I'm almost out of moisturizer, which means that I'm scraping the bottom of the jar for any last traces I can get.

It also means that I'm scouring Sephora [1] to find a good replacement. This time, I figured that I'd get a face cream that was friendly to both my pores and the planet.

And honestly, I thought it'd be pretty easy to choose a product. Turns out, it's tricker than I realized.

Part of the problem is the terminology. It's hard to distinguish the difference -- if there is any -- between the latest buzzwords: organic [1], natural, and botanical.

Part of the problem is that the term "organic" is thrown around loosely in the cosmetics industry. The Food and Drug Administration doesn't have any standards in place to regulate the "organic" claim outisde of foods, which makes it easy for a lot of brands to use the label.

In fact, according to a comprehensive report at Women's Wear Daily [2], the battle is on between small companies that use mostly organic ingredients and larger conglomerates that know a great marketing angle when they come across one.

On their website, Sephora tries to define each. They list several "organic" companies, and say that these "internally regulate" themselves and use mainly 100% certified organic ingredients for their products. Natural products, however, might use conventionally-grown ingredients, but they're made without synthetic additives, such as parabens and petrochemicals. Botanicals, it seems, are primarly made from plant-based ingredients and oils, although most also claim to be free of synthetics.

I have to say, the lines seem pretty blurry.

One solution is to choose a cosmetic line based its repuation. Juice Beauty [2] and Dr. Hauschka [2], for instance, are both favorites, and industry leaders when it comes to organic cosmetics.

I'm more familiar with some "natural" product lines, including Korres [3](I love the body wash) and Decleor [4] (their aromatherapy oils smell incredible.)

The bottom line is that my search for an eco-friendlier moisturizer meant that I had to figure out my priorities. The first one, for me, is a product that's good to my skin. The second is a product that's free of petrochemicals, sulfates, and parabens. I feel better knowing that I won't smear any those on my face again.