Today I’m veering slightly off topic to answer a reader question.   Remember, if you have a question about health, wellness, cooking or green living please contact me.

Rebekah asked:

Q: Where can I find corn-free, soy-free, GMO-free soaps, shampoos and personal care products?

A: Frankly, I do not use many personal care products at all; however, I was able to dig up some recommendations for you.

Soaps: I have ultra-sensitive skin so don’t often use soap and when we do, we use locally made soaps or castile soaps which are made from olive oil and lye and sometimes scented with essential oil.   If you have a good farmers market in your area, you can probably find some hand-crafted soap.   These handcrafted soaps are usually corn-, soy- and petrochemical-free.   Alternatively, check out Lush which offers a huge array of natural, organic soaps and personal care products.

Shampoos: I have a secret to share: I haven’t shampooed my hair since June of 2006.   I’m going on three years!   Don’t worry, it’s not as funky as it sounds.   You can even check out a picture of me on the About Jenny page. Since ditching the shampoo, my hair has been stronger, healthier and its natural highlights have returned plus I’m not sending funky chemicals down the drain and into the water supply.

My basic routine is simple: warm water, followed by a dilute lemon rinse and another shot of cold water.   A few times a week, I’ll use Burts Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar, regular natural soap or a paste of baking soda and water followed with another dilute lemon juice rinse or, occasionally, a dilute apple cider vinegar rinse. Every 4-6 months or so, I condition my hair with olive oil and egg yolk but I find that the need is pretty low.

Moisturizers: Mostly, I find that a cold rinse in the shower keeps my skin from becoming dry.   I do, however, use Burt’s Bees Moisturizing Night Cream when I don’t have time to make my own moisturizers out of beeswax, filtered water and natural carrier oils like sweet almond oil or olive oil.   I’m considering starting a new blog about natural skin care so stay tuned for that!   I use olive oil and coconut oil as body moisturizers as well.

A Note on Sunscreen: While you didn’t specifically ask about sunscreen, it seems to fit the topic.   We no longer use sunscreen in our home for a variety of reasons.   Instead we eat a healthy diet and use coconut oil or sesame oil both of which have a natural SPF of about 5.     I prefer coconut oil because it smells nicer. Check out these posts on ditching the sunscreen: To Screen or Nourish at Local Nourishment and Natural Sunscreen Protection with Real Food.

Remember, if you have a question about real food, green living or anything else please contact me and I’ll do my best to help you out.   I love hearing from Nourished Kitchen readers.

GMO-free personal care is cross-posted at the No GMO Challenge.

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GMO-free foods are tough to find or, rather, it is simply difficult to differentiate between genetically modified ingredients and natural ingredients when reading the nutrition facts.   Consumers are confounded by the lack of reasonable and appropriate labeling laws for GMO foods  in the United States even though the vast majority of US consumers want genetically modified foods appropriately labeled.

Further Reading

• Action Alert: Genetically Engineered Alfalfa
• Take the Real Food Challenge

Rather than waylay you with information on the detriments of GMO foods or scare you into going GMO-free, this post gives you a guide to which brands of foods are GMO-free at the time of writing.   Keep in mind that this list is not comprehensive.

GMO-free Brands

These brands, at the time of writing, source their ingredients from GMO-free supplies.  If you’re concerned about the very real threat that genetically modified organisms pose to our food supply and ultimate health, please purchase from these companies and contact them to let them know that you support and value their decision to use non-gmo soy, corn, canola and other ingredients. Please enjoy this GMO-free food list and share it.

• Arrowhead Mills: GMO-free providers of baking mixes and flours found in both natural health food stores and regular supermarkets.
• Eden Foods: GMO-free providers of canned goods, noodles, tamari, miso, vinegar and Asian foodstuffs.
• Natural Choice Foods:  GMO-free roviders of frozen dessert products.
• Purity Foods: GMO-free makers of spelt-based noodles, snacks and other goodies.
• Rapunzel: My all-time favorite chocolate company.  They also sell speciality oils.
• Spectrum Oils: GMO-free manufacturer of speciality oils, cooking oils, salad oils and natural shortening.
• Genisoy: Uses only certified GMO-free soybeans for their many soy products.
• Earth’s Best: Baby food manufacturer uses non-GMO ingredients.
• Healthy Times: Baby food manufacturer uses non-gmo ingredients.
• Bob’s Red Mill: GMO-free provider of baking mixes and specialty flours.
• Pamela’s Products: Provider of luscious gluten-free baking mixes sources non-GMO ingredients.
• Whole Foods Store Brands: Whole foods has made the commitment to sourcing its ingredients from GMO-free sources.
• Cascadian Farms: Provider of frozen entrees, juices, frozen vegetables and fruit, yogurt and other foods.
• Imagine Foods: GMO-free provider of soy and rice milk as well as broth and other foods.
• Muir Glen: Source of canned goods and vegetable juice uses gmo-free foods.
• Thai Kitchen: Source for coconut milks and Asian ingredients sources gmo-free ingredients.
• Amy’s Kitchen: GMO-free source of canned soups, chilies, boxed and frozen meals.
• Nature’s Path: Manufacturer of cereals and snack bars made with ingredients sourced gmo-free.
• Annie’s Naturals: Manufacturer of BBQ sauce, salad dressings and other condiments sourced from gmo-free ingredients.
• San J: GMO-free manufacturer of soy sauce, shoyu and tamari.
• Tradition Miso: Manufacturer of miso pastes that are made from GMO-free ingredients.
• Barbara’s Bakery: Manufacturer of cookies sources from gmo-free ingredients.
• Lundberg Family Farms: GMO-free provider of rice and wild rice foods including raw rice, soups and convenience foods.
• Walkers: Provider of the best shortbread cookies ever as well as other sweet treats.
• Fantastic Foods: Provider of hummus, falafel, risotto couscous, soup and other mixes with gmo-free ingredients.
• Vitasoy: Manufacturer of soy-based foods sourced from gmo-free ingredients.
• Clif: Manufacturer of energy bars sourced from gmo-free foods.
• Kettle Chips: GMO-free manufacturer of potato and tortilla chips.
• Que Pasa: Manufacturer of tortilla chips and other Mexican foods sourced from non-gmo ingredients.
• Garden of Eatin: Manufacturer of chips, salsas and other snack foods.
• French Meadow Bakery: Manufacturer of bread and baked goods using non-gmo ingredients.
• White Wave: Manufacturer of soy products including tofu and tempeh using gmo-free soy.
• Bearitos: Manufacturer of snack foods and dips using gmo-free foods.
• Chaffin Family Orchards: Is committed to GMO-free foods and sells an assortment of goods including olive oil.
• Cultures for Health: All starters and products sold at Cultures for Health are GMO-free.
• Grindstone Bakery: GMO-free provider of wheat- and gluten-free bread.
• Pure Indian Foods: GMO-free provider of grass-fed ghee.
• To Your Health: Provider of gmo-free sprouted breads and sprouted flours.
• US Wellness Meats: Provider of pasture- and grass-fed meats free of GMO supplemental feed.
• Zukay: Provider of live cultured condiments and salsa free from GMO.
• Wisconsin Healthy Grown Potatoes: GMO-free potatoes.

If you have a question about a certain product or brand that is not listed here, please call the company and ask or contact me and I’ll do the digging for you.   Remember: one of the best ways to raise awareness among the food corporations is to voice your concerns directly to them and boycott companies who continue to source ingredients from genetically modified sources.  If you are a food manufacturer and your products are gmo-free, please contact me about adding your company to the list.