Hey Mr. Green,

In trying to find a good, environmentally friendly soap and shampoo to use on a boating trip (think showering on board), I'm unable to evaluate their various claims. Any suggestions? Also, how do I find out which sunscreen is least harmful to aquatic life?

—Sabrina in Frederick, Maryland

I recommend the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. EWG has sifted through tens of thousands of products, evaluating them using a complicated set of criteria to determine the safest brands. 

The organization has also developed a label that is beginning to appear on more than 65 different kinds of products, ranging from after­shaves (only three kinds meet its standards!) to lip balms and lipsticks (more than 100 kinds passed its tests). The tough safety standards that approved products must meet include being free of EWG's "ingredients of concern," such as hydroquinone, octoxynol-40, p-phenylenediamine, and sodium lauryl sulfate. They must also be manufactured following good practices.

Some sunscreens harm both human skin and coral reefs—the reefs are vulnerable to oxybenzone, a hormone disrupter, as well as butylparaben and octinoxate. EWG evaluates the different brands at bit.ly/ewg-sunscreens. For a more condensed summary of the safest and most dangerous sunscreens, see this reference guide courtesy of Livestrong: bit.ly/livestrong-sunscreen.