The short answer: whatever you want it to mean. The government has no formal definition or regulation of cosmetics labeled as natural, so each company defines the label according to its own standards. Even a product made entirely of petrochemicals can be labeled as natural if the company believes it to be.

So where does that leave you as a consumer?

First, you need to define what natural means to you. Does your definition include only plant material? Only plants and minerals? What about poison ivy or lead – those would fit the above definition, but are obviously not healthy for you. Learn as much as you can about the ingredients listed on the products you currently use and write a list for yourself with three categories: Good, Bad, and Not Sure. Your definition of natural is probably different from most companies’ definitions, or even from your friends’ definitions. That’s okay. We all have unique ingredient needs according to what our skin reacts to and what we consider acceptable.

Okay, so you have your list. Then what?

Next, you need to find the products that match your definition of natural as closely as possible. This is where companies need to step up and be more transparent. Many companies make it difficult to find ingredients on their websites or don’t list them at all. You can either ask yourself “What are they hiding?” and move on, or you can send them an email requesting the information.

If all of this sounds like a lot of work to you, you’re right, it is. But it’s worth it. Once you have your list, you can keep it updated and reference it when you shop. And once you find the products that work for you, you can enjoy them without worrying and spend your time looking and feeling fabulous!