Growing up in southern California, I spent much of my free time playing in the ocean and many summers harvesting vegetables at a family farm. In my early 20s, as a top buyer for a French fashion designer in Beverly Hills, I was constantly on the go. So when I became pregnant with my first child, it didn't occur to me to slow down. Some say I sped up.

Like many expecting moms, I started scrutinizing my lifestyle. Okay, I admit, I took it farther than most! I initiated what has become an ongoing endeavor to purify body, home, and way of life with a mission to raise my family in a natural, eco-friendly environment. I became a vegetarian, eating only locally grown, organic foods purchased from my local farmer's market. I stocked up on organic cloth diapers for my newborn and devoted myself to breastfeeding. I started gardening and composting. And for the first time in my life, I began scrutinizing labels. Unable to decipher some of the ingredients in the baby shampoo I found in a local health food store, I consulted a chemical dictionary at the library and found that many of the cleansing agents and synthetic fragrances listed were not only harsh on the skin, but suspected carcinogens.