Yes, I realize that my Twelve Days of Eco-Sex are starting merely a week before Christmas. I apologize for being on Chanukah time. That said, let’s get eco-sexy!

I’ve always thought of Christmas as sexy time. Yes, I am a Heeb (see above), and lack the family tradition, so I have been able to fantasize my own version of Yule. But seriously — what with the blazing fireplace, the scent of pine, the gifts, the coziness inside, away from the cold — I’m assuming that even observers of Xmas feel the come hither “Santa Baby” vibe. Even if you’re visiting the grandparents for the holidays, you can always get a hotel room nearby, can’t you?

Eco-Sex starts with your relationship to your own body. You want to feel beautiful, and you can’t unless you feel healthy and robust. The vast majority of personal care products for sale at the local pharmacy are just not good for you. What’s the point of getting pretty when you’re simultaneously killing yourself with toxins that cause cancer and other awful diseases?

However, the danger is that if you’re new to greening your routine, you can get caught up in the greenwashing scheme. Avoid all that by going to only trusted brands. If you’re unsure about anything already in your stash, you can check it out using the Environmental Working Group’s wonderful cosmetic safety database.

People complain about the expense of a lot of green personal care products, and it’s a legitimate concern. Until supply and demand dictate that everything we buy is clean, green, non-toxic, and fair trade, the big companies will keep pushing the poison on us. But even if your budget is tight, you can be a lean, green, sexy machine. Start with the all-in-one theory of beauty — find products that do more than one thing. So many fall prey to using every product in a conventional line: cleanser, toner, moisturizer, eye cream, decollete cream, and then onto makeup primer, foundation, and on and on. You’re spending oodles of money, and even more precious, your time. The conventional beauty industry is built around hooking you and getting you to buy more, more and more — and then making you think that you can’t live without it.

Here’s a way to cut out all the waste. One of my most adored essentials is argan oil, a vitamin-rich oil cold-pressed by Berber women in Morocco. Because only a few drops do the job beautifully, a bottle will last a long time. And better yet, it can be used as facial moisturizer, under-eye moisturizer, body oil, and hair oil. My god — you can even use it as a salad dressing. I love Kahina Giving Beauty’s argan. Pure grade coconut oil is another brilliant multi-use oil. You can use it to moisturize the body, on the face (for dry skin), makeup remover, hair oil, and yes, in your smoothie and to stir-fry your veggies. One lucky Duck sells my favorite brand.

Now you’re naturally lovely and ready for more. Tomorrow, we look at non-toxic makeup to give that perfect glow a little bit of color and pizzazz. Coming in a few days: DIY scrubs, massage oils, masks and more…