Happy Shopping

I'm not writing advertisements for any of the following companies - but I do really like them. I'm using each of the described products and I like them enough to talk about them. If you like them too, great! If you have other ethically-made products you are excited about, please comment here or on Looking For Starfish's Facebook page and get the word out!

LUSH shampoo keeps my hair squeaky clean, pretty and shiny, and nice-but-not-too-nice-smelling. It comes in a bar, like a bar of soap, and has a great lather. All LUSH products are made by hand in Canada, and only contain fresh, organic ingredients. Most of their products come with no packaging whatsoever, but the packaging they do use is from post-consumer recycled, recyclable and biodegradable materials whenever possible, according to the LUSH website. Best of all, the company supports small farms and co-ops in Ghana, Morocco, Papau New Guinea, Vancouver and Colorado for its vanilla beans, rhassoul mud, shea butter, and seaweed. The nearest stores are in San Francisco, Emeryville, and Santa Clara, and their products are also available online.

Simple shoes are available at Nordstrom, several other local stores, and online. I have had one pair of Simple shoes for at least four years, and they look almost new. I just got a new pair of funky boots and they are very fabulous, I must say. The company website has a stated, clear human rights policy, and their reputation is excellent across the available internet information. They are in the process of becoming 100% sustainable - using a combination of all-natural, self-renewing, biodegradable, organic, and/or recycled materials.

I might love this product a little too much - Trader Joe's Fair Trade Swiss Dark Chocolate. Sweet, creamy, delicious, and, best of all, guilt-free in all the most important ways. They make a Fair Trade Swiss Milk Chocolate bar too, and it is just as dreamy. (I know. I've tried it.)

Hygiene products, footwear, chocolate. Sort of essential, right? Happy Shopping.