Going organic these days isn't just about saving the earth, it's also about saving your face.

Following in the footsteps of food, cleaning agents (with chemical-free and biodegradable detergents) and cars (of the hybrid variety), skincare is the latest consumer product to go green.

Organic skincare refers to products made from ingredients grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilisers or genetically modified organisms.

In fact, according to Euromonitor International, the United States saw a jump in sales of organic personal care products by almost 20 per cent to US$318 million (S$483 million) last year, about eight times the overall sales of cosmetics and toiletries.

Singapore isn't far behind when it comes to going green with our skin.

Home-grown facial chain Mask offers six organic facial treatments that use organic hand-mixed fruit and herb concoctions.

There are also more than seven other organic skin lines available here, ranging from Australian cult men's organic skin brand Eyre to 24-year-old Australian skincare giant Jurlique.

These labels offer everything from cleansers and face creams to perfumes and baby shampoos.

Jurlique, the top-selling skincare brand in Australia, counts seven counters in Singapore and a day spa in Wheelock Place in its portfolio.

Like German skincare brand Dr Hauschka, Jurlique goes one step further: It grows its own ingredients using biodynamic methods.

The term biodynamic refers to organic farming that uses compost made with herbal preparations and relies on astrological cycles to produce nutrient-rich plants.

Astrology may play a part in the horoscope pages of a magazine, but what does it have to do with cultivating plants?

In town last month to unveil Jurlique's revamped logo, packaging and counters, the brand's American chief executive Eli Halliwell explained that like the gravitational pull it exerts on oceans, the moon also produces a force on water in the soil.

Harvesting plants during periods when the moon's pull is strongest ensures that nutrients from the ground are fully absorbed into the plant.

And because the herbal and plant ingredients that go into organic products are grown without chemicals, the skin absorbs the benefits of the ingredients with minimal amounts of toxins, adds a spokesman for Dr Hauschka.

Apart from nutrient-rich ingredients, a handful of potions like Eastern European range Eminence Organics (available from facial salon Mask) are also highly concentrated because they're blended from vitamin-rich fruit juices rather than water.

But as with the recent Anya Hindmarch I'm Not A Plastic Bag bag hype, cynics can't help but wonder if the organic skincare movement is more a fad than a true beauty solution.

'To the public, ingredients from natural sources would imply that they are gentler on the skin but this is not necessarily true,' says Tang Lee Foon, a senior pharmacy manager at the National Skin Centre.

'Some of the natural compounds and aromatic oils may, just like other non-organic chemicals, cause irritation in some users.'

She adds that while the ingredients are grown organically, some may have been purified by chemical processes before they were incorporated into the product. Products may also contain ingredients such as preservatives, colouring and other chemical additives.

Sceptics also put down how organic skin products take more time to take effect.

But Eric Chew, owner of organic skincare boutique Bud Cosmetics in Square 2, says that while most commercial products offer quick fixes, their results are short-term.

Organic products produce more lasting results through the combination of modern dermatology and traditional herbology, he adds.

Indeed, there are enough organic loyalists to crush all naysayers.

'People question how it is possible that plants and herbs are so effective,' says Halliwell, who has been tending a biodynamic farm of his own in his New York home.

'I ask them to try smearing some poison ivy on their faces. Nature is very powerful.'

NATURAL BEAUTY BRANDS

DR HAUSCHKA

German-based 100 per cent natural skincare brand that was founded 40 years ago and counts celebrities Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Madonna and Kate Moss as fans.

Price: $11 for a body wash (in rose, blackthorn or lemon) to $205 for the Rhythmic Night Conditioner

Buy from: Tangs (Orchard and VivoCity), Aldha Spa (08-03A Ngee Ann City Tower A)

EMINENCE ORGANICS

European beauty essentials which contain a high concentration of organically grown herbs, fruits and vegetables, all hand-selected to guarantee highest quality.

Price: $89.88 for a Lemon or Sweet Red Rose Cleanser to $184.04 for the Sweet Red Rose Whip Moisturiser

Buy from: Mask, 02-11 The Cathay and House, 8D Dempsey Road

JURLIQUE

Founded in 1983 by scientist and naturopath Jurgen Klein and his horticulturist wife Ulrike, Jurlique combines age-old therapies (herbalism, aromatherapy and homeopathy) and state-of-the-art technology and research.

Price: $23 for Baby's Gentle Shampoo and Body Wash to $233 for the Eye Gel

Buy from: Tangs (Orchard and VivoCity), OG People's Park, Pharmaplus (01-04 Camden Medical Centre), Jurlique Day Spa (04-02 Wheelock Place)

L'EAU DE JATAMANSI BY L'ARTISAN PARFUMEUR

This new unisex fragrance is 100 per cent natural and certified organic, with ingredients including jatamansi (a herb also known as spikenard), clary sage, bergamot, grapefruit, cardamom, iced tea accord, Turkish rose, ylang ylang, patchouli, ga???ac, vetiver, sandalwood, papyrus and incense.

Price: $213 from Tangs Orchard

L'OCCITANE

Special ranges such as Immortelle Skincare from the Provence-based company are made from organic ingredients, and formulated in line with phytotherapy (the science of healing with plants) and aromatherapy.

Price: $43 for Immortelle Essential Water for Face to $146 for Immortelle Very Precious Cream

Buy from: B1-13 CityLink Mall, B1-33A Ngee Ann City, 01-10 VivoCity, 02-05 The Centrepoint

MUKTI

A chemical-free beauty brand, Mukti (pronounced mook-tee) offers plant-based products infused with ingredients that are safe enough to eat - including herbal extracts, vitamins, pure essential oils and essential fatty acids.

Price: $25 for a lip balm to $82 for Hydrogel Facial Serum

Buy from: Phyto Organics, B1-74 Raffles City Shopping Centre