I am happy to see more and more natural skincare and bath & body brands coming onto the market. For a while now, tweens and teens have really been left out – leaving them to opt for toxic chemical-filled options found at the mall like Bath & Body Works.

Many of the chemicals used in conventional skincare products today have hormone-disrupting qualities. Girls at this age are especially vulnerable to these chemicals, and mothers should help their daughters avoid these products at all costs.

I am excited to see more natural brands for tweens and teens arrive on the market. One of those brands is Good For You Girls, a line specifically formulated for the special needs of young skin. Good For You Girls believes that beautiful skin is achieved the way mother-nature intended, with formulas created from the finest blends of organic extracts and natural botanicals.

Good habits start at a young age. It is our responsibility, as mothers, to educate our children to the dangers of chemicals in the world and in the products they use. Even at the tender ages of 2 and 3, I have been hard at work educating my daughters about the dangers of chemicals.

Zoë will ask if there are chemicals in everything she uses now. I took her to the dentist a couple weeks ago and they sent her home with some Colgate toothpaste. She was absolutely horrified when she found out that there was artificial coloring in it. So much so that she threw it away completely unprompted. I would love to see all young girls educated about chemicals to the point where they make active decisions like that.

I love that the Good For You Girls Line contains:

• NO Parabens
• NO Sulfates
• NO Phthalates
• NO Propylene glycol
• NO Mineral Oils
• NO Silicone
• NO Synthetic Fragrance
• NO Dyes

And the line is gluten-free and vegan so I don’t have to worry about my recently-discovered allergies.

More facts about Good For You Girls and their ethics:

• Green Packaging. The boxes are printed on recyclable material with safe, water-based inks and the bottles are recyclable.
• Cruelty-Free. No animal testing is done on the products and none of the ingredients used are tested on animals.
• 100% Vegan. No animal byproducts are used.
• No Dyes. No dyes of any kind are in the products.
• No GMOs. No plant ingredients that have been treated with Genetically Modified Organisms are used.
• Sulfate & Paraben-Free. No methylparaben, propylparaben or sodium laurel/laureth sulfates in the products.
• 100% Natural Aromatics. The uplifting citrus scent in Good For You Girls is created from the essential oils of grapefruit, orange, lemon and bergamot.

The Products

Good For You Girls sent me their three body care products to try.

Body Wash

This body wash is formulated with mild organic and natural plant-based cleansers.  I was excited to see that the body wash creates a really great lather and a little bit goes a really long way if you use it on a body puff. My skin feels clean yet still moisturized after using it. I have also used it on both girls and it has worked well with their sensitive skin. The citrus scent is really mild and not at all overpowering, which is very nice. I really like this body wash. An 8 oz. bottle retails for $10.99.

Ingredients: Purified water, organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, sodium laurylglucoside hudroxyppropylsulfonate (corn derived), cocamidopropyl betaine (coconut derived), sodium methyl cocoyl taurate (coconut derived), decyl glucoside (corn derived), glycerin, panthenol, organic olive oil, organic avocado oil, organic jojoba oil, organic sunflower seed oil, organic arnica montana (organic arnica extract), organic lavandula angustifolia (organic lavender extract), organic chamomilla recutita (organic chamomile extract), organic calendula officinalis (organic calendula extract, organic white tea extract, green tea extract, black tea extract, marshmallow extract, allantoin, tocopherol acetate (Vitamin E), sodium PCA, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, ethylhexylglycerin, 100% natural blend of essential oils and natural aromatics.

Body Shimmer Lotion

Teens and tweens like having lotion that’s just a little more hip than mom’s lotion. That’s where the Good For You Girls Body Shimmer Lotion comes in. I had in my mind that it wouldn’t be very moisturizing, but it was great. I did layer it over my normal lotion because my skin is super dry, but for normal skin, this is all you’d need. What gives the lotion its shimmer is a touch of natural mica that lightly sparkles on your skin for a healthy glow. It really is a nice, light shimmer and not overwhelming, so it’s okay for a teen or tween to wear for fun occasions. An 8 oz. bottle retails for $10.99.

Ingredients: Purified water, organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, organic sunflower oil, glycerin, capric caprylic triglycerides (coconut derived), glyceryl stearate citrate, glyceryl stearate, cetearyl alcohol, xanthane gum, sodium alginate, panthenol, organic arnica montana (organic arnica extract), organic calendula officinalis (organic calendula extract), organic chamomilla recutita (organic chamomile extract), organic lavandula angustifolia (organic lavender extract), organic white tea extract, allantoin, mica, titanium dioxide, soy tocopherols (Vitamin E), ethylhexylglycerin, gluconolactone, sodium benzoate, 100% natural blend of essential oils and natural aromatics.

Deodorant

I have been trying out natural deodorant after natural deodorant to find the one that works best for me. This one worked well on days when I wasn’t very active, but if it was a super active day, I definitely started to smell myself after a while. But it’s a great natural deodorant to start with for a tween. It has a nice, light citrus scent and comes in a roll on. And it ensures that your daughter won’t be applying harmful chemicals or aluminum to their underarms. An 8 oz. bottle retails for $6.99.

Ingredients: Purified water, propanediol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, witch hazel distillate, polysorbate 20, organic arnica montana (organic arnica extract), organic lavandula angustifolia (organic lavender extract), organic chamomilla recutita (organic chamomile extract), organic calendula officinalis (organic calendula extract, organic white tea extract, green tea extract, black tea extract , alpine lichen, grapefruit seed extract, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, ethylhexylglyecerin, 100% natural blend of essential oils and aromatics for scent.

Good For You Girls also offers:

• Lip Balm
• Blemish Wash
• Gel Cleanser
• Purifying Toner
• Moisturizer

If you have a tween or teen that you’re trying to steer towards natural skincare and bath & body products, I recommend that you check out Good For You Girls!

Special Discount

Good For You Girls is offering 15% off online orders through June 1, 2012 just for Happy Mothering readers! Enter code HAPPYM at check-out!

The Giveaway

Two lucky Happy Mothering readers will win a body care package from Good For You Girls containing the Body Wash, Shimmer Lotion and Deodorant. To enter, please complete the Rafflecopter form below.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Happy Mothering is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prize. Each sponsor is expected to fulfill their prize in a timely manner. While we are not responsible, we will make every effort to help the winner should there be any issue.