If you are anything like me then you are always pressed for time.  I cannot stand going to the grocery store when I’m in a hurry.  Especially when I have to go to a store that I’m not used to and I don’t know where anything is.  I think that they should have personal assistants available when we walk in.  “Ok… I need milk, bread, cream of mushroom soup and some egg noodles.. STAT!”  That would be awesome because apparently the people who decide where items are placed on the shelves have very different views of what items should be placed where.  For example if I go to the local market which is a small yet nice little grocery store, I have to look around for everything I need because things are never in the logical place.  Soup is not in the usual canned goods isle and crackers are hidden somewhere down around the baking section.. My point is that after all the searching,  when I finally find the item I’m looking for you then I have to pick out which brand I want.  OMG!  More thinking!  Oh (Personal Assistant) PLEASE just tell me which one has the best taste so I can be on my way.   Ok I’m going overboard a little with the dramatics but aren’t we are all just trying to make the most of our time and money these days?  Money is tight but we don’t want to sacrifice quality.  Just give me the goods and make it fast, fresh and easy.

Similarly, shopping for natural products is a daunting task.   There are a million brands to choose from and who knows where to find what online or in stores.  Some folks do not even know what to look for or where to start. They know they want healthy products but don’t know how to determine what is good and what is just a bunch of crap in a pretty container.  Just like with grocery shopping we need some help figuring out how to tell what is what out there.  So let me be your personal assistant today!  Here is what you should be looking for in a good natural product:

Ingredients:  Ingredients are important.  In fact they are the most important.  Yes I know it is nice to have an awesome label and a cool looking container but really it is on the inside that counts the most.  Look at the ingredients label which should include the botanical name first followed by the common name.  The ingredient that has the highest percentage included in the product is listed first and so on down the line.  For example if the first ingredient is Aloe you are doing pretty good so far but if it is water then right away you know it is not the best stuff out there.  But keep on reading because there are a lot of ingredients listed and you want to make sure are all healthy.  (Refer to my “dirty dozen” list and avoid any ingredients listed there)

Transparency:  You should be able to read the above ingredients list on the labels of the product in question.  If you are shopping online and they are not listed on the item description then usually that means they don’t want to disclose their ingredients so BEWARE.  Or perhaps they list an edited version of the ingredients to show off the fluff but not disclose everything.  You have a right to know what you are purchasing so avoid those that do not list ALL ingredients.

Size Matters:  Many times the product is sold in pretty small quantities.  A 4oz. bottle of face wash will not last that long I’m afraid.  This is a trick to get you to think you are getting a good deal.  Organic skin care products are more expensive then the stuff you can buy at Wally world of course but check the size and make sure you are getting what you are expecting.

Source:  Find out who makes these products.  Are they mass produced?  Is the manufacturer some large corporation?  Then chances are they are choc full of toxic preservatives.  Products made in large quantities are loaded with preservatives so as to extend the shelf life. This is bad.

Preservatives:  On that note I should mention that non toxic preservatives are good.  Without a preservative system the product in question will spoil and can be loaded with harmful bacteria.

To sum it all up my best advice is you should purchase goods from a company that is passionate about what they do and are transparent because they have nothing to hide… they are the ones who eat, sleep and breath their product and care about their customers.