Danny Seo uses toothpaste and a toothbrush to bring scratched CD's back to new condition.

Sometimes making an effort isn’t enough. When it was time to replenish my toiletries, I used to commend myself for walking past the incredibly convenient pharmacy to the health food store a few blocks too far. There I would squeeze through tiny aisles with spilled granola crunching under my feet, until I made it to the health and beauty section. Once ensconced in this zone of all things natural, I breathed a sigh of relief — I was safe here. Sure, the packaging wasn’t as sexy as the products at mainstream stores, but the contents of these tubes and bottles contained ingredients I could recognize, substances derived from plants and fruits and purified water.