What to Look For

Using moisturizers and lotions made from natural plant-based (rather than petroleum-based) ingredients is not only healthier for you, but it keeps non-renewable resources out of your medicine cabinet.

Dirty Dozen Free: Many lotions include ingredients derived from non-renewable petroleum or natural gas that have a wide array of health effects. The Green Guide has listed the 12 worst ingredients in its "Dirty Dozen." The 12 to avoid are antibacterials, coal-tars, diethanolamine (DEA), 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, fragrance, lead and mercury, nanoparticles, parabens, petroleum distillates, p-phenylenediamine, and hydroquinone. For more detail on why these should be avoided, click here.

Third-party Certifications: Third-party certification of personal care products is rare and doesn't necessarily ensure a "Dirty-Dozen Free" product, but the certifications below provide additional guarantees for animal welfare and ingredient purity. Some of the more reliable certifications include The Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA), Ecocert, BDIH, USDA Certified Organic, the Natural Products Association and the Leaping Bunny label.

Compact for Safe Cosmetics compliant: The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a consumer advocacy group that encourages companies to use safer ingredients. Products that comply with their "Compact for Safe Cosmetics" don’t contain ingredients banned by strict European Union laws, and all the ingredients they do contain have been tested for safety.

Shopping Tips

• Keep an eye out for misleading terms, such as fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and cruelty-free. The labels sound reassuring, but these labels are not defined by the government or by independent third-parties.

Usage Tips

• Avoid hot water; instead wash with warm water.

• Keep bath or showers brief.

• Use a mild soap.

• Apply moisturizer immediately after bathing, while your skin is still moist.

• Drink the recommended six to eight glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration.