There are a few basic tenets of health that we like to encourage: Go to bed early, eat healthfully, exercise regularly, unplug from your gadgets, cut back on sugar, and spend some time in nature. Last week I did exactly all of these—every day, all day—taking to the mountains of Malibu for what I’m going to call a “fitness retreat” at The Ranch at Live Oak Malibu.

The Ranch, as it’s fondly called by its staff and guests is a kind of vacation hybrid: It’s one part boot camp and one part luxury retreat, with some gourmet vegetarian food (much of which is grown onsite), and daily massages thrown in for good measure. It is as amazing as it is challenging. The exercise—which includes hiking, yoga, and strength training for up to ten hours a day—is extremely rigorous, and there is no caffeine, sugar, meat or alcohol allowed on the premises.

The Ranch is a place to take a complete, cell-phone-free timeout from life. For anyone looking to lose a few pounds, reset their inner clock, reassess their health, their patterns or, you know, their whole damn life, this could very well be the place. Unfortunately, its higher price point means it’s reserved for the wealthier set. If you are among them, wonderful: I highly recommend you explore it as an option if you’re looking to seriously reboot. If you are not, click through the slideshow to read about some of the lessons I gleaned from my week on Ranch time.

Adults should go to camp. When’s the last time you didn’t plan a single activity in your day, were told what to do, where to go, and when and what to eat? At The Ranch the biggest decision you have to make is whether you are going to spend your one-hour naptime actually sleeping or soaking in a saltwater hot tub—just about everything else is mapped out for you. It feels like sleep-away camp or, better yet, early childhood. And while it’s not entirely easy to let go of all control, its cumulative effects are pretty powerful by end of week. Immediately upon arriving you are told to stash your watch in a drawer and surrender. Oh, and your iPhone doesn’t get reception, but…

Unplugging is awesome. Hopefully you do it here and there: turn off your phone and computer an hour before bed, on a Saturday afternoon, during a special date—at least at the movies! But a whole week? Something amazing happens when communication with the outside world isn’t an option. You realize other people can handle things, make the decisions, watch the kids, or water your plants. The office will go on without you and so will Twitter. Many of us don’t account for the toll that having to respond, even to the smallest of requests, takes on us. A week off the grid, with no responsibility to anyone but yourself, is a quick way to recharge those batteries.

A week away can change your life. As stuck as any of us feel in our mental, physical, and lifestyle patterns, taking this trip was a big reminder of how plastic the human experience can be. You cannot underestimate the power of disconnecting from your day-to-day life, meeting an entirely new group of people, testing the limits of your mental and physical endurance, all while getting proper sleep, nourishment, and support. When someone does a trip like this they may decide to quit smoking or to quit the job they hate. They may kickstart a healthier life or file for that divorce or decide to track down their birth mother. The Ranch, and other programs like it, can serve as that necessary pause before a fork in the road, or they can show you a fork where you only saw a knife.

Our bodies can take it. Ten hours of exercise a day is nothing short of hardcore. But here’s the thing: Not only can our bodies handle it, they’ll actually feel amazing from it. The program at The Ranch is designed to keep you moving, steadily burning energy without burning out. The bulk of the exercise is hiking—in a breathtaking setting no less—and twelve people of different ages and at different fitness levels tackled the same trails and all made it through. In a way, the program probably isn’t all that different from the routines of our hunting-gathering ancestors. Was it hard? Extremely. But nobody complained by the second half of the week when their skin began to glow and they felt a new spring in their step.

Dreaming may be half the battle. Little is known about the role that dreams play. Are they an evolutionary training ground, as some theories suggest? Or are they, as Freud believed, a place to fulfill our secret wishes? Whatever you think about dreams, one thing is clear: When you shut out the noise of your life, your dreams will tell you what’s going on below the surface. Not a single person on the retreat last week didn’t report having wild and wildly significant dreams. Almost like going to therapy in your sleep, eliminating daily distractions and focusing on physical fitness seems to come with the added bonus of sleep cleansing too.

There are other options. If the program at The Ranch is something you'd like to do, but you just can't afford the price tag, there are many other options out there. If you're open to a more spiritual (but not religious) bent, you may consider going to an ashram. Or plan a backpacking trip with a group of friends who are also seeking to give their health a jump start. And please, tell us in the comments of places you've been to that helped you change your outlook! Because as we said in the book, your outlook is your look.

Cosmetics companies just love to sell you on the idea that each new season calls for an arsenal of new products. And why wouldn’t they? It means you’ll ditch your half-finished current bottle of snake oil in favor of one that comes with the same crap on the inside and different claims on the out. Cha-ching.

Of course, it’s true that cold weather and even clock changes can have serious side effects for skin. But if you’re the sensitive type, switching out your entire regimen—i.e. risking reactions to new products—right when the temperature is dropping, is likely to do more harm than good. In fact if your skin is at all finicky, we strongly advocate sticking to routine in this area.

So how to beat your winter skin woes? Click “Next” above to read the tips that will matter most for winter skin.

This is part of a series inspired by No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics, by Siobhan O'Connor and Alexandra Spunt.

Read more on their blog

Illustration by Brianna Harden

Moisturize. Yes, it’s the most boring advice in the world, but there’s a reason people say it so often. Moisturizing does exactly what it implies: It helps keep moisture in by replicating the skin’s natural barrier function. It’s simple science, and you don’t need to use a different one for every season. Find a good clean moisturizer that you love, or get with the oil program, and just do it consistently. If you’re out and about in the winter keep a to-go version in your bag for some extra application.

Wash less. We covered this last week, and the merits of this advice are doubly relevant for winter. Over-washing strips skin of its natural protective oils, robs it of healthy bacteria, increases exposure to harmful and/or irritating chemicals, and generally aggravates skin conditions like rosacea and eczema—the very same ones that are exacerbated by seasonal changes. So as the air gets cold and dry, and you’re less likely to be a sweaty mess, do yourself a favor and get with the dirty program.  

Avoid the acids. You don’t have to agree with our no-acid rule, but even proponents of stripping and peeling should dial back over the winter. Whether you use AHAs or BHAs, go for chemical peels, get microderm abrasion, or just subscribe to a heavy scrubbing routine, we reallyreallyreally think you should slow down. While you may be less at risk to sun exposure over the winter, burning off that top layer of skin will make you all the more vulnerable to the chafing, drying and cracking effects of cold air and gusty winds. While you may think this is reducing fine lines, we think over the long haul it’s speeding up the aging process.

Get your fat on. Ever notice how you crave more fat in the winter? While the diet set will offer tips on how to counter that impulse, we think that the body has an innate intelligence when it comes to such things. Healthy fats, especially omegas 3s, are key to maintaining hydrated, glowy, happy skin. Winter’s a good time to up your intake on these and as an added bonus it will help satisfy that appetite for grease the healthy way. Foods like salmon, sardines, olive oil and walnuts are chock full of omegas, but we’re not opposed to taking a supplement on top of that. Just make sure it’s a good one.

Improve your digestion. Your tummy is talking to you, and what it’s saying can often be read on your skin. While we don’t think you need different products every season, we do think you need different food. In a past posts about Ayurveda we’ve explained how important it is to eat with the season. Winter calls for warm, calming foods and the previously mentioned healthy fats. Sorry salad girls, but your skin needs something a little bit more substantial and heat-producing to face the winter months. Instead of eating your veggies raw, make a soup or stir fry with them instead.

Dose up on D. Vitamin D has emerged as something of a miracle worker in the last few years. While research is ongoing, there is promising evidence that it could help prevent cancer, raise immunity, and lower the risks associated with all kinds of diseases. It’s also a powerful antioxidant, and you know that that means. Because the sun is a primary source for vitamin D, and because most of us are deficient, we’re going to suggest that you look to increase your intake of this wonder vitamin during the winter.  It is available in certain foods, like fish and fortified milk, but it’s hard to get enough through those sources. As with fish oil, we think it's a good idea to take supplements too.

Get a humidifier. One easy way to counter dry air is—ding, ding, ding—to add moisture to it. Some advice from the experts at the Mayo Clinic: Be sure to keep your humidifier clean, because a dirty one is an amazing place for bacteria to thrive. Also, try to have your humidifier where you spend the most time, since you’d need several to change the air quality of a house or large apartment. We suggest you put it by your bed when you’re asleep: That way you’ll wake up with happy, hydrated skin.

How often do you shower? In our hyperclean world, you would think most people would say "daily" (even if they don't). Which is why we were surprised when we asked the question the other day on our No More Dirty Looks blog: The answers were all over the map. We were inspired by a recent New York Times story about attractive people who don't like to bathe (or, in some instances, wear deodorant). And any time we can encourage people do buy and use fewer personal care products, we do.

So as the seasons change, and people start reaching for their magnums of synthetic-filled moisturizer, we have another idea: Just shower less. There are surprising benefits, from healthier, clearer skin, to higher sex appeal. Click through for an explanation.

This is part of a series inspired by No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics, by Siobhan O'Connor and her co-author Alexandra Spunt.

Read more on their blog.

Illustration by Brianna Harden

Your skin will be softer. There are two ways your skin gets hydrated: from the water and beneficial oils inside your body, and by attracting moisture in the air. As the seasons change and the air gets dryer, so can your skin. While we understand the impulse to simply load up on moisturizer, consider this instead: Hot water dries out your skin by softening the oils and washing them away more easily, so if you shower less, and use a nontoxic soap only where you really need it—we're going to assume we don't need to tell you what those parts are—you will probably find your skin is able to maintain a nice balance on its own. (If you still need a little boost, try organic raw oils like coconut, jojoba, or olive, or pure shea butter creams without artificial fragrance or chemical preservatives).

It will allow your own smell to come through. We're not advocating for odor of the unpleasant kind here: No one who is passing you on the street should be able to smell you, whether it's your cologne (in which case you are wearing too much) or the smell of your underarms (in which case you need a new deodorant). But there's a difference between being stinky and allowing your own natural scent to emerge for people who get close enough to smell it. Studies have shown time and again that smell influences sexual attraction and mate selection on a psychological level, as well as a physiological one.

It preserves helpful bacteria that can boost immunity. The recent New York Times story about not showering cited interesting new research showing that, just like our stomachs benefit from so-called "good" bacteria, so can our skin. “Good bacteria are educating your own skin cells to make your own antibiotics,” the University of California dermatology chief Dr. Richard Gallo told the Times. These good guys help your skin fight off bad bacteria—which is more than can be said about, oh, I don't know, body lotion.

It reduces your exposure to harmful chemicals. As gross as it sounds, the dead skin cells and oils that live on our skin are actually desirable—they're there to help protect us from undesirable bacteria, and they can make it harder for some harmful chemicals to easily penetrate the skin. Which means that when you strip your skin with harsh soap or body washes—which can contain a cocktail of chemicals that have no business in your bathroom, or your body—you make it more vulnerable. Instead, use soap only where you need it, and make sure you use a nontoxic one with as few ingredients as possible. (Dr. Bronner's is always a good bet.)

It may reduce eczema, rosacea, and other kinds of irritation. People with irritated skin and rashes know very well that the less they expose their skin to hot showers, the better their skin behaves. Here's another thing to consider: Many people with eczema or psoriasis actually have an allergy to "sensitizers" in their shampoo and soaps. Clean out the toxic products, and your rashes may just disappear forever like mine did. (Check the hair and body sections of our book No More Dirty Looks for more about this, and for specific product recommendations.)

We’ve all heard the common (and sometimes conflicting) prescriptions when it comes to getting exercise: Get into a routine, do it with a friend, mix it up, keep it the same, make it convenient, take the stairs, bike to work! But only some 30 percent percent of us are actually getting to the gym or pounding the pavement with any regularity.

That’s a problem, and here’s why: Not only are we suffering from a growing obesity epidemic in this country, exercise also helps you sleep better, stress less, and feel happier. It’s shown to boost energy, improve sex, and just generally make life better. Oh, and as with most of our recommendations: It helps you look hotter too.

But the truth is, we all know this—and yet we still find it hard to fit exercise into our routines. So instead of offering up the usual yawn-worthy tips, we’re going to suggest some tricks instead. Click through the slideshow for seven ways for you to be more active without really noticing.

Click “Next” above to get moving.

Illustration by Will Etling

This is part of a series inspired by No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics, by Siobhan O'Connor and Alexandra Spunt.

Read more on their blog.

Stand while you work. Standing up requires two times the energy as sitting down, but calories are not the only reason to consider this unusual method of working. Standing desks are gaining in popularity for other reasons too. Being upright may help you get ideas out, help alleviate back problems associated with long hours at the computer, and burn fat.

Pace while you talk. High-strung people tend to this anyways—have you ever noticed how thin they are despite what they may eat? Every time your cell rings, pop up from your desk (or couch) like you have somewhere important to go and take that conversation on the road. Not only is that less annoying for co-workers, it’s a mindless way to get activity in. Pace up and down the halls of your office, or up and down your front street. Pacing burns about 90 calories an hour, which adds up if you spend half your day on conference calls.

Meet halfway. Tie exercise to an activity that you’d rather be doing, like going for a drink. Think of this as the buddy system for lazy people: Make a pact with a friend whom you hang out with frequently to always meet at some walkable halfway point, rather than taking turns going to each other’s neighborhoods. There’s just something about having a destination that takes the boredom out of exercise.

Have more sex. This is tired but true advice, folks: Sex is the most fun anyone will have burning calories. It’s a total get-out-of-jail free card from the gods: Even the laziest people on earth tend to enjoy a good romp. And aside from the myriad other benefits it offers—like happy hormones, glowing skin, and less stress—it’s a great way to get your heart rate going.
 

Do two-minute exercise spurts. For some of us, even 20 minutes of exercise can feel like a lifetime. But two minutes? Anybody can do that. Here’s what you do: Set your phone alarm every hour on the hour and as soon as it goes off, do jumping jacks for two whole minutes. If you stick to that plan between 8am and 6pm you will have added 20 minutes of high-intensity cardio to your day, which is pretty darn good for your health. It will also likely up your productivity and burn an additional 200 calories.

Play music while you clean. You may have already heard that doing housework can burn all sorts of calories, but we’re going to bet that adding music to the mix will put even more bounce in your scrub. Listening to upbeat tunes can also boost your mood and distract you from unpleasant thoughts—just like your cleaner home can—making chore time pass more easily.
 

Make it a date. Not an exercise date per se, just a regular date that involves movement. If you’ve recently started seeing someone that you like, just about anything you do together will be fun. So instead of another dinner date, try an evening walk through the city, an afternoon picnic with a game, or some other sport you both like. The same goes for longstanding couples: Couples who play together stay together, so adding a little variety to the routine that gets you both moving is a great way to spice things up.

Gentlemen, listen up. Whether you think you do or not, most of you use an average of six personal care products a day, which sounds like a lot until you get out your fingers and count: Deodorant, shampoo, cologne, and shaving cream all count—and so does the moisturizer you steal from your girlfriend. With each of these products containing anywhere from 10 to 40 unique ingredients, it's worth your while to think about what it is you're actually using every day, and whether those products are even doing your looks any favors—especially when some of it is so toxic it's getting fines for air pollution in the state of California.

When, in February, Axe Body Spray's parent company was fined $1.3 million for air pollution, it sounded like an Onionesque joke. Except that it wasn't, because in California, progressive environmental laws limit the amount of certain chemicals used in consumer products. According to the California Air Resources Board, the fragrance was in violation of the volatile organic compound limits for aerosol deodorant.

So here's a primer on the stuff in your everyday products, plus what brands and products to buy instead. If you don't want to do it for the planet, or yourself, do it for your sperm. (Click through for an explanation.)

Illustration by Brianna Harden

This is part of a series inspired by No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics, by Siobhan O'Connor and her co-author Alexandra Spunt.

Read more on their blog.

Cologne: Most conventional colognes (and "body sprays") contain a host of synthetic chemicals that can affect your little swimmers. Phthalate metabolites in male urine was shown in several studies to be linked to sperm DNA damage, a lower sperm count, and less mobile sperm. Unfortunately for all of us, synthetic fragrance is used in just about every conventional product on the shelves of pharmacies and Sephoras, so weeding it out can be a bit of a bear. That said, naturals have gotten really sophisticated, and there are countless lines that are either synthetics-free or at least phthalate- and petrochemical free. Diptyque, a high-end candle and fragrance line, makes gorgeous scents for men (and women) that are paraben-, petrochemical-, and phthalate-free. Intelligent Nutrients, Tsi-La, and Honoré des Près also make amazing woodsy fragrances for guys.

Deodorant and Antiperspirant: Most antiperspirants and deodorant contain some if not all of the following: triclosan, aluminum salts, BHT, penetration enhancers, and artificial fragrance. Many of these are problematic from an environmental perspective, and none of them are good for your health. And yet deodorant is a must for modern living, so try a natural one from Soapwalla, a small Brooklyn company that sells on Etsy, which makes a unisex deodorant cream that works like a charm. For store-bought, look for Tom's of Maine long-lasting deodorant, which is relatively clean and can be found at most drugstore chains.

Shaving Cream: Besides the propellants and butane in many shaving creams, there is also diazolidinyl urea, which is a formaldehyde releaser, triethanolamine, which is often contaminated with carcinogenic nitrosamines, parabens, which are weak estrogen mimickers, and synthetic fragrance. (See the slide on cologne for a reminder on why that's not desirable for your health.) Instead, we recommend using organic oils, such as olive or coconut, if you can get past the whole oil-on-face thing. For a store-bought option, try Dr. Bronner's Organic Shave Gel, which is 100 percent free of synthetics. If you break out, get the one with tea tree oil. Weleda also has a nice one.

Aftershave: Most aftershave contains alcohol, the toxicity of which is less a concern than the fact that it can dry out your face when it needs moisture. Cold water is sufficient to close your pores, and a nice organic cologne is a better bet if you are using aftershave as your cologne. Fill up the sink with cold water and put in a few drops of a woodsy scent like cedar, or something minty if that's more your speed, and splash your face with that instead. That said, if you like the antiseptic sting of alcohol (who doesn't, really?) go for a natural alternative with other ingredients to soothe your skin. Jurlique's Calendula Lotion is soothing on freshly shaved skin, and so is pure aloe. For a splurge, Living Nature, which is an amazing line out of New Zealand, has a great one with antibacterial manuka honey, soothing calendula, and witch hazel, and Dr. Hauschka's spray-on toner is another favorite.

Shampoo and Conditioner: Our scalps are one of the most porous parts of our bodies, and are easily penetrated by the products we lather onto them—which is counterintuitive, because we tend to think of hair as something separate from our skin, and we think shampoo must wash down the drain too quickly to do any harm. Not so. Shampoos and conditioners are both loaded with skin-, earth- and hair-unfriendly ingredients that dry out our locks, necessitating more products, like leave-ins. Instead, try a sodium laurel/laureth sulfate-free shampoo that won't lather like a traditional one, but gets the job done without stripping your hair. Alaffia, Giovanni, and Aubrey's all make nice affordable clean shampoos and conditioners. On the higher end, you can't beat John Masters Organics. If you have dandruff, find a natural shampoo with tea tree or neem oil, or get JMO's Zinc and Sage Shampoo With Conditioner.

Moisturizer: Whether it's your body or your mug you're slathering in cream, this is an important one to make sure is clean—mainly because you probably use it daily (which ups exposure to whatever is in there) and over a large surface area. Instead of a 30-ingredient lotion filled with silicones, penetration enhancers, fake fragrance, and petroleum derivatives, go for something simpler like a pure body oil (coconut from the health food store works well), or pure aloe vera. For a store-bought lotion for your body (and your face, if you aren't picky or prone to breakouts) Everyday Shea lotion from Whole Foods is just over $10 for 32 ounces. Dr. Bronner's, which is also shea-based, is another affordable all-over lotion. For your face, there's the high-end Dr. Alkaitis, which is a unisex celebrity favorite, and Organic Apoteke, which is light and doesn't smell like girls.

Despite being the world’s oldest holistic healing system—predating even Chinese medicine—Ayurveda is only now gaining traction on this side of the globe. Hailing from India, where some 70 percent of the population ascribes to its philosophy, Ayurveda emphasizes daily rituals, nutrition, and lifestyle. The word itself translates loosely as “the knowledge or science of life."'

According to the tradition, there are three main types (called doshas)—Pitta, Vata, and Kapha—and each of us is some combination of those three, with different ones dominating the others. Figure out which one you are (handy quiz here), and then follow the advice to keep yourself in balance—from getting enough sleep and sleeping better, to better skin, digestion, and performing better at the gym and at work. Simple as that!

There are no silver bullets with Ayurveda, precisely because it is based in the principle of whole body balance between the physical, the mental and the surrounding environment. Some Ayurvedic medicine has caused controversy, but we advocate focusing on lifestyle and nutrition as the best medicine—some of which is garnering scientific support for its effectiveness.
 
Are you open to Ayurveda? Click through the slideshow for its best tips.

This is a series inspired by No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics, a book by GOOD's features editor Siobhan O'Connor and her co-author Alexandra Spunt.

Read more on their blog

Illustrations by Brianna Harden

Follow the day's natural cycles.

We’ve talked about how Ayurveda can relate to sleep: The tradition says that the hours of the day are divided into dosha cycles, making different activities ideal at different times. A few examples: Falling asleep is easier during watery and relaxed Kapha time before 10pm, rather than fiery Pitta time between 10pm and 2am, when the mind becomes active. (If you are asleep, this cycle is said to be ideal for vivid dreaming. Fun!) Ayurveda also recommends that the biggest meal of the day be lunch, during another Pitta cycle, when digestion is at its strongest. Dinner, which is during Kapha time, should be light. That's when our body is at its most sluggish.

Eat for your dosha.

People who have more Pittas tend to collect heat in the body (and have a strong aversion to being too hot); Vata tends toward cold dryness; and Kapha’s towards sluggishness. As such, each dosha needs a different diet. While Pitta’s digestion is very strong, it should stay away from stimulants, too much spice, and can use cooling foods (think cucumber) to balance it out. Vatas, who have a weaker digestive system and a more hyper disposition, need warm, rich, and soothing foods.  Kaphas, meanwhile, do better with light foods that are less fatty and more energizing.
 

Change with the seasons.

Long before the local food movement got its wings, Ayurveda was telling us to eat with the season. Here’s why: The seasons too are dominated by doshas. If fall is cool and airy like the Vata dosha, we can all do better to adopt aspects of a warm and calming diet to balance it out. Think buttery squash soup, cooked vegatables, and protein. Hot (Pitta) summer weather, on the other hand, calls for salads and cooling food. Conveniently nature already supplies us with the appropriate Ayurvedic diet for each season. Stick with it and you'll feel better.

Know what throws your dosha off. 

Life is always getting in the way of balance, and it’s useful to know what can push you and your dosha over the edge. For instance, frequent traveling will likely aggravate the already restless Vata, causing anything from indigestion and insomnia to really bad anxiety. Vatas do best with a more regimented schedule. The easy-going (though sometimes lazy) Kaphas probably like to enjoy an afternoon snooze, but their somewhat slower metabolism would benefit instead from a brisk afternoon walk. While Pittas have a strong and steady constitution, they should probably avoid activities that generate too much heat in the body: things like hot yoga, steam rooms, and intense physical labor (especially in the sun) are no-nos, and can cause aggravation, rashy skin, and too much acid in the stomach.

Balance yourself with yoga and meditation.

Ayurveda uses yoga and meditation as balancing tools as well. So Pittas, who may have a tendency towards trying to control things, are encouraged to do postures that focus on surrender and letting go. Kaphas, who need more movement, benefit from sun salutations and postures that aid with circulation. Vatas, however, need to chill out their overly active minds, which are known to run in circles: Regular meditation and posture retention is the prescription there.

Massage yourself!

Ayurveda also encourages abhyanga, a form of self-massage. We explain how to do it in our book, and ideally it becomes a daily morning ritual before showering. In short, it’s a soothing oil rubdown that stimulates circulation and nourishes the body. Ayurveda realizes that, because our skin absorbs so much of what we put on it (hello, cosmetics), we can treat ourselves transdermally with different oils and herbs—specific to each dosha of course. Also, it just feels good.

Seek out an ayurvedic doctor.

If you’re interested in going deeper with Ayurveda, you could go to Kerala, India, or you can seek out a practitioner in your area. Depending where you live this may take a little work. A few suggestions: reach out to people online who may be able to recommend someone, contact schools like Ayurveda College, or look for an Indian pharmacy and grocer in your city and ask the owner for a recommendation.

From the invasion of fancy toothpastes from Europe to fear about the safety of fluoride to concern about the overuse of whitening pastes it can be hard to know what to choose when you hit the tooth-care aisle. There are dozens of nearly identical boxes stacked together, each promising basically the same thing as the next. So what to do?

As with everything else we talk about, you have to get past the marketing hype and learn to read ingredients. We like Tom's of Maine toothpaste, and Weleda's. You can pick your own poison, but before you do, click through this slideshow. There are some things you should know.

This is part of a series inspired by No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics.

Read more on their blog.