Makeup joins the environmentally conscious world of green. Products with labels that tout “all-natural,” “organic,” or “green” line the shelves and claim to be the best nature has to offer. But it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to fake the eco-friendly label. Environmentalists and activists alike are evaluating the products ingredients as well as the packaging and the company/manufacturing standards to determine whether or not they get to proudly proclaim to be green.

To choose the greenest makeup line for you, start with the ingredients. Are they really all natural or organic? A quick check is if you can pronounce them! Be sure your choice is free of parabens, a group of chemicals used as preservatives in cosmetics; synthetic preservatives and chemicals. Better yet, look for the seal of organic certification on the label from EcoCert, BDIH or the USDA. Organic makeup has a shorter shelf-life than chemically preserved products but the glow and finish of these lines is very, well, natural – a look so many are trying to achieve.

Look next to the packaging. Paper packages should carry the “post-consumer” label which tells you that the company used recycled content to make the box. Purchase bottles with the recyclable triangle symbol. Plastic bottles and containers that have a 1 or 2 inside the triangle are most easily recycled, so are glass and cardboard containers. Most pumps and lids are not recyclable. Look for labels printed with soy or vegetable-based inks. One company has gone so far as to embed their boxes and their soap wrappers with seeds so that you can simply plant them.

To be pure green, go to the company and check out how it conducts itself. This shouldn’t be hard to information to find. Companies who are environmentally conscious usually proudly display their efforts on packaging and in ads. Be sure your eco-friendly company is using wind and solar power in their plants. Are they releasing chemicals and toxins into the air in production? Are they giving a portion of their proceeds to environmental research or clean up?

Whatever your position on the environment and the fight to keep it clean, these products and the companies that make them say they are invested in a healthier you and in a healthier tomorrow for all of us. In most cases, all-natural products will be gentler and less pore-clogging than their synthetic counterparts. However, you may still have allergic reactions to natural ingredients, so use organic products with the same sensitivity that you apply to all your makeup purchases. One benefit that is repeatedly reported is how natural makeup responds with your skin to environmental changes so it doesn’t cause the same oily residue or caking as makeup that is not all-natural. The downside is that it may not have the staying power in heat or rain.

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