Organic skincare is one of the fastest growing areas of the beauty industry, as more women become aware of the importance of going green.

It's estimated that women apply more than 200 chemicals to their skins a day, on average. Research has shown that 60% of these are absorbed into the bloodstream, further aggravating skin conditions like eczema, allergies and other skin complaints. Whatever your skin type, choosing organic products brings many benefits.

"As I get older, I'm more keen on using fresh natural ingredients," says Lush's Mark Constantine. "Why would you bother with synthetics when you can use wonderful natural things. You wouldn't ask a chef why he uses the finest fresh ingredients, and you wouldn't have microwave food when you can have fresh food.

"In beauty, why would you use liquid paraffin when you can use almond oil? Or phenyl ethyl alcohol when you can use the real thing, rose absolute?"

As there's no legal definition for organic beauty products, look out for the Soil Association symbol, proving that they contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients.