Natural beauty A to Z

Back in kindergarten, learning new vocab meant you had fresh, exciting ways to describe the world. Nowadays, educating yourself on the latest crop of green beauty terms and trends can feel as if you’re getting schooled all over again. And it seems your homework is increasing: One out of every seven prettifying products launched in 2008 was organic or all-natural, according to Mintel, a market research firm in Chicago. To keep you up on the breakthroughs that will help you look your best, we created an index of earth-friendly buzzwords. Consider it your crash course in natural beauty—no flash cards required.

Apple stem cells
The forbidden fruit may be a fountain of youth: Skin cream with 2 percent Swiss apple stem cells applied twice daily for four weeks decreased crow’s-feet by 15 percent, a study in Germany’s SÖFW Journal finds. Able to outlive its fellow breeds (the secret to its antiwrinkling action), the Swiss apple is the first botanical to have its stem cells used in skin care.

Biodegradable plastics
Compacts made of corn (look for PLA on the label) break down in 60 to 90 days once put in an industrial-composting facility. Those created with petroleum languish in landfills for decades.

Carbon footprint
Beauty companies aren’t legally required to tally their carbon dioxide emissions—aka pollution—but many, such as Origins, are making strides to reduce waste by using recyclable packaging and by powering manufacturing sites with wind energy. Add up your CO2 impact at

Detergent alternatives
Reading the list of tongue twisters on your detergent label can be more exhausting than doing the wash. Some surfactants can irritate skin, and optical brighteners don’t biodegrade and may endanger aquatic life once emptied into the public water supply. Clean clothes with Borba Fabric Fusion 2-in-1 Eco-Laundry Wash, with coconut acid.

Ecocert
This French seal of approval ensures that 95 percent of a product’s ingredients come from nature (no synthetics) and at least 10 percent are sourced from organic farms that don’t use chemicals or pesticides.

Foodie beauty
Lots of hair and skin goodies are being made with 100 percent fruit and veggies—carrots are big right now—so you soak up the benefits of antioxidant-packed ingredients without the synthetic chemicals.

Greenwashing
This term refers to calling products “environmentally friendly” simply as a marketing ploy, an ugly reality in the beauty market. Scan bottles for items in our index, but be aware that some synthetic-sounding names are actually natural. (For example, tocopherol acetate is good old-fashioned vitamin E.)

Horsetail
Paint on polish that contains this silica-rich herb, which resembles a horse’s tail, to help strengthen nails the natural way.

Ingredient information
About 99 percent of personal-care products have at least one ingredient that the FDA hasn’t tested, indicates a study by the Environmental Working Group in Washington, D.C.

Jasmine absolute
The oil from the night-blooming blossom has a sweet scent that lingers long after you apply. Try Aura Cacia Jasmine Absolute Oil.

Ketchup
Everyone’s favorite condiment is good for hair. “Because ketchup has a lot of lycopene, the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color, it can neutralize the greenish streaks caused by oxidation or too much time in the pool,” says Kim Vo, a colorist in Beverly Hills, California. Coat dry strands with a cup and a half for 10 minutes, then shampoo.

Lupine
So you slept in? Nice! Make up for lost shower time with an oil-absorbing powder that contains lupine. The perennial wildflower’s seeds are teeming with protein that helps revive dull hair. Lightly massage into dry roots; style.

Manganese
This mineral is a potent antioxidant that blocks UV damage and inhibits melanin (your body’s sun-spot producer), says Fredric Brandt, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City and Miami. Neova Manganese Skin Brightening Serum is chock-full of it.

Narcissus
Stem dandruff with extracts from the bulb of this flower, which slow the production of flake-producing skin cells, says Pat Peterson, vice president of research and development at Aveda. Find it in Aveda Scalp Remedy Dandruff Solution, $24.

Oil-based bubbles
Natural cleansers (for face, body, even hair) derived from olive and coconut oil get as bubbly as common suds makers such as sodium lauryl sulfate, but they don’t strip skin.

Paraben-free
Any ingredient that ends in -paraben is a chemical preservative. Some beauty experts suggest avoiding products with them because they potentially irritate skin. Look for grapeseed extract, a natural preservative.

Quillaja
Known as the soap bark tree in Chile and Peru, quillaja is a natural source of glucoside saponin, an ultra-gentle soap alternative that doesn’t dry out sensitive skin. Lather up in the shower with Origins Jump Start Stimulating body wash.

Resveratrol
Grape news! This natural antibiotic—it acts as the fruit’s defense against bacteria—is a wrinkle fighter and UV protector when applied to skin. In the future, oral supplements may even help ward off cancer: Resveratrol inhibits tumor growth, says Macrene Alexiades Armenakas, M.D., assistant clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

Self-tanner
Getting your bronze from a bottle is the safe way to nab a glow, but don’t forget the SPF. A study from Gematria, a test lab in Berlin, showed that using dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the active ingredient in self-tanner, led to an 80 percent increase of free radicals in skin, putting out the welcome mat for sun damage. When sporting a faux tan, always wear broad-spectrum sunblock or opt for DHA-free bronzer.

Tea
First came green, then white and black arrived on the scene. The latest leaf to try is shiso, a mintlike Japanese herb loaded with antioxidants. A study in the Journal of Oleo Science found that perilla, an extract from shiso leaves, dramatically protects skin from free radicals and decreases inflammation. Sip it daily in Zelens Shiso Detox Infusion.

USDA
The organic seal of the United States Department of Agriculture is extremely stringent, requiring that 95 percent of ingredients be taken from plants, herbs or flowers grown without synthetic additives, pesticides or fertilizers. You can find the stamp on some food, but soon more and more beauty booty will be flaunting the label.

Vanda orchids
These flora are known for their camelesque ability to store water for up to three weeks. Rub on megahydrators that contain the bloom’s extract to help skin retain moisture, too.

Wintergreen oil
Yes, it freshens breath in a pinch, but wintergreen is also Mother Nature’s own zit zapper. A dab a day helps buff away blemish-causing debris without overdrying skin. Find it in Aveda Outer Peace Spot Relief treatment.

Xanthan gum
Made from fermented corn sugar, this food additive is typically in salad dressings. But when mixed into creams (such as Nude Advanced Smoothing Complex), it binds oil and water, extending the shelf life of your beloved moisturizer.

Yeast
Skin smoothers safely harness this fungus to speed up the rate at which cells flush excess fluids and shrink swelling, explains Suki Kramer, founder of Suki Advanced Organic Science Skincare in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Zemea
Don’t let the exotic name fool you! This plant-based sub for petroleum-derived moisturizers is from corn. It acts like a humectant, trapping water in the skin, and received Ecocert approval last year, so expect to see it pop up in new products.