Ladies (and some gentlemen): do you know exactly what’s in your makeup bag?

Yes, there’s lip gloss, mascara, eyeliner, blush, concealer, and lip balm. But there’s also phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde, and 6,000 to 10,000 other ingredients – some of which can cause cancer or potentially be fatal.

Makeup artists know it too. That’s why many use natural cosmetics.

“We’re naturally attracted to things our skin needs,” says Ginger Christiansen, a Boise, Idaho-based makeup artist and founder of the Wicked cosmetics line. “Natural cosmetics mix what your personality and soul need with what your skin needs.”

Christiansen says natural cosmetics are a healthier alternative to traditional over-the-counter cosmetics.

“Most over-the-counter products contain things that aren’t good for your skin,” Christiansen says. “For an experiment, try coating an apple slice with Vaseline. It’ll sort of implode.”

According to Chemist’s Corner, natural cosmetics can be broken down into four groups: those that are totally natural, those that are extracted from nature, those that are nature-identical, and those that are nature-derived. Products that are totally natural – taken straight from nature and don’t involve any processing – are the healthiest for your body.

Even some researchers have a hard time figuring out the exact ingredients in many over-the-counter cosmetic products.

“We have to know what’s in these products before we can understand what the risks might be,” said Fred Berman of the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). “People should be aware that we don’t really know.”

Style tips from the pros

While the health benefits of natural cosmetics may be undisputed, so too is their versatility; a variety of looks can be created with natural cosmetics, meaning it’s possible to stay healthy while embracing the season’s hottest beauty trends the same as with more traditional, over-the-counter beauty products.

Patti Dubroff, a makeup artist whose clients include Kate Bosworth and Gwyneth Paltrow, recommends using concealer in a super-fine layer when it comes to masking the tiny bags under the eyes. Likewise, celebrity makeup artist Linda Cantello says that, by using a lip liner to draw a super-fine line beneath the mid-section of the bottom lip and then applying a shade to fill the lips, the subtle shadow can actually give the impression of fuller lips. Furthermore, according to Cantello, the uses of eye shadow from natural ingredients can extend beyond just highlighting the eyes.

“Lay the dust (of eye shadow) not only around the eyes, but also on the cheekbones, to the temples for a radiant look,” advises Cantello. “Iridescent pigments also work well when mixed together.”

Natural cosmetics can function just as well as traditional cosmetics in other ways too. The mastermind behind the looks of celebrities like Nicole Kidman and numerous campaigns for Chanel, Anglea Levin, says the secret to nailing down a perfectly defined eyebrow is to pencil in the eyebrows first, and then use a highlighter.

“This look can be easily done with natural cosmetics,” says Levin. “You can do the same things with them as with other cosmetics; just the ingredients are different.”

Big business, big benefits

But while celebrities may have nearly unlimited budgets and resources to acquire the perfect look, the wallets of the rest of society are usually much skinnier. Some may think that natural cosmetics – such as Shiseido Company, Limited’s ever-popular Bare Escentuals mineral makeup – are simply too expensive to be used regularly, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

Companies such as Saffron Rouge, Ecco Bella and LUSH, all specialize in affordable natural makeup and skin care items, while large chains like Bath & Body Works, Sephora and Victoria’s Secret, all sell a wide range of natural cosmetic products.

“The plan was to make cosmetics that were as natural as possible and to avoid using synthetic preservatives,” says LUSH Managing Director Mark Constantine, who founded the company in Poole, England in 1995. “The whole point of LUSH is that it should be fun for our customers and fun for us.”

The competition only means that natural cosmetics can be surprisingly affordable.

“It’s good that there’s a lot of companies out there [that sell natural cosmetics],” says Marina Abrams, a Boise State University student and self-described beauty junkie. “College students, like a lot of other people, have limited budgets, but we shouldn’t have to choose between our money and health when it comes to looking good.”

One such company that sells natural beauty products is KORA Organics. Supermodel Miranda Kerr – perhaps most famous for wearing a $2.5 million bra in the 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show – started the KORA Organics Skincare line in 2008 after feeling inspired to help others live healthy and look great.

“The first step was bringing together the ingredients that I personally used and knew would deliver results,” Kerr writes on the company’s Website. “Due to loving and appreciating all things natural and organic, I was very selective and wanted to make sure we used the highest quality plant derived and organic ingredients. Just as I imagined, the KORA Organics Skincare products are infused with antioxidant rich Noni, Essential Fatty Acids, Herbal Extracts, Essential Oils and Vitamin A, C and E, and many other highly rejuvenating and replenishing ingredients. KORA Organics is a reflection of my passion for living a healthy, organic lifestyle.”

According to the KORA Website, Kerr personally tested all of KORA’s products before they were made available to the public.

Increased consumer demand means that, overall, sales of natural cosmetics are big business. Organic Monitor reported on November 5 that sales of natural cosmetics are expected to top $9 billion this year, representing about nine percent of the approximately $100 billion the cosmetics industry rakes in worldwide each year.

Companies such as CoverGirl are taking notice.

“Natural cosmetics represent an important division of the CoverGirl brand,” said CoverGirl and Max Factor spokesperson Paige Cali. “Over the years we’ve seen an increase in demand for these products, and have responded by diversifying our offerings.”

CoverGirl now offers a variety of natural cosmetics such as the popular NatureLuxe brand, which includes products like a foundation featuring cucumber water, jojoba, and rose hip extracts among other ingredients.

Another company that has seen a boom in natural cosmetics sales is Ulta, the discount beauty retailer founded in 1990. According to their Website, Ulta’s sales in the third quarter of 2011 jumped 21.8 percent, with net sales hitting the $413.1 million mark.

“We expect the continued implementation of our growth strategies along with the disciplined execution of our team to result in a strong performance in the near and long term,” Ulta President and Chief Executive Officer Chuck Rubin said in a statement. “We remain optimistic about our ability to continue our strong momentum.”

A healthier alternative

With the health benefits, selection, and affordability of natural cosmetics, makeup artists agree creating artistic looks without running the risk of breakouts or other side-effects is easier than ever.

“[Natural cosmetics] has a real potential for growth,” says Christiansen. “It’s been growing [in terms of annual sales]. And you can do the same stuff with natural cosmetics as over-the-counter products. Natural cosmetics are for educated, artistically-minded consumers.”

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