may be used for the remaining 5 percent if they pose no adverse health effects and if no natural alternatives exist. Though the certifying agency is industry-supported, companies will have to submit products to a third-party auditor not affiliated with the NPA to ensure standards are being met. NPA aims to start certifying products by the end of 2008.

In the meantime, take a look at the cosmetic lines featured here. These products rely on independent certifications, and most of the companies adhere to European Union standards, which are stricter and require manufacturers to substantiate the safety of ingredients before using them. And if you’d rather shop at the store, take along the Green Guide’s list of the “Dirty Dozen,” 12 of the most commonly used hazardous chemicals found in cosmetics (see sidebar, far right).

NVEY ECO

Price range: $24–$61

Availability: econveybeauty.com

Why It’s Greener: A relative newcomer to the U.S., Australia’s Nvey Eco launched here in 2006, bearing Australia’s Organic Food Chain (OFC) certification. Similar to the USDA’s organic certification for food, OFC requires any product certified as “organic” to have at least 95 percent certified organic ingredients, and the agency prohibits synthetic dyes, fragrances and any petroleum-derived ingredients or additives. Although Nvey is in a higher price range, its color selection doesn’t disappoint, and you get just as many options as you would with a conventional brand.

PHYSICIANS FORMULA
ORGANIC WEAR

Price range: $6.95–$13.95

Availability: nationwide drug and discount stores; anywhere Physicians Formula cosmetics are sold

Why It’s Greener: The first widely available “organic” cosmetics on drugstore shelves, Organic Wear is certified by Ecocert, an international agency based in France. Although not as thorough as other third-party verifiers, Ecocert requires that at least 95 percent of the products’ ingredients are of natural origin, and that at least 10 percent of the ingredients in the finished product are certified organic. As an extra touch, some Organic Wear products come with goat-hair brushes rather than brushes made with the more commonly used petroleum-based synthetic fibers.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVIES + STARR

The term “natural” is meaningless, even if printed on an earthy-