Prepare yourself for cold and flu season with these immune boosting products.

Many people may watch Mad Men for the human-interest stories, intense character arcs, and glimpses of history. I watch for the women’s gloves. Gloves to this germaphobe means never having to open another public bathroom door with my sleeve. Or successfully touching my nose after riding the Metro. Or pushing a grocery cart without fear. Oh, what a world it would be.

So what’s a glove-lusting germ-hater to do at the advent of cold and flu season? Green beauty has a nice selection of immunity boosters free of toxic ingredients. Check out our favorite picks to boost your immune system and see you through the winter.

(None of these products are meant to be consumed internally, nor has their effectiveness been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. They are not intended as a substitute for a doctor’s care, so see your doctor if you are sick. Embrace hand washing. This announcement is courtesy of the common sense side of everything.)

I-Booster Salve by Buddha Nose ($24.00)
The last severe cold I (heroically) endured, I heavily employed this salve from Buddha Nose. As creator Amy Galper writes of her product, its intention is “to wake us up when we feel fatigued and to activate and protect us when we feel run down.” By rubbing it on your neck and shoulders, you are said to receive a natural boost to your energy. Made with USDA certified ingredients, this lemon, clove, and cinnamon blend brings a pleasant scent up to your aching head.

Cloud of Protection By Nieves ($18.00)
Perhaps one of the most fragrant spritzers I’ve ever come across, this formula contains essential oils that claim to fight bacteria and viruses. With naturally antiseptic ingredients such as juniper needle and eucalyptus, this product goes airborne to keep you in a lovely haze of scent. Its creators also recommend it to clear negative energy in your vicinity and to help with some “odor guidance” in public bathrooms and more.

Vapor Bath Elixir by Farmaesthetics ($31.00)
Another slam-dunk product from the green experts over at Farmaesthetics, this fragrant immune boosting “spa in a bottle” brings to mind evergreen forests when it’s added to the bath. Containing certified organic ingredients to open congestion and boost the immune system, its mix of menthol, clove, eucalyptus and lavender is not to be missed. I actually keep my bottle on my desk to use as an aromatherapy boost throughout the day, it’s that good.

Aromatherapy Personals Immune Boost ($17.00)
Eucalyptus and lemon make another appearance in this fragrant roll-on from Aromatherapy Personals. Made with certified organic ingredients, it contains bacteria-fighting tea tree oil. It also has lemon, frankincense, rosemary, and sweet orange to sooth your senses. You can roll it onto pulse points along your wrists and use it on your temples and the back of your neck. Aromatherapy Personals also offers a product to sooth a sinus headache.

Hand Sanitizer Spray by EO Organics ($1.99)
Anti-bacterial sprays can be controversial. Loaded with triclosan, they kill off bacteria but not all of it. The surviving bacterium gets angry. And you don’t want to see bacterium get angry. This product from EO Organics is ready to fight bacteria. What’s more, it contains certified natural ingredients such as fragrant lavender. Yes, perhaps we can’t walk around sporting Betty Draper-friendly elbow gloves. But at least we can dose our hands with some lavender-scented product to make life just a little easier during cold and flu season.

Image: Fran Ulloma

FTC Compliance

It’s amazing how many people are going to be a part of EcoSalon Shops!

Zhena’s Gypsy Tea is one, and I’m so glad they are, for several reasons.

One, I can’t wait to enjoy the fruity notes of Gypsy’s hot and cold tea samples that will be shared at the event.

Two, I love their story.

In 2000, founder Zhena Muzyka’s son, Sage, was born with a severe birth defect. Zhena had no health coverage to manage Sage’s mountain of medical bills, and she was struggling to make ends meet. But she was determined to earn the money it would take to pay for the surgeries that would save Sage’s life. Drawing on her degree in aromatherapy and a love of tea, and backed by a little seed money from friends and family, Zhena embraced her Ukranian Gypsy heritage and became a tea cart peddler on California street corners.

Zhena was undeterred, believing that her tins would purvey much more than tea – she saw hope for the future and her son. These days, Sage is a very healthy boy, and Zhena’s Gypsy Tea is an award winning brand.

Zhena’s Gypsy Tea offers not only teas but herbal infusions, producing hand-crafted, all natural and organic beverages that are 100% organic and 100% Fair Trade certified.

Come meet us this Friday, and stay for some tea, won’t you?

If you ask me, there’s nothing more relaxing than the sound of a crackling fire (the same probably can’t be said for Neil Diamond). Yet, I can’t even remember the last time I used my fireplace as more than just a decorative mantle to display frames and books. Really, who has the time to constantly add more kindling, stoke the flames and keep it burning? Here’s an eco-friendly solution to make you smile.

With a sustainable wooden wick, the Dayna Decker Botanika Chandel is specially designed to simulate the soothing sound of a cozy fire. Four aroma therapeutic fragrances to choose from; two include notes of rose. (Available at Wildflower Organics for $54.)

In an idyllic world, you could file your stress along with completed assignments when the clock strikes five. In reality, it tends to follow you home after a taxing day at work. If throwing on a pair of cozy pajamas and sinking into your sofa with a good book just isn’t enough to rid your mind of worries, try aromatherapy. This fragrant method of therapy can alleviate much more than just anxiety:

If humdrum routines have faded your passion into apathy, take a bath enhanced with peppermint essential oil to awaken your zest for life.

We all feel out of touch with the world sometimes, so combat those occasional sentiments of loneliness by mixing a little marjoram essential oil into your body lotion.

Have minor disputes caused you to fly off the handle lately? Well, you don’t need a counseling session to abate your heightened sense of irritability. Just burn some lavender incense and let the calm wash over you.

Whenever you’re feeling blue, add several drops of neroli essential oil to a bowl filled with steaming water, cover your head with a towel and inhale this uplifting scent.

You’re always up to speed on the latest trends, but scanning through all those fashion magazines is hardly a ticket for high self-esteem. Light a sandalwood essential oil soy candle and show your insecurities (and the magazine) the recycling bin.

Interested in around-the-clock relief? Make your own essential oil perfume with these aromas and soothe these emotions all day long.

Image: estrilda

The latest diffuser craze has everyone smelling up their spaces, but anyone with a sensitive snout best beware. There’s nothing worse than being welcomed into a room by a thick wave of fragrance that fires up your nostrils and hurts your throat.

That’s why I love lemongrass. It’s subtle, not too potent – just natural, refreshing and clean. Lemongrass won’t send you running for cover like Grandma’s perfume; it actually relaxes you after a long day.

I found this Lemongrass Bath Set at VivaTerra and couldn’t resist getting one for myself along with a few of my friends. The perfect holiday gift – and it’s on sale! The set includes an 8oz. Room Diffuser ($33) and a 3″ D x 3.75″ H Soy Candle ($24).

Curling up each night to sleep, I’ve found a simple ritual that makes bedtime just a little more cozy and sweet. I mist the air with jasmine, neroli, lavender, and a blend of flower essences especially created to help me drift off in sensual, aromatic bliss. This scented mist is the fruit of Nectar Essences, a small, green company that specializes in essential oil and flower essence sprays to wake you up, calm you down, or help you sleep like a baby.

Putting love and intention into every bottle, Jenny Pao, a holistic healer specializing in Flower Essence Therapy, created these gentle formulas to bring balance to our bodies in a deliciously aromatic way. She creates her healing flower essences by soaking exotic blooms in water, and blends them with select essential oils, which are the delicately harvested aromatic soul of a plant. When you spritz with Nectar Essences, you envelop yourself in the embrace of the flowering realm. Consider Nectar Essences the perfect gift for the luxurious sensualist in your life.

Top image: geishaboy500