Going Green: Organic extends to fashion and beauty

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple decades, you know that pollution and global warming are ever-increasing problems in our society. Recently, there has been a major boom in the production and purchase of "organic" products, everything from food, to fabric, even beauty products! Here, a list of my all-time-favorite organic fashion and beauty products.

Fashion

According to Azalea Online, a premier web marketer of Eco-friendly clothing and beauty products, "High-yield cotton farming, worldwide, uses about $2.6 billion worth of pesticides a year. 35% of that is used in the U.S. It’s harmful to humans and wildlife, contaminating water supplies and killing native species." That's reason enough for me to start adding organic cotton products to my wardrobe.

And Azalea Online has a great selection from different brands, like Loomstate. They design everything from cute animal-inspired tees, to denim, to track jackets, such as this one. And it's all made from organic cotton.

Loomstate Track Jacket in White, $161, Azalea Online

Another great organic brand is Stewart+Brown. I absolutely loved this jacket when I saw it online, then when I found out it was made out of all-natural materials, I was shocked. This just goes to show that organic can be stylish as well!

STEWART + BROWN Organic French Terry Tailored Jacket in Graphite, $190.00, Azalea Online

Stewart+Brown also has cute tote bags and capri pants, among other things, on their Azalea Online page.

And did you know that there are organic jeans as well? I sure didn't. And I also didn't know that they could be as fashion-forward as well, such as those designed by Bread Denim. I definitely want to get my hands on a pair of these dark skinny jeans.

Bread Denim The Deviant Twisted Jean in Carbon, $229, Azalea Online

My favorite organic brand by far has been featured in Glamour magazine, and they're also available on Azalea Online. Edun makes fashionable clothes made from organic materials, they're diverse, and if you didn't know any better, you would have no idea that their clothes were organic, which means they blend in seamlessly with the rest of your wardrobe.

Edun Gertrude Cardigan in Jute, $215, and Bronte V-Neck in Multicolor Natural, $155, Azalea Online

Beauty

I'm not a big fan of Stella McCartney, but once I heard about her new line of organic beauty products, called CARE, I became very interested. One of the most popular, and in my opinion, useful, products from this line is this Purifying Foaming Cleanser, which contains extracts of hawthorn that helps refine your skin. And you can try this product yourself for a bank-busting $35 for 5oz. I'm not sure if it's really worth the price, but if you're gung-ho on organic cleansers, this does seem like one of the best available.

Stella McCartney CARE Purifying Foaming Cleanser, $35, Sephora

Origins is another online retailer with both nature, and your wallet, in mind. Featured in the April issue of Glamour magazine, this lip balm is great for the environment and your lips.

Origins Smileage Plus Liptint, $10, Origins, available in 5 different shades

My longstanding favorite organic products are made by Burt's Bees. I've loved their lip balms for years, and when I found out that they also sold lotions, I was extatic. I'm extremely eager to try this Chemical-Free, 99% organic sunscreen that claims to be non-greasy and better for your skin than the non-organic ones. I'm sold!

Burt's Bees Chemical-Free Sunscreen SPF15, $15, Burtsbees.com

Let's face it, there are some companies that are merely trying to capitalize on the organic trend, so before you buy, make sure the product is legit. The easiest way: read the label. If it's filled with hard-to-read chemicals, it's probably not really organic.

Need more? Another great organic clothing website to check out that I haven't featured: http://www.btcelements.com