Favorite Products of 2008 - Sylvania micro-mini Twist CFL, Undergear Soy and Bamboo Collections, Caroma Sydney Smart and More!

It's hard to believe that we've nearly reached the end of 2008.

It seems like just yesterday that we started 1GreenProduct.com, even though that fateful event happened more than seven months ago (May 11, 2008 to be exact).

It just goes to show that like the dearly departed Douglas Adams once said, "Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so."

Christmas Eve is traditionally a time for gathering with friends and family. We'd like to take a moment to thank all the thousands of people who have visited 1GreenProduct.com this year. Thank you for caring about the planet and taking the time to learn about eco-friendly products and services.

And of course we'd just like to point out that Christmas must be a major eco-holiday. After all, the two representative colors of the season are red and green!

Now we'd like to inaugurate what we hope will be an annual tradition - the 1GreenProduct.com Top 10 favorite products of 2008:

1) Sylvania's micro-mini Twist CFL - Gives the same illumination as a regular CFL bulb, 30% smaller, 70% less mercury

2) Undergear Soy and Bamboo Collections - These durable, soft, quick-drying, stylish and made from eco-friendly fabrics provide men with some welcome options beyond the old boxers/briefs debate.

3) Caroma Sydney Smart Dual-Flush Toilet - Save an estimated 18,000 - 30,000 gallons of water per year at the push of a button.

4) HP Deskjet D2545 Printer - An ENERGY STAR-qualified printer made mostly out of recycled plastic. Why can't other electronics manufacturers do that?

5) Lightcap 200 - A super-clever idea (turn a water bottle into a lantern) and pretty much the only solar-powered product we tested that performed for us as advertised.

6) Eureka envirovac - All the cleaning power with 1/3 energy savings, plus a HEPA filter to really clear the air. Plus so easy to operate that it actually made vacuuming kinda fun.

7) Water-saving faucets by Moen and Grohe (tie) - How can we choose when both Moen and Grohe faucets and showerheads deliver 30% water savings and look great doing it?

8) EvoLux Earth LED - The future of light bulbs - uses just 13 watts of power to create the same light as a 100 watt incandescent bulb. Now if only we could get that price to come down...

9) Fire & Light Recycled Glass Dinnerware - These folks work magic transforming castaway broken glass into functional works of art.

10) earth creations - People spend so much time trying to get dirt out of clothes. earth creations figured out a way to use dirt (OK, clay) to dye organic cotton, hemp and bamboo clothing. Very smart.


We feel honored to have had the opportunity to share our thoughts on these and many other great eco-friendly products with you.

Thanks again for reading. Like many of you, we'll be taking a break over the holidays, but we'll be back on New Year's Day with a look at the year ahead in 2009.

For now, here's wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Afterglow Mineral Cosmetics

Ah, Christmas time is here.

Surely one of the nicest Christmas traditions for the romantically inclined is the traditional Christmas smooch under the mistletoe. (Although, apparently the mistletoe kiss has its roots in pagan tradition, specifically the Goddess Freya.)

In any case, before you pucker up beneath the mistletoe, you'd better consider the lipstick that the female kisser might be wearing. (Or the male kisser - hey, it's the 21st Century. You never know!)

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics issued a report in 2007 alleging that certain popular brands of lipstick contained unsafe levels of lead.

In September, an article in The Huffington Post noted (in the context of political satire) that some lipsticks may contain scads of potentially harmful synthetic dyes and/or be tested on animals.

What's a girl (or guy) who wants sultry and colorful yet cruelty-free and all-natural lips to do?

Thank goodness for companies like Afterglow Cosmetics and their line of Organic Lip Love lipsticks (MSRP $24).

Some shades of the all-natural, paraben-free, synthetic-free Lip Love lipsticks contain more than 82% certified organic ingredients.

We're talking about organic jojoba seed oil (to reduce inflammation and prevent flaking), organic aloe leaf gel (to nourish and moisturize), organic apricot kernel (to soften and soothe), organic vitamin E (for antioxidant purposes), organic pomegranate seed extract (more antioxidant power) and organic grape seed extract (you guessed it - another dose of antioxidants).

According to Afterglow Cosmetics, the only reason that the rest of its ingredients aren't certified organic is because they are inert minerals and thus ineligible for organic certification. These minerals include iron oxides and micas (for pigment) and titanium dioxide (for opacity). Afterglow says it uses 'pharmaceutical grade minerals' to ensure top quality and purity.

(Frankly, we were unaware that minerals were used in pharmaceuticals, but presumably that's a whole 'nother ball of organic wax. In any case, according to this information from Medical College of Georgia, 'pharmaceutical grade' sounds pretty darn pure.)

If you're concerned about buying eco-friendly products, you're probably also interested in buying animal-friendly products. After all, animals are a big part of the ecosystem.

Thus you'll be pleased to know that both Leaping Bunny and PETA have apparently certified Afterglow as cruelty-free.

Our tester gave the Lip Love's Secret shade a big thumbs up from both an appearance and performance standpoint.

As far as we can see, the only drawback to Afterglow's Lip Love lipsticks would be their price. At $24 per stick, these are 2-3 times more expensive than many famous national brands.

On the other hand, if women really do eat 4 lbs. of lipstick in their lifetime simply by licking their lips (as reported all over the Internet and attributed to a 2002 Glamour Magazine article), then we think it's certainly worth spending the extra moola to paint your lips with something that's pretty and organic.

Your lips will thank you - and Santa Claus or whoever else you kiss beneath the mistletoe just might thank you as well.

Merry Christmas!

Where to buy:

You can order Organic Lip Love lipsticks directly through Afterglow's website ($24 each).

Prefer to check out the lipsticks in person before you buy? Just use the Store Locator to find a retailer near you.

Traditional Medicinals Teas

I've been a big fan of Traditional Medicinals teas for years ever since a box of Echinacea Throat Coat (R) took care of a stubborn sore throat.

I don't recall if Traditional Medicinals teas were organic back then, but many of them are certainly organic now.

For example, take the Organic Chamomile tea (recommended for its calmative and digestive properties) that contains 100% USDA-certified organic ingredients and 100% Fair Trade Certified ingredients by dry weight.

Organic Peppermint (recommended for healthy digestion) also contains 100% organic ingredients. Organic Smooth Move herbal laxative tea with Senna leaf is 98% organic. You get the picture.

But what really gets us excited is the fact that Traditional Medicinals has just installed a large solar power system at its California headquarters, prompting the company to claim the title of "largest sun-powered tea company in the world!" The system's 1,450 solar panels are designed to generate 430,000 kWh of electricity per year -- more than 75% of the Traditional Medicinals' needs.

If you're wondering about where Traditional Medicinals gets the rest of its electricity, the company apparently supplements its solar power by purchasing wind energy credits.

(Traditional Medicinals says that it also tries to bring the benefits of solar power to some of the communities that supply its tea. In Rajasthan, India, the company says it is providing solar training, solar ovens for cooking and solar lights for night school education to the Bishnoi farming community that provides Senna leaves for Traditional Medicinals teas.)

Where to buy:

You can order Traditional Medicinals teas online from the company's own website (usually $5.49 for a box of 18 teabags) or find the teas in stores at Whole Foods Markets, Vitamin Shoppes ($3.99-4.99) and numerous other natural products retailers. Use the Store Locator to find the most convenient retail location near you.

Cate and Levi

What did you wish for this holiday season? Peace on Earth and Happiness for All?

Sounds swell, but I'm guessing that many of the littler folks among us (and I'm not talking about leprechauns) would love to have a new toy for Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa or whatever other gift-giving holiday applies.

So what to get the special child in your life? Permit us to suggest a classic and eco-friendly stuffed animal from Cate and Levi ($100).

Every animal - frog, dog, rabbit, girafe, monkey or the ever-popular teddy bear - is handmade in Canada from reclaimed wool (i.e. thoroughly cleaned recycled post-consumer wool - mostly from sweaters). The animals are then stuffed with non-dyed wool on the inside.

As Cate & Levi says, choosing to use reclaimed wool "reduces the demand for new materials that require both water and oil for production. Our goal is that our animals leave the softest possible pawprint on the planet."

And speaking of soft, the animals (or at least the monkey we were privileged to test) are supremely soft and squishable. We didn't see any buttons or other hard pieces that might pose a choking risk.

It's true that the lovably mismatched Cate and Levi creatures aren't picture-perfect, but they are unique and special. We're guessing children will fall in love with them just as easily as a Boy could fall in love with a Velveteen Rabbit.

Where to buy:

Use the store finder on Cate and Levi's website to find a retail outlet in the U.S. or Canada near you. We were unable to find any online retailers at this time, but the company assured us that some online partners will start offering Cate and Levi animals for purchase over the Internet. Contact Cate andLevi directly for more information.

FYI, Cate and Levi says that 10% of the company's profits will be donated to charities. The company is developing an online method by which customers will be able to choose from among three designated charities.

PS - If you care about handmade children's toys, check out this post at Cool Mom Picks. Thanks to our reader Katie for alerting us to this issue.

Maggie's Organics & Hat Attack

Plenty of folks recognize the benefits of organic clothing now, but how about back in 1992?

In those beknighted dark ages, organic clothing was many years away from breaking into the mainstream.

But that didn't stop the folks behind Maggie's Organics from founding their company based on "the premise that all workers could be treated ethically and that clothing could be functional, beautiful and affordable and also constructed of environmentally sustainable materials."

16 years later, Maggie's Organics says that it is still using certified organically grown fibers (Certified Organic Cotton or Certified Organic Wool) in all its apparel and accessories.

Intellectually, we admire Maggie's Organics for its commitment to rely on suppliers (many of them locally based in the U.S.A.) who guarantee livable working conditions.

From a consumer & reviewer standpoint, we appreciate the fact that Maggie's Organics uses truly minimal packaging, and that the packaging it does use appears to be made largely or exclusively from recycled materials.

The unisex lounge pants (regularly $23, on sale for $12) that we tested were not only comfortable, soft and durable, but slipping them on seemed to promote a real sense of relaxation and ease. They won't replace tuxedo pants or a pantsuit, but they're certainly ideal for lounging around the house.

As for the Maggie's Organic textured tights ($20.80), they were impressively warm and simultaneously stylish, according to our tester.

And by the way, the Organic cotton crew socks in Natural color ($8) - those were primo too.

From the tips of your toes, we turn to the top of your head. If you're looking for something organic to keep your noggin safe from the winter wind, consider the organic stylish caps from Hat Attack. If your climate is relatively mild, we'd suggest the jaunty, somewhat bohemian $32 Organic Cotton Cap. For chillier climes, you'll get more mileage out of the Organic Cotton Trapper ($75), lined with faux fur. No word on whether that's organic faux fur. That trapper also comes in an adorable baby size ($58) so your little tyke can look Iditarod-ready.

Where to buy:

You can order Maggie's Organics products through the company's online outlet.

Pick up your Hat Attack head-topper through the company's Internet store.