SUMMER PLEASURES CASUAL FURNISHINGS GREAT SELECTION OF THE FINEST OUTDOOR & INDOOR CASUAL FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Winston Tropitone Lloyd/Flanders Boutique Pawleys Island Woodard Homecrest Moon Valley Rustic Windsor Designs Lyon-Shaw Lane/Venture Whitaker I.M. David Virginia House Braxton-Culler Blacksmith Shop Telescope Bar Stools Cushions/Umbrellas Outdoor Lighting Moon Valley Lawn Swing $269 6465 Dixie Hwy. • Clarkston, MI 48346 (810) 625-3322 • FAX (810) 625-6868 Hours: Mon., Wed., Thurs., Fri. 9:30-5:30; Tues. 9:30-8; Sat. 9:30-4:30; Sun. 1-4 Recipes For Natural Beauty ALISON ASHTON SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS T his season, the hottest color in cosmetics is green - as in environ- mentally sensitive make- up and body-care products. Health food stores have long stocked "cruelty-free" (meaning not tested on animals) products, but green cosmetics have gone mainstream in a big way. Honeyed Beeswax Cleanser? Carrot Cream moisturizer? Parsley & Mint Face Mask? Mint Face Wash? Product names like these may sound like something from the produce aisle, but they reflect rising con- sumer demand for botanically based cosmetics. The Body Shop pioneered the movement toward mainstream natural beauty care, and British founder Anita Roddick makes sure each store is as much about environmental activism as it is about selling cosmetics. Racks of fliers tout the company's trade partnerships with small communities (Brazil nut oil comes from the Kayapo Indians in Brazil, a small company in Zambia provides or- ganic honey and beeswax, etc.) and its animal protection efforts. Cosmetics giant Estee Laud- er concocted the all-natural Ori- gins line, which found plenty of green in organic botanical ex- tracts and aromatic oils. Sebas- tian Skin recently introduced its Green Tea line of skin and hair- care products. Apparently green tea is not just a healthy drink: Its anti-oxidant properties are good for the skin when applied topically. Sebastian expects it to have as revolutionary an effect on skin care as alpha-hydroxy acids. "I've found that just about every line is touting their botan- icals," says Heather Kleinman, editor of The Cosmetic Connec- tion Web site, who personally fa- vors products with tea tree oil. But she urges consumers to beware of overblown claims. Botanical-based cosmetics can- not offer miracles any more than their traditional Alison Ashton is a writer for Copley News Service. counterparts. Still, many women like the idea of using natural products, and if they make your skin look or feel bet- ter, Kleinman sees no reason not to use them. Smart consumers, however, read the labels of the skin-care products they buy. If the natural components appear far down on the list, they're prob- ably natural in name only. If "Smart consumers read the labels of skin-care products." botanicals are listed prominently among the ingredients, you know they're an integral part of the mix. True purists may want to try cooking up their own beauty po- tions, and most of the ingredi- ents can indeed be found at the neighborhood grocery store. "Blended Beauty: Botanical Se- crets for Body & Soul" by Philip B. (Ten Speed Press) has 100 recipes for skin and hair-care concoctions. B., who owns pri- vate beauty salons in New York and Los Angeles, started brew- ing custom botanical treatments for Hollywood clients before