NATURAL VS. ORGANIC: Any plant, mineral, or animal by product is considered

"natural".  "Organic" refers to how an ingredient was cultivated: Without pesticides, chemicals fertilizers, growth hormones, or antibiotics.  Check labels for the real dirt.  "There's no regulation of the word natural.  A completely synthetic product can claim it on the label," says Mike Indursky, CMO of Burt's Bees and chairmain of the personal care committee for the Natural Products Association.

SUSTAINABILITY: Using natural ingredients is not always good new for the earth.  The demand for palm oil, found in everythig from cosmetics to biofuel, led to the destruction of rain forests in Southeast Asia.  Subsequently, companies such as Unilever and the Body Shop joined forces to purchase only palm oil cultivated sustainablity, ie., without depleting natural resources, polluting the air, or disrupting local ecosystems.

CRUELTY-FREE AND VEGAN: "Cruelty-free" products have not been tested on animals; "vegan" items are also free of animal by-products such as beeswax.  Even if a product says it wasn't animal tested, most ingredients, at some point in their history, have been tested on animals, says Jane Houlihan, Vice President for research at the Encironmental Working Group.  Log on to the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetic website (Leapingbunny.org) to find products approved by the nonprofit.