It’s not just a trend: shopping for natural and organic products is a lifestyle. It is especially difficult to know which products are actually organic, vegan or natural. What you want to look for on products are ingredients, labels and stamps. Look for the existence of artificial colours, fragrances, preservatives because these are the ingredients you want to avoid in your health and beauty products. For example, parabens are a commonly used preservative that you will want to avoid. They are xenoestrogens that mimic oestrogen in the body, disrupting the natural oestrogen levels in the body.
Your one stop shop for all things organic and natural is Terra20. You can find an array of organic, natural and vegan companies selling health products, beauty products, food products, household items and much more! This store has been built sustainably using green building methods. Not only do they promote green living and awareness but they also live up to the healthy lifestyle. Take a break from life and peruse this store when you get the chance! There are two locations in Ottawa: 2685 Iris St. and 1304 Wellington St. West.
Whole Foods is another store that you can check out for organic, natural and vegan products. It has recently opened in Ottawa on 951 Bank St. downtown where it is easily accessible to many people. You can buy healthy fresh food at the same time as you are searching for green health and beauty products. If you find a good DIY recipe online for a lip balm, candle etc… you can most likely purchase all the products at Whole Foods. No need to waste time at multiple stores when you can get it all in one. I mean, who could say no to that?
Next up we have the Natural Food Pantry. They mainly carry food products but do provide access to a couple of organic/natural beauty lines such as Desert Essence, Giovanni, Nature Clean, Green Beaver and more! You can check out their three locations in Ottawa at: 5537 Hazeldean Road, 2277 Riverside Drive and 205 Richmond Road. You can also check out their website at http://naturalfoodpantry.ca
Planet Botanix is one of my favourite natural body care stores! It carries an impressive collection of products from soaps, lotions, oils and creams. Everything is created by the store and they are toxin free! My favourite product thus far is the peppermint oatmeal soap, it smells divine and works wonders! You can check out their incredible products online or at their store on 301 Bank Street.
Last but not least is Oresta organic skin care. It is a spa that you can visit or just pop in to buy their products! You can find them at 464 O’Connor Street (flagship store), 1121 Wellington Street West or 137 Beechwood Avenue. Check out their website for more information!
I hope this helps with future organic, vegan and natural endeavours!
Live green!