Many of us are more conscious than ever before about the products we use and how they affect our skin, hair and the planet. Browse the aisles of just about any store and you'll likely find the word 'organic' emblazoned on many hair care products.

The organic industry is growing at around 20 percent annually, exceeding $40 billion. An estimated $4 billion each year is spent on personal-care products.

However, sorting through the plethora of expertly marketed potions can be overwhelming, even to the most educated curly girl. And the term "organic" doesn't mean the same thing to every company.

Here, a cross-section of beauty companies leading the organic movement share insights on what it means to be organic, and offer advice on how to make better decisions on the curly hair care products you buy.

 THE COMPANY: NURTURE MY BODY

What's Organic? Products contain essential oils and herbal extracts from organic farms in Oregon, Washington, California and Germany, which are tested by a California-based agency, BioScreen Testing Services.

After more than two decades as a stylist and esthetician, Patty Kerr realized the industry she loved was making her sick. She developing extreme sensitivities to the chemicals she was exposed to over the years, and Kerr embarked on a mission to find out why.

"I studied over 500 companies and tore apart everybody's formulations," Kerr says. "That's when I discovered there isn't a lot of truth out there. There can be natural, organic or botanical ingredients, but it may be the last ingredient in the formulation and yet it's still put on the bottle. So, the public feels like it's getting a natural product when it's not."

After several years of research, she and her husband founded Nurture My Body, a line of skin and hair care products, in 2007.

"We source organic ingredients from farmers that are certified by their state," Kerr says. "Our company is geared toward using the safest non-toxic ingredients available and not all will be certified organic, although we will use what we can."

Within the first year, nearly all products in Kerr's small company rated a "zero" in toxicity, and only three rated a "one" in the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database. (The ratings are zero to 10, with 10 being most hazardous. A rating of zero to two is the lowest hazard.)

"We have to take responsibility for our environment and our earth. It's an exciting time being in this industry," Kerr says. "People really want to make a change."

Kerr's Actionable Advice: "Do your research. Go to www.safecosmetics.org or www.cosmeticdatabase.com (Environmental Working Group's safety guide to beauty products), where you can check the toxicity rating and find different studies of ingredients. Also, support the little grass-roots companies that are making a difference."