I love finding products that do double duty: An item that’s a lavish treat but that is also something you can feel good using (and gifting) because it also helps people in another part of the world.

The Fair Trade label is an easy way to recognize products and companies that think in terms of their impact on humanity and not just about the bottom line. In brief, Fair Trade is a name for an economic and environmental program that offers growers and producers of many different types of goods fair wages and resources for the items that they produce. Read more about Fair Trade here: “What is Fair Trade?”

Here are today’s picks for some luxurious fair trade products, so you can feel good about treating yourself – and your loves ones – to something special:

mark The Big Fix 15-in-1 Benefits Balm
Price: $10.00
Made with Fair Trade Certified ingredients (cocoa butter, olive oil and vanilla, and blended with sunflower oil and beeswax), this balm immediately moisturizes chapped, dry elbows, knees and heels; smoothes unruly brows; softens rough cuticles and leaves skin dramatically softer anywhere you use

In developing countries, it’s common practice for farmers to be paid less than a living wage and for children to be forced into farm jobs in order to help feed their families. Each purchase from the mark. body care collection with Fair Trade Certified- ingredients helps promote a different kind of farming, where fair labor conditions are mandated and farmers are not only empowered but are also given the support to help lift themselves out of poverty. By choosing this Fair Trade Certified- product, you are directly supporting a better life for farming families through fair prices, direct trade, community development, and enviromental stewardship.
Look for Avon.com coupons here before you buy.

The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub
Price: $16.00
Think a tropical vacation aura with softer, glowing skin. Then, open the jar of this creamy moisturizing scrub and let its luxurious coconut husks and ground coconut shells gently exfoliate your body while coconut oil and other oils moisturize. Feel pampered in paradise without leaving home. Made with pure Community Fair Trade cold-pressed, organic virgin coconut oil, marula oil, organic soya oil, sweet almond oil and organic babassu oil. Oils are lightly moisturizing and non-greasy.

Lush – Fair Trade Foot Lotion
Price: $21.95
At the end of a long day, dip your fingers (or toes) into this creamy pink mixture and let the spearmint and peppermint cool your tootsies while arnica soothes and almond oil and fair trade cocoa butter soften and moisturize. Not only will your feet thank you, but so will those around you when your feet feel soft and smell divine. Use this after a Volcano foot mask for post-pedi softness.

Here are some wonderfully innovative new beauty products to help you get ready for summer:

Smart sunscreen – Get the latest advances in protecting your skin from the damaging rays of the sun.

Fortify your hair – Protect your tresses from the harsh summer sun with one of these powerful hydrators.

Teeth whiteners – Here are the latest in whitening, brightening options. Easy and effective.

Polish your skin – Sooth and hydrate your skin after a long winter by adding one of these body buffers and smoothing solutions to your weekly regimen.

For a limited time, you can save 15% on all of these beauty products by shopping through this link and using code SUN15 at SkinStore.com

Or see all current SkinStore coupons here.

Croc GreenIon Hair Dryer

Folica.com has recently introduced the NEW Croc Greenion Dryer with patented Greenion Technology. You can read the details on this technology here, but, basically it is said to better protect the moisture levels in your hair, leaving it shinier and softer than traditional blow dryers. If you have dry or color treated hair, read more to see if this might be a good solution for you.

According to the folica website, Greenion Technology uses the power of negative ions and “green wavelength frequency” to push out these negative ions in concentrations 100x higher than any other ionic dryer on the market today. And the result is softer, healthier hair with less static. Better yet, there’s a switch on the dryer, so you can turn on the GreenIon for smoothing/straightening your hair, and turn it off to create volume.

It looks as though this product is sold exclusively through Folica.com – one of Momscape’s favorite merchants. We love Folica’s fast shipping and great customer service. They ship free on orders of $50 or more, and often have lots more coupons available, too (like, at the time of this writing, $20 off orders of $75 or more, plus free shipping). See all of the current Folica.com coupons )

Starting Over™ Age-erasing cream with Mimosa.

Named a “Beauty All-Star” from Women’s Health Magazine, this eye cream boasts fantastic results.  Origins.com reports a full 94% of users saw a significant reduction in the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Starting Over Age erasing cream is made with Mimosa, Argan leaf and Green algae to rebuild collagen, repair visible lines and improve skin texture and tone. (It’s also available in an oil-free version: Origins Starting Over Age-erasing oil-free moisturizer with Mimosa )

We love Origins products because they are created from natural and certified organic ingredients and 100% natural essential oils – without all the yucky chemicals we can’t pronounce.

Momscape is proud to publish Origins.com coupon codes and special free gifts with purchase offers here, when available, so make sure to check before you buy!

philosophy hope in a jar

Selected as one of Oprah’s favorite things, this product is bound to sell out fast.

Lovers of this product (and there are many) say this award-winning daily moisturizer is lightweight yet hydrates and protects, even improving skin tone and texture. Skin is smooth and radiant.

Because the Oprah’s Favorite things episode is so popular, people are already searching frantically for this product. But drugstore.com has promised to do their best to keep this super hot-seller in stock.

Hope in a jar comes in a couple of different varieties, including the original formula as well as a special formula for sensitive skin. Shop all philosophy hope in a jar at drugstore.com

And see all current drugstore.com coupon codes and special offers here >

Peacekeeper Cause-Metics is a cosmetic line that donates its after-tax distributable profits to women’s health advocacy and human rights issues. (Read more about these advocacy issues here and view the programs PeaceKeeper has funded here.) For a limited time, Peacekeeper Cause-metics is taking 20% off all lipsticks. Just click this link and use coupon code KissMe at checkout. (Hurry! The coupon code expires on November 3, 2008.)

I love it when the money I spend for something I love actually goes to create a better world.

PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics is a company that I’m really excited about. Not only is this a socially responsible company that creates a nontoxic cosmetic line, but the money you spend helps to empower women. That’s because Peacekeeper Cause-Metics is the first cosmetic line to donate all of its after-tax distributable profits to women’s health advocacy and urgent human rights issues.
Read more about this all-benefit company on Momscape here: http://www.momscape.com/peacekeeper.htm
or visit the iamapeacekeeper.com site directly.