As it stands, theres no unifying definition of natural beauty. At Birchbox, we created the Ingredient Conscious category to make finding healthy products easy by focusing on products that are free of the four most concerning ingredients according to our customersparabens, phthalates, sulfates, and petrochemicals. In addition to studies linking these ingredients to certain health risks, theyre also known to cause irritation and sensitivity. (You can learn more about why we chose those ingredients here.)

You might be wondering, Why should I care about ingredients? Just like the things you put inside your body affect your overall health (think: potato chips versus veggies), so do the things you put on it. Since your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you put on it, its worth taking a look at what actually makes up your favorite products. A great rule of thumb: Check out the first few ingredients listed on favorite products, and if you dont know what they are (let alone how to pronounce them), it might be worth doing some research.

Whether youre pregnant, suffering from sensitive skin, or just interested in becoming more conscious overall, you dont need to immediately toss all of your favorite products in the trash. Instead, make like Birchbox staffer Rachel and start with one or two products that you use the most, maybe your shampoo and conditioner or cleanser. Once you find brands you like you can start replacing products as you go.

Oh, and Natural Products Are Anything But Boring

There's a common misconception that natural makeup is bland or ineffective, but one look at the lip, cheek, and eye makeup picks in the Ingredient Conscious category proves just the opposite. From trestiques punchy lip colors to rms beautys rainbow of cream eye shadows, these products pack major color payoff minus the irritating effects of preservatives like parabens and sulfates. Ready to start shopping? Go here.

Natural beauty is confusing. Were here to help you figure it out.

So you want to be more mindful about the beauty products you usebut where to start? With so many different ways to define natural, it can be hard to know whats what. Thats why, at Birchbox, were doing a number of things to make your (and our) shopping decisions easier. In addition to creating our [Ingredient Conscious category](/ingredientconscious), filled with products free of the four most controversial ingredients, weve also come up with this handy guide. Heres what you need to know to get started:

4 Reasons to Be Ingredient-Conscious With Your Beauty Products

With the help of the Birchbox Ingredient Conscious category, I decided to challenge myself to only use products that meet that criteria for a full week. The category was created as a response to our customers voicing that there were certain ingredients they had concerns about and wanted the option to avoid. So, we listened to your feedback, made a list, and created a way to shop that excludes products that contain those ingredients, including parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and petrochemicals.

First things first, I went through my vanity and medicine cabinet and checked every single product against the Ingredient Conscious category. What I realized is that I was doing a pretty good job in the skincare category: a few of my staple brandsTata Harper and Derma Eare natural, and I was already using moisturizers, washes, serums, and masks from them regularly. I made a few switches in the acne treatment category (including Juice Beauty Blemish Be Gone) but otherwise I was pretty good here.

Hair was another story. I was using only one product that was ingredient conscious, luckily it's a super important one because dry shampoo is a staple in my beauty routine: Lulu Organics Dry Shampoo powder. But when it came to shampoo, conditioner, blow out spraysI was in trouble, and desperately needed some new products.

Finally, makeup. If you follow me you know I swear by my W3LL PEOPLE Narcissist Foundation Stick and use it every day, so that I was feeling pretty good about that. I had a few eye shadows, one mascara, and one lip product but definitely needed a natural makeup infusion in order to really do this experiment right.

The most fun part of this experiment was discovering new natural products that I'd never tried. After the audit I told the Birchbox merchandising team about it and they brought me some of their Ingredient Conscious picks. Here are a few of my new faves:

W3LL PEOPLE Elitist Eyeshadow Powder in Gold Twinkle: Obsessed! Loose powder eye shadow I apply with my finger. I wore a light layer of this day-to-day for work and layered it on for New Year's Eve for a super glittery gold eye.

Dear Clark, Resurrecting Wash and Rinse: Haven't used a single other shampoo or conditioner since first trying these. I LOVE the scent. When I use it I try not to blow dry my hair so that my hair will still smell like it in the morning.

rms beauty un cover-up: Our social media manager Juliette had been raving about this for a long time and I finally got around to trying as part of this challengethis stuff is awesome! Really covers dark circles. Tons of shades.

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara in Blueberry: I am a huge fan of navy blue mascara, and I like to layer my mascaras so I've been using the W3LL PEOPLE Expressionist Mascara and then layering this on top. Plus it really smells like blueberries!

Here's my advice if you want to start exploring natural beauty products:

1. There are so many fun/effective/beautiful natural beauty products and now that I dove in, I'm hooked. If the products are good, and good for me, why wouldn't I use them?

2. Don't be freaked. Do a little audit, You might have more products than you think you do! Then, just make changes in phases. Don't be too hard on yourself. Every change you make is for the better, don't feel pressure to jump off the deep end. Start by swapping the products you use the most often.

3. We're here to help. Use the Ingredient Conscious category, reach out to our discovery specialist team, ask me questions on Instagram!

Find out what happens when Rachel departs from her regular routine and uses only clean beauty products for a week. 

I try a *lot* of beauty products. It's my job, and I love it. But recently I started to think about how many lotions, potions, sprays, gels, and sticks I've slathered on my skin over the past four years and felt a little overwhelmed. I spend so much time thinking about what I put in my body (organic veggies!) but so little time thinking about the ingredients I put *on* my body. 

If You Want Pigmented, Skin-Soothing Makeup: W3LL PEOPLE

You may have noticed we talk about this brand a lotand for a good reason. Not only does it have major credone of its cofounders is a veteran of NARSit has crazy high standards when it comes to ingredients. We wont go anywhere without the Universalist Multi-Use Color Stick, a buildable, pigmented lip and cheek tint that simultaneously soothes your skin with organic aloe vera.

If You Want Farm-Sourced Products for Sensitive Skin: Jurlique

Though this brand has been around for a while now, we recently rekindled our love for the line of calming cleansers, mists, serums, and moisturizers. Their Herbal Recovery Serum was reformulated in 2013 with an exclusive blend of powerful antioxidants15 of which are farmed organically in Australiathat give you a youthful, I'm-radiating-from-within effect.

If You Want to Embrace Your Inner Desert Goddess: FIG+YARROW

If Stevie Nicks had an organic skincare line, wed imagine itd be something like Coloradan Brandy Moniques new-to-Birchbox line, FIG+YARROW. With botanical potions like a Cardamom+Coffee Body Scrub and an herb-infused Balm+Salve Kit, the indie beauty brand matches a hippy-chic vibe with major skin-softening results.

If You Want a to Take a Totally Non-Toxic Shower: Acure Organics

Eco-friendly, gentle, and oh-so-effective, Acures body washes, skincare, shampoos, and conditioners rely on fair trade, certified-organic ingredients like collagen-boosting organic green algae and naturally occurring antioxidants like acai, blackberry, and rosehips. Take the Argan Stem Cell Activating Body Wash, which combines coconut oil, argan oil, and pomegranate for a nourishing cleanse. At drugstore prices, its a no brainer.

If You Want Salon-Caliber Plant-Sourced Haircare: Dear Clark

Developed at a small salon in Dallas, these handmade shampoos, conditioners, and styling products use plant-derived ingredients like aloe vera and sunflower seed oil to hydrate and refresh hair. We cant get enough of the Finishing Salve, a styling balm that adds texture, builds body, and creates hold simultaneously.

If You Want Clinically Tested Anti-Aging Results: REN

This UK brand has spent the past 15 years perfecting its targeted formulas for dryness, acne, and early signs of aging by sourcing powerful, naturally derived active ingredients like papaya enzymes and licorice extract. The Radiance Renewal Mask, is the perfect tool for battling early signs of aging, brightening dull, blah skin with exfoliating fruit acids.

The natural makeup, hair, and skincare brands we're currently obsessing over (and you will be too).

Natural beauty products have long since shed their (false) reputation as the ineffective goods of granola setand its not just our [cult faves](/magazine/article/top-5-eco-chic-makeup-brands) like Josie Maran and RMS Beauty. It seems like every month we discover another brand creating amazing, youd-never-know-theyre-eco-friendly products with plant and mineral-based ingredients. These are the ones that have inspired us to carve out a permanent spot on our vanities recently, from a skincare regimen chock full of antiaging treatments to colorful, multitasking cosmetics:

The difference between a label of "natural" versus "organic" comes down to regulation. Certified organic is a claim thats heavily regulated by the USDA. To qualify, a products ingredients must contain absolutely no toxic pesticides, toxic synthetic herbicides, or chemical NPK fertilizersand, in the case of animal products, no antibiotics or growth hormones.

On the somewhat startling flip side, there is virtually no regulation around labels of natural or all-natural." In the most nefarious instances, products may simply contain plant-derived ingredients that are highly processed and potentially even harmful. Yikes.

But the natural claim can be genuine. Botanicals like aloe, chamomile, shea butter, beeswax, and essential oils are all examples of natural ingredients with a ton of benefits for hair and skineven when not technically organic. A product could also include a few truly organic ingredients, which would be denoted in the ingredients list, without being marketed as such.

The most important place to pay the price for organic, if you so choose, is the grocery store. But when it comes to grooming, start with skincare. Your epidermis is, after all, your bodys largest organ (and absorbent to boot). Strands of hair, on the other hand, consist of dead cells, which can withstand a little more abuse. Still, your scalp is very much alive and more susceptible to damageso go wholesome whenever you can.

Rule of thumb: Don't be fooled by branding, and always check the ingredients label. Its the one part of the packaging that doesnt lie (at least not without breaking the law).

If you want to exercise more awareness about your grooming purchases, check out our Ingredient Conscious shop, featuring products that are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, petrochemicals, and GMOs.

Turns out going organic is a lot harder than we thought. But is it necessary?

In our aggressively eco-conscious world, the terms natural and organic make for some pretty alluring labelsand consumers have every right to be skeptical. Heres the black-and-white truth about green grooming.

Natural vs. Organic: Is There Really a Difference?

4 Reasons to Be Ingredient-Conscious With Your Beauty Products

Test Drive: Ingredient Conscious Beauty

6 Natural Brands You Need to Know Now

Natural vs. Organic: Is There Really a Difference?