Gaia Tree in Hayes Valley operates on a simple premise: offering consumers a viable substitute for products containing harsh ingredients. Gaia Tree carries a range of high quality products- oils, medicines, skin care items- that utilize blends of premium ingredients. All products are eco-friendly and you'll never find harsh chemicals, artificial colors, or artificial fragrances in Gaia Tree's offerings. The store itself is an epicurean setting: part day spa and part beauty vendor, Gaia Tree's most popular services are facials and massages. Treatments include their $145, 75-minute Sundari Herbal Aromatherapy Bliss, a mixture of ayurvedic herbs, deep cleansing, chamomile eye treatment, and an essential oil massage for the face, décolleté, neck, and hands. Gaia Tree also carries exquisite body care sundries, ranging from the San Francisco-based Zia line to stainless steel tongue cleaners.

- An excerpt from Alternative Make-up by Nirmala Nataraj