Sometimes you can't be confident in knowing that the components of your makeup are organic. Many women choose to wear organic makeup as opposed to synthetic man made cosmetics. If something says it is organic that doesn't mean that it is truly so. And it does not mean it is harmless.

Makeup can be called organic but may only be 50 percent organic. You would be surprised to learn that the other 50 are chemicals, preservatives like animal fats, synthetic fragrances and dyes.

Federal guidelines are not required for cosmetics claiming to be organic and it is your responsibility to establish whether or not a product is harmful or not. More often looking for numerous ingredients can help you make your decision easier. Did you know that the word fragrance on packaging could consist of more than 150 chemicals.

Organic Seal

When looking for organic makeup look for a USDA seal. Many companies claim their products are organic but if they lack the seal, there is no evidence to that claim. The seal helps you to recognize if a particular product is at least 95 percent organic.

Stay Away from these ingredients

These common terms will help you learn which ingredients to stay away from.

• PVPA Copolymer- chemical formulated from petroleum commonly used in waterproof cosmetics.
  
  
• Synthetic Colors and Fragrance- Sometimes these ingredients appear as FD&C or D&C with a number. Fragrances can be made up of an astounding amount of harmful chemicals.
  
  
• Parabens- Look out for words that start with butyl, propyl, methyl and ethyl these are all related. This is a commonly used preservative in makeup to help it last longer. Numerous negative health effects as well as cancer have been linked to the ingredient.
  

The popularity of organic makeup is catching on so there are a variety of brands to choose from. Once you know what to look for the buying process becomes easier. Some well know brands are Josie Maran, Bare Escentuals, and Korres.