“Natural” seems to be the buzzword these days when it comes to everything from food to cosmetics. More and more consumers are looking for products made from all natural ingredients that are safe. Yet, there's still some confusion as to what's natural and what isn't when it comes to buying cosmetic or household cleaning products. How can you tell if it's natural or not?

It may surprise you to learn that a product can be labeled as natural without containing a single natural ingredient. That's how little regulation there is of natural products. Fortunately, this may be changing in the future with the implementation of a natural products certification program. This will make it easier for consumers to see at a glance whether or not a product is made of natural ingredients.

In the meantime, it pays to be a smart shopper and an astute label reader. To determine if it's natural, take the time to closely read the label of cosmetics and household products you purchase. Don't assume that because a product is labeled as “natural” that it contains all natural ingredients. With the loose standards associated with use of the word natural, you could easily be fooled. Look at the ingredient list carefully and note the order in which the ingredients are listed. Usually, ingredients in the highest concentration are listed first. If you find synthetic ingredients listed at the top and natural ones at the bottom, steer clear of the product. If possible, choose a product where you recognize all of the ingredients.

To determine if it's natural, become familiar with common synthetic ingredients found in conventional products such as oxybenzone, parabens, and SLS so you can identify them on the ingredient list. There are various reference books and dictionaries that can educate you about these synthetic, potentially harmful ingredients. The more educated you are, the more likely you are to make a healthy selection.

Another way to increase the likelihood that it's natural is to buy from companies that have established reputations for using all natural ingredients. This will take some research, but once you find a good company, you can buy their entire product line. Watch out for companies that use pretty, natural looking scenes on their labels but don't have the ingredients to back it up. Companies will often use artwork to make their products look natural when they aren't.

Don't forget that natural doesn't necessarily mean safe. There are lots of natural ingredients and compounds found in nature that can kill you. Natural and safe are two entirely different issues that need to be considered separately.