All of us want to be healthier, happier, and have less impact on the environment.  Most of the skin care products (including cosmetics) on the market are not even close to organic.  Many include some pretty ugly chemicals.  Most notable of those are the parabens.

These are estrogen boosters, usually called para-hydroxybenzoic acids.  They go under various chemical names like methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, etc.  They're valued as anti-microbials, so they lower skin infections and “zits” which makes skin look healthier.  They also keep the skin care product in question fresher, longer.

These parabens are in lipstick, base makeup, skin conditioners, lotions and more.  They are associated with estrogenic activity, either boosting or blocking depending on use.  They mimic female hormones and can cause health concerns.  The EPA is studying whether they are also affecting ground water and other things.

Avoiding them is a good idea.  If you read the article on sunburn published here, you'll understand that.

Just because something is put on your skin does not mean it's not going into your body.  Studies have found that things applied to or spilled onto the skin are absorbed, at least partially, into the body (subcutaneously) within ten minutes.

The problem is, when you look for skin care products at the store, they'll have labels like “All Natural” and “Organic,” but that may or may not mean what you think it means. Here is the list of top rated Organic Skincare and Cosmetic Brands.

Reading the label is a good start.  The ingredients list shouldn't contain a lot of chemical names that don't have sources in parenthesis.  For instance, “theobroma cacao” is coconut oil, so it will probably be listed on the label as theobroma cacao (coconut oil).

Luckily, there are some certifiers you can look for whose name on the label will do a lot of the work for you.  These labels all guarantee a 95% or better organic content in the product:

USDA Organic
Australian Certified Organic
EU Agriculture Biologique
BIO/Germany

Others with nice-sounding names like “Eco Cert” don't mean organic or even natural.  The Eco Cert label only requires a 10% organic content, which many beauty products have anyway.  “Squirt some aloe in there and it's organic,” would be the thinking on those labels.

Natural products (which are not organic, meaning their ingredients may include plants sprayed with chemicals during growth) will have the same ingredient types on the label to watch for.  Look also for guarantees from the company saying that there are no glycols, SLS, parabens, etc. in the product.  That's at least a good start.

The good news in all this is that there are more and more products that are doing more than just greenwashing and claiming to be “organic.”  It's worth the little bit of effort to get the good stuff, though.

How are you going organic with your skin care?  Let us know in the comments!

Please visit Organic Lifetsyle Blog regularly to find out more about organic and healthy lifestyle.

Buy Organic Skin Care Products

	Therapeutic Organic Lavender Skin Care-Ultimate Moisture Cream - 2 oz. - List Price: $16.95 Sale Price: $10.17 Average Rating:
	Lavender Ultimate Moisture Cream Lavender RENEWAL & VITALITY for Sensitive Skin Signature ingredient: Made with organic Lavender, Licorice Root, White Tea, Evening Primrose Oil and other calming non-irritating ingredients for reactive complexions...

	Mambino Organics Oh Baby! Belly Butter 4oz / 114g ~ Winner! Disney's iParenting Media Award; Outstanding Product List Price: $30.00 Sale Price: $30.00 Average Rating:
	This rich, luxurious blend of nature's most nourishing and healing botanicals, softens the appearance of old and prevents new stretch marks. Restores elasticity and hydration, while soothing dry, itchy skin...

	Organic Argan Oil Sale Price: $32.00 Average Rating:
	Argan Oil softens the skin and treat many skin conditions. "Argan oil, which is said to have restorative and age-defying effects, has become one of the latest miracle ingredients in the beauty industry...

Aubrey Organics - Evening Primrose & Lavender Skin Care Bar, 3.6 oz bar List Price: $5.89 Sale Price: $4.54 Average Rating:

Evening Primrose Soothing Bath Bar 4oz Ultra-mild, moisturizing face and body bar soothes and hydrates skin as it cleanses. An excellent choice for dry, stressed skin. FEATURES: BENEFITS: Organic Evening Primrose Oil High in gamma-linolenic acid; calms stressed skin Shea Butter Rich humectant; smoothes & moisturizes INGREDIENTS: Sodium palmate, sodium palm kernelate, aqua, lavan­dula angustifolia (lavender) oil, glycerin, palm acid, oenothera biennis (evening primrose) oil*, sodium chloride, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), palm kernel acid...

	Aubrey Organics Rosa Mosqueta Rose Hip Moisturizing Cream, 4-Ounce Bottle List Price: $16.28 Sale Price: $11.64 Average Rating:
	Ultra-rich formula smooths and hydrates dry skin on contact with organic Rosa Mosqueta® oil, high in essential fatty acids, vitamin C and other nutrients. An excellent source of linolenic and linoleic acids, necessary for healthy skin...

	Eminence Organic Skin Care - Stone Crop Gel Wash - 4 Oz Sale Price: $38.00 Average Rating:
	Hydrates while perfectly cleanses Removes dry, dehydrated layers from the skin surface Helps to lighten pigmentation Assists in promoting skin smoothness and comfort Helps to relieve tightness and irritation

	Eminence Organic Skin Care - Apricot Whip Moisturizer - 2 Oz. Sale Price: $56.00
	Eminence Apricot Whip Moisturizer is a medium weight hydrating and revitalizing cream for normal or dry skin types. This organic face cream is light enough to be used in the morning yet it provides plenty of hydration to be used as a night cream as well...

	100% Raw Organic Argan Oil 100 ml Sale Price: $20.00 Average Rating:
	The Argan Tree, Argania spinosa from Sapotaceae family and grows only in Morocco. The trees can live from 150-200 years. For centuries traditional cosmetic products produced from Argania spinosa have been a well kept secret known only to Berber women in Morocco...

	Eminence Organic Skin Care - Naseberry Treatment Cream - 2 Oz. Sale Price: $63.99 Average Rating:
	Eminence Naseberry Treatment Cream Assists in the natural rejuvenation process of the skin. It is a lightweight anti-wrinkle cream with natural fruit acids to gently exfoliate mature, dehydrated or fatigued skin types...

	Therapeutic Organic Lavender Skin Care-Brightening Firm Serum - 1 oz. - List Price: $20.95 Sale Price: $9.95
	Lavender Renewal Facial Serum Lavender RENEWAL & VITALITY for Sensitive Skin Signature ingredient: Made with organic Lavender, Arnica, Licorice Root, Grape Seed Polyphenols and other calming non-irritating ingredients for reactive complexions...