2011 Heart of Green Awards

Winner: Dr. Bronner's
Now celebrating its 60th anniversary and five generations of family business, Dr. Bronner's continues to expand beyond its crunchy, counterculture base. There are new products and some updated packaging, but Dr. Bronner's has retained its quirky originality and insistence on purity. A new line is both fair trade and certified under the USDA's National Organic Program. The company continues to lead a push for standardizing strict organic standards for the body care industry. Available at amazon.com

Learn more about our 2011 Heart of Green Award winners!

About the Nominees

Tom's of Maine
Known for years for their smile-inducing natural toothpaste, Tom's of Maine has continued to raise the bar on clean. The company's new Wicked Fresh line of dental products lives up to the name, plus the company has made a big push to recycle their plastic packaging. We also like that Tom's employees get to use up to 5% of their paid time volunteering. Though the family-started business was mostly sold to Colgate-Palmolive in 2006, it has remained true to its green roots.

Pangea Organics
One of the more rigorously green brands around, Pangea Organics has been expanding rapidly, introducing new products and growing distribution. One of the few brands to be both organic and fair trade, Pangea products are all cruelty-free, palm oil-free and they contain no synthetic fragrances. They've also recently teamed up with leading enviro Jane Goodall on an awareness campaign.

Aubrey Organics
Long a leader in authentic natural personal care, Aubrey Organics has stepped it up with new, contemporary packaging and wider offerings, including styling aids, lotions, bars, shave creams, deodorants and more. Known best for their truly clean hair care, Aubery has also introduced great stuff for pets and men.

Nature's Gate
Nature's Gate has been working to promote clean water around the world, especially in Asia and Africa, where far too many people lack safe access. The company continues to introduce new products in many categories, and won a 2010 Allure Best of Beauty award for a lotion that leaves skin with a "glow.

Origins Organics
Origins Organics uses renewable energy for its operations, and its certified organic ingredients include 100% natural essential oils. The company uses no parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oil, PABA, paraffin, DEA, petrolatum or animal ingredients. New products include anti-aging treatments, scrubs, face washes, and stress relief creams.

- Brian Clark Howard