If you care equally about yourself and the planet, it's time to go beyond eating organic food. Take the time to investigate the variety of earth-friendly items available, from skincare to shoes.

Natural Skincare

If you wouldn't eat it, you really should not put it on your skin. Shaving cream, face moisturizer and lip balm are the most important skincare items to purchase with all-natural ingredients.

The reason these items are the most important is how they are used. Shaved skin has a better chance of products getting through to your bloodstream. Shaving cream is especially likely to permeate the skin's barrier because it sits for a while and then is scraped off with a razor, taking some of the top layers of skin cells with it.

Many facial moisturizers are actually meant to go deep into the skin. If the molecules of each ingredient contained in the serum or moisturizer are small enough, they can reach your bloodstream. This can affect your whole body. Harmful chemicals in your skincare routine can eventually reach every organ.

Lip balm and lipstick don't even need to pass through skin barriers. Most of any lip treatment is eventually eaten, either by licking it off with your lips or eating it with your next meal. Check the label for harmful chemicals. You may not need to worry if the ingredients are organic or come from natural sources.

A further step to help the planet is to check that the container is biodegradable or recyclable. Landfills are full of empty skincare containers.

Biodegradable or Recyclable Personal Items

Anyone who has seen videos of birds, animals and sea life injured by our waste products should want to end that destructive cycle. Everything from cotton swabs with plastic sticks to toothbrushes either ends up in a landfill somewhere or in the ocean. In fact, every traditional toothbrush you've ever used almost certainly still exists somewhere.

Humans really need to stop doing this to the environment. Before you buy any new personal product, research to see if there is a non-polluting choice. Look for eco-friendly alternatives to everyday items and you may be surprised by what is out there.

There are a number of interesting, and sometimes surprising, new products that you never knew existed. As well, if you regularly use straws, please consider a metal or bamboo straw set as your first earth-friendly purchase. Plastic straws may be one of the troublesome items in the ocean.

Biodegradable or Recyclable Clothing and Shoes

Changing fashion is the culprit for about 40% of the contents of most landfills, and there is no need for it. Unbelievably, many people do not wear their items until they wear out. Instead, as fashions change every year, or even every season, they simply put their old items in the trash.

Donating clothes to a thrift shop or even selling them to a high-end resale boutique keeps them out of the landfill and gives someone else a chance to buy something affordable. Many resale shops also donate part of their profit to charities, which is a win for everyone involved in the process.

A surprising new life for old jeans is as insulation in tiny houses. Tiny houses themselves are great for the environment. Many of them are built with recycled materials. Additionally, they use a lot fewer natural resources on a daily basis than larger homes.

You can keep your next pair of shoes out of the trash as well. Currently, there are companies that not only make their shoes with recycled materials but will take your shoes back when they wear out and recycle them as well.

Together we can keep both ourselves and the planet healthy by making a few thoughtful changes.