this one isn’t my favorite on application (it smells funny, it’s too oily), it’s definitely the one I feel that is doing the best job in keeping people low-balling my real age; as well as the best value-for-money here. And I love the fact that it’s 100 percent certified organic, as is everything in this Minnesota-based company’s extensive skincare line. www. intelligentnutrients.com

H. Maloha’s Bionutrient Face Serum is a highly concentrated, small-batch Hawaiian product based around the indigenous ingredient astaxanthin, a naturally occurring red algae said to be 6,000 times more powerful than Vitamin C and 550 times stronger than green tea (how these things are measured, I’ll never know, but I won’t swear 1,000 times over these numbers are accurate). This serum is nearly a star in itself, appearing in the celebrity gift bags at both the Emmys in 2009—and priced accordingly. Instead of using water as a base, H. Maloha is based in rose water and aloe-vera juice—even deep ocean water—delivering more oomph than mere agua. There are no parabens or other bad stuff; and H. Maloha calls on organic bilberry, sugar cane, sugar maple, orange, lemon, and cranberry extracts, as well as a 29-ingredient natural botanical brew to round out the recipe. Though expensive, this serum combines day, night, eye, firming, and antioxidant serums into one product that lasts up to a month longer than average. If you use too much, it will turn a milky white on your face—a nice barometer to keep overuse in check, giving you more bang for the buck. Aloha! www.hmaloha.com.

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If you melted down a few sour apple Jolly Ranchers and poured the concoction over your head, you’d have an idea what it’s like to use Desert Essence’s Organics Green Apple & Ginger Thickening & Volumizing Shampoo. Luckily, I’m a sucker for a Jolly Rancher every now and then. This 100 percent organic sweet nectar has nothing bad in it at all, and calls on sugar and coconut oil for cleansing, and kelp and nettle extracts to beef up your hair. It’s vegan, too. www.desertessence.com

One shampoo that seems to speak directly to me is the Biotin & Peppermint Strengthening Shampoo from Jason. Soy proteins, panthenol, and biotin help revive my beaten down locks, while the peppermint oil provides just enough tingle for me to think I’m getting a scalp massage from my hairdresser. It’s no Rogaine, but I seem to have frozen the hair loss in its tracks for now. I have no idea if this shampoo has anything to do with it, but I don’t know that it doesn’t, either; so for now, I’m content to sit back and relish the compliments as if I don’t give a toss about my hair at all. Which I don’t. At all. www.jason-natural.com

Certified organic Amazon fruits like acerola and wild-harvetsed açaï fuel Ikove by Floresta’s Açaï d’Amazonie Shampoo, which I love for two reasons. One, it reminds me of Brazil, my new home; but more importantly, açaï, in addition to boasting 30 times more antioxidants than grape-seed oil, strengthens hair with Omega-3 and -9 without adding weight. Organic farming in the Brazilian rainforest provides 98 percent of the plant ingredients and the whole shebang smells like a juice bar on Ipanema Beach. Plus, whatever I don’t use on my head, I can finish off in a smoothie. www.ikove.com

One good thing about Organics by Noah’s Naturals’ Rosemary Mint Shampoo is that it’s an organic product for the everyman—you can even buy it at Wal-Mart. I don’t normally like to support Wal-Mart in any way, but the good news in this case is it shows that the Organic Movement is not only here to stay, but penetrating Middle America. That’s a very good thing. And this shampoo ain’t bad, either. It’s full of certified organic ingredients like aloe, echinacea, and wheat protein, and the rosemary and mint tickle my scalp like my college girlfriend. www.noahsnaturals.com

John Masters Organics’ Honey & Hisbiscus Reconstructing Shampoo didn’t fair as well. John Masters, noted for his commitment to organics (all his products are a minimum 75 percent organic), always puts out quality stuff, but his products often lack oomph. The honey and hibiscus here act as moisturizers, ylang ylang reduces oily hair, bergamot treats dry scalp, and linolenic and hyaluronic acids refortify the hair shafts, but when I wash with it, I don’t feel anything. I don’t smell much. I don’t detect any oomph. I can only assume it does the job, because you wouldn’t know it with your eyes closed in the shower. But the Zinc & Sage Shampoo with Conditioner surprised me— it smells like a caramel sundae, which is nicer to wake up to than I would have thought. That’s the kind of oomph I’m talking about! www.johnmasters.com

Yarok’s Green with Envy Volume Shampoo is loaded with organic herbal infusions not commonly seen in shampoos: Coltsfoot, marshmallow, and cedar atlas for nourishment and hydration; chickweed, horsetail, slippery elm, comfrey root, sea buckthorn, and CO2 for strength; and ta da!—nettles and oat straw to ward off hair loss. It smells like a smashed grapefruit against a cedar barn. It’s manly without being too masculine; sweet without being too fruity. Sadly, though, it’s expensive at a little over $4 an ounce. But hey, it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than Rogaine. www.yarokhair.com.

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Aubrey Organics’s soap formerly known as the G’Day Eucalyptus Bath Bar is now the Eucalyptus Glycerin Shower/Bath Bar. I have mixed feelings about vegetable glycerin-based soaps: I like they way they feel in the shower, and of course love the absence of animal fat, but they never last as long as palm oil or shea butter-based natural soaps. This one is no exception. Aubrey calls on organic rosemary, sage, and eucalyptus oils along with menthol for a little kick, but it’s too subtle for my taste. I want these things to shock me out of slumber in the morning with an invigorating blast of powerful aromatics and tingly oils. This one just doesn’t cut it. If you are going to use eucalyptus, I want to see my shower turn into a righteous, spa-like steam room! www.aubrey-organics.com

Giovanni Cosmetics’s Bathe Body Bars are organic bar soaps that I just love. First of all, the line—some 10 soaps in all—comes in all kinds of yummy flavors like Exfoliating Cool Mint Lemonade and Grapefruit Sky. Admittedly, those are not the manliest in the line, so I prefer to scrub down with Tea Tree Triple Threat. It offers a rousing cocktail of certified organic tea tree, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, nettle, and thyme oils (and chamomile, in case this is a night shower we’re discussing). Good stuff. Or there’s the Bamboo Birch, a little subtler with certified organic birch bark, Echinacea, and hibiscus. Best of all? The scents and oils stick around to the end, which is a lot more than I can say for most of my ex-girlfriends. www.giovannicosmetics.com

For as long as I can remember, cedar has been my favorite scent. It reminds me of childhood, the great outdoors, sleeping in the forest, and that time I lost my virginity at summer camp. But seriously, cedar emits a man’s man aroma, like motor oil, turpentine, or a two-day old pizza box. For that reason, the French-imported Whole Foods Organic Vetiver Cedar Triple Milled Soap is my favorite here. It’s laced with woodsy cedar as well as vetiver, a wild grass native to India, used here as an essential oil. Its shea butter and palm oil base is Fair Trade and sustainable, the former organic, as well. In the morning it makes me feel like a lumberjack ready to walk off into the wild. Also, at eight ounces, this soap is super-sized and lasts far longer than most organic bar soaps on the market. The press notes also say it’s “supportive and grounding,” two things a sensitive and cocky boy like myself could just might use. www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Definitely falling under the decadent soap umbrella, Kenmen offers a line of supremely interesting, handcrafted 100 percent natural numbers with names as exotic as their ingredients: Bamboozled (Bamboo-Charcoal-Peppermint); Berber Nomad (Grapefruit-Cedar-Star Anise); and Riad Karma (High-French-Lavender-Clary Sage-Rose Clay), to name a few. These are cold-crafted, an old-fashioned, time-consuming method that seals in the essential oils and herbal extracts, resulting in a lower pH balance that dries your skin out less and zero free alkali. Each flavor, some 22 in all, pack a punch. The Berber Nomad, for instance, makes me feel like I’m washing down with licorice (which I like). The downside? These bars are small and oddly shaped, like a perfect square the size of a hockey puck (not a bad thing, but strange by comparison) and they ain’t cheap. But it’s cool stuff— the Africana Cooperatives line calls on Fair Trade biorganic ingredients that practically employ entire villages. So, your conscience is cleaned, as well. www.kenmen.net

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I can’t imagine a more polarizing toothpaste than that of The Green People’s Organic Fennel & Propolis—I love it. It tastes like I’m brushing my teeth with absinthe and, after rinsing, like I just ate a whole package of black licorice. But since black licorice is a love-it-or-hate-it affair, so then is this toothpaste. The fennel, cinnamon, and clove oils are organically grown, as is the propolis. Consistency-wise, I’m not a fan, though—too chalky. www.greenpeople.co.uk

Another winner is Kiss My Face’s Aloe Vera Oral Care Whitening Toothpaste, which offers the best consistency of all toothpastes here. It’s a gel, but slightly more viscous in texture, making it more pleasing to the palette and closer to…well…Close-Up. Certified organic aloe vera is the backbone, a natural healer and soother that’s easy on the gums, complimented by olive leaf extract (a natural antibacterial), Icelandic moss (a natural whitener) and tea tree oil (a natural antiseptic and cleanser). It’s all packaged in a lovely tasting cool mint concoction. As with all options here, there’s no sodium lauryl sulfate, one of the most important Dirty Thirty chemicals to avoid in cosmetics. www.kissmyface.com

One of Quebec’s most interesting eco-companies, Druide—kudos to them for their ecological hairspray, I’d do a column on it if I could find four others!—offers a wealth of interesting but subtle certified-organic toothpastes, including Menthe Citron. Clocking in at 99.8 percent natural and one of the few waving a coveted Ecocert banner, I want to love this toothpaste. It’s rich in bamboo silica for natural whitening, mint and eucalyptus oil for flavoring, and stevia for sweetening, but it’s just a little too runny. That’s fine at first, but by the time I reach the second half of brushing, it’s all but dissipated in my mouth to the point that I feel the need to stop and reapply. I ain’t got that kinda time. www.druide.ca

Jason’s Sea Fresh Plus CoQ10 Gel Toothpaste had been my staple up to the point of stepping up to the sink to test products for this column (now I’m thinking of switching to Kiss My Face, after all, it’s the point of fresh breath, isn’t it?). Either way, this is a solid toothpaste that’s free of cinnamon, another rumored culprit in the canker sore game, and mimics traditional toothpaste as closely as anything here. I have no idea if it works, but I love the idea of sea salts to fight tarter buildup, as well as the idea of “natural micronutrients harvested from the great waters of the world, including active Certified Organic Blue Green Algae.’ It’s like I’m brushing my teeth with paradise. This toothpaste does contain fluoride, which I’m on the fence about. Additionally, it’s anchored by CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10), a vitamin-like substance, supplements what the body produces naturally, and is known to be a fighter of several chronic diseases, including gum disease. This one ain’t cheap, as far as toothpaste goes, but with today’s healthcare prices, it’s a helluva of a lot cheaper than those chronic diseases! www.jason-natural.com

Estrella Natural Toothpaste was actually developed by a surf crazy, biocompatible aesthetic dentist from California. For those that aren’t familiar, biocompatible dentistry is a holistic approach that stresses the use of nontoxic restorative materials for dental treatment and focuses on the impact that dental toxins and hidden dental infections can have on overall health. Sounds right up my alley. This toothpaste is far and away the most interesting here. It wins points for consistency, a unique, herbal flavor, and a wealth of ingredients not normally seen across my grill. “Doc Wavos” (known out of the water as Dr. David Villareal, D.D.S.) calls it his HerbalBrite Complex. He talks up the curative powers of herbs and botanicals like licorice root, echinacea, witch hazel, green tea, yerba mate, grapefruit seed, golden seal, and a Brazilian tree called Pau d’Arco that I can’t be bothered to Google. There’s also tea tree, peppermint, red thyme, cinnamon bark, lavender, neem—well, you get the picture. This is a potent dental cocktail. The Doc claims it keeps your breath fresh for a full six hours. It’s better at $10 a tube! What’s up with that, Doc? www.estrellabrite.com

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Zia Essential Eye Gel Much like myself, this unisex eye gel is easy on the eyes, calling on the gotu kola to soothe inflammation, certified organic aloe-vera to moisturize and soothe skin around the eye area, and something called Butcher’s Broom Extract to combat the puffiness and tiredness of a few too many. There’s green tea and seaweed in here, too—two ingredients I almost always love. If there is a downside to this one, I suppose it’s the stickiness that hangs out on your face, but I like to think of that as merely a reminder that something is pounding those bags into submission. The scent, fresh cucumber according to my subpar olfactory skills, also lingers longer and stronger than some of the other eye gels here. Do with that what you may. www.zianatural.com

I’m normally a fan of the company and its products, but Rare-B Gentle Eye Gel was anything but on my precious lids. It stung a few minutes after I applied it, enough so that I had to wipe it off. Honeysuckle is here, aimed at soothing, calming, and reducing inflammation under my eyes, but that obviously wasn’t working. There is watermelon for hydration, acacia for improving complexion, and pullulan to lift and firm the skin, too, but I just couldn’t make it that far. Another gripe is that the product seemed to jellify and evaporate over time, leaving me with a little shrinking ball of putty-like goo by the time I got around to testing it out. Who knows—maybe I got a lemon? www.rarenatural.com

Buster’s Under-Eye Moisture Gel is everything a manly under eye gel should be: Effective, lightly scented (mild cucumber in this case) and owner of statements like, “Peptides in the unique suspension stimulate Collagen 1, Collagen 111 and Elastin Fibroblasts,” which might as well be Chinese to me and conjures up Botox images. But if this can accomplish what Botox does without the chemicals or the needles, I’m a fan. But I digress. Buster’s is a relative newcomer that should not be ignored and, at a full ounce, still leaves you with some spare cash for the poker tables at the Hard Rock. www.bustersskincare.com

A perpetual favorite, Yon-ka For Men Under Eye Gel is undoubtedly a high price to pay for puffiness, but it’s worth it. Peppermint flower, carrot, and Roman Chamomile essential oils cool, refresh, tone, and detoxify; sweet almond proteins hydrate and nourish; phyto-polyphenols from Solomon’s seal, arnica, and cypress nut combat the eye ills of a weekend bender; and phytostimulines technology from beech buds and mimosa bark extracts regenerate. It all adds up to a manly ocular martini that puts dark circles to rest—ending the zombie-chic look you’ve been inadvertently popularizing at your Monday morning meetings. www.yonka.com

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