Ethical Shopping

I love animals more than I can put into words, and the planet they live on matters just as much to me. Shopping ethically is one of the most direct ways to put that love into action.

People are fed up. Fed up with companies that still test on animals in 2026. Fed up with the greed that lets corporations cut corners at the expense of living creatures and the environment. Fed up with the idea that we have to choose between products that work and products that do no harm. We do not have to accept that.

Every purchase is a vote. These are the brands I trust with mine.

Banyan Botanicals

Beauty, Herbs, Spices

Banyan Botanicals uses organic and the purest ingredients possible. Packaging is earth-friendly. There are NO chemicals in their products. Use all kitchen-friendly ingredients in skin care, beauty and health products. For guidance on how to use these products, visit www.sheboyganyogaayurveda.com

Shop Now

Consumer Reports

Consumer Protection & Product Reviews

Consumer Reports has been fighting for everyday people since 1936. They test, investigate, and review thousands of products and services every year — independently, without advertising influence, and always with the consumer’s best interest as the only agenda. From appliances to cars to food safety, their research helps you buy smarter and avoid products that don’t deliver what they promise or that put your health at risk. In a world full of greenwashing, fake reviews, and corporate spin, Consumer Reports is one of the few voices you can actually trust.

Microsoft

I recommend buying software that isn’t subscription based.

Look, I’ll be honest — I loathe Microsoft. But if you run a business, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are genuinely non-negotiable. They are the universal standard and there is simply no working around them.

That said, the single most important thing you can do for your privacy with Microsoft is to buy a one-time license and download the software — not use Microsoft 365 online or any version that saves your documents to their cloud. When your files live in OneDrive or you’re editing in the browser-based versions, Microsoft has access to them.^[1] Their own privacy statement says they may “retain, access, transfer, disclose, and preserve” your content — including files in OneDrive — whenever they judge it necessary.^[2] That includes any password lists, financial spreadsheets, or sensitive documents you’ve ever created in Word or Excel.

And then there’s Copilot. The cloud versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are wired directly into Microsoft’s AI, which actively reads and processes your stored files — including .docx, .xlsx, and .pdf files sitting in OneDrive and SharePoint.^[3] An AI is scanning your documents on their servers. The downloaded, offline version is a completely different story: your files stay on your device, nothing gets scanned, and nothing leaves unless you deliberately sync to the cloud.

Did you know you can still get Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint without paying a hefty annual subscription price? Microsoft Office Home 2024 Classic Office Apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint | One-Time Purchase for a single Windows laptop or Mac – Instant Download. I bought this exact product and it works perfectly! AND…there’s no horrible Copilot AI built into it!

Shop Now

Sources

FII.one, “Does Microsoft Scan Your OneDrive Files?”
Microsoft, Privacy Statement — “we retain, access, transfer, disclose, and preserve personal data, including your content”
TechRadar, “Microsoft’s Copilot AI can now read your files directly”

iHerb & Vitacost

Health, Organic & Cruelty-Free Products

If you care about what goes into your body and onto your skin, iHerb and Vitacost are two of the best places to shop. Both carry a wide range of high-quality health products — vitamins, supplements, superfoods, natural beauty, and household essentials — with a strong selection of organic and cruelty-free options. No animal testing. No mystery ingredients. Just products that support your health and align with values that actually matter. Whether you’re stocking your pantry, your medicine cabinet, or your beauty shelf, these are the kind of stores that make it easy to do right by yourself and the planet at the same time.

Shop iHerb Shop Vitacost

Privacy.com

Don’t give away your personal data to every store and checkout on the internet! Go to privacy.com and set up your account. All purchases will be paid through a checking account that you link to privacy.com. So no debt either! Then when you shop, you can enter anything you want for the billing address and phone. Keep the wolves at bay!

Tarte Cosmetics

Tarte has been doing the right thing long before it was trendy. Their products are 100% cruelty-free — no animal testing, ever — and they’ve been committed to that standard since day one. But they don’t stop there. Tarte is also serious about their environmental footprint, using naturally derived, earth-friendly ingredients and eco-conscious packaging wherever possible. Their formulas skip the sketchy stuff (no parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, or sodium lauryl sulfate) and lean into high-performance ingredients that are actually good for your skin. You get makeup that works, without compromising on what matters. Glamour without the guilt trip.

Shop Now