Natural and Mostly-natural Beauty Products

My skin is INCREDIBLY sensitive. Sometimes I feel like it breaks out when loud music plays nearby, or a passing stranger looks at me funny. For years I've described my hair as "a delicate ecosystem," and although it's become less finicky in its current, pixie-cut state it still fusses at me if conditions aren't totally ideal. And because of my sensitive skin and fussy hair, I've spent a lot of time playing with various products in attempts to find what works for my personal body chemistry. And, overall, what I've discovered is that natural products work better for me.

I know, ALERT THE PRESS, right? But it merits mentioning because natural products can be prohibitively pricey and many of us hesitate to plunk down the cash. What works for me may not work for you, but if you've got any of the same issues I describe you may want to see about nabbing some samples of these products. Because my impression is that even someone hesitant to plunk down cash will do so when presented with a product that actually WORKS on a difficult-to-manage area or problem. So. Let's dig in.

Boscia Oil-Free Daily Hydration SPF 15

- $36

This product's primary appeal is its lack of preservatives. Sun protection in an all-natural formula is hard to come by, in my experience, and this moisturizer definitely has some unpronounceables in it. But it DOESN'T have parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrance or dye, petro-chemicals, or phthalates. And it goes on soft and smooth but never feels greasy, works marvelously on my acne-prone skin, and has been my daily go-to for nearly a year.

The Body Shop Deodry Cool & Zesty Roll-On - $5

I picked this up during a layover at the Philadelphia airport.. I'd been meaning to try a natural deodorant for ages, and as I wandered past the Body Shop I saw they were doing a 2-for-1 deal on these roll-ons. I picked up this one and another scent, and use them both almost daily now. I am both sweaty AND stinky, and will tell you up front that this product doesn't keep my stink completely at bay. Especially if I've done an hour of cardio or it's 95 degrees and humid. But the light formula keeps me surprisingly dry, and on non-nervous, non-workout days it really does the trick. I'm loving it, and hoping against hope that they don't discontinue it.

This drugstore favorite has been a standby of mine for YEARS. I have it in Raisin (a deep but subtle brownish-red) and Merlot (a bright fuschia-red) and although I always use them in conjunction with other glosses and colors, they make fabulous base layers for lip color mixes. They smell great, they feel great, and they're 100% natural with ingredients like vitamin E and coconut and sunflower oils.

The Serum By Elizabeth Dehn - $48

I'm actually a HUGE fan of all the products in the By Elizabeth Dehn line, and use the shea cream on my cuticles and the face mist when I'm feeling greasy and gross but can't wash my face. They're all amazing. But the serum is my favorite. It is the most divine smelling concoction of all natural essential oils ever formulated - including shea oil, calendula oil, rosehip seed oil, evening primrose oil, and almond oil - and it does wonderful things for my skin. I use it nightly as an under-eye treatment and it's made my bags less noticeable. I've used it on cuts and scrapes to aid the healing process. I use it just about any time I need intense moisture or healing on any body part at all. It's like a little bottle of magic, I swear.

Do you use any of these products yourself? Any other recommendations for natural or mostly-natural beauty products?