Certification of natural and organic cosmetics

Despite the huge amount of natural and organic cosmetics, which can be found on the cosmetic market, there is no legal definition of natural and organic cosmetics. For customers interested in reliable information about the origin of the raw materials used in the cosmetics they buy, certifications awarded by independent associations and legal entities are of invaluable help.

Basics of formulation and production’s rules of natural cosmetics are defined by the guidelines of the Committee of Experts on Cosmetic Products at the Public Health Committee of the Council of Europe from September 2000. According to these guidelines, a cosmetic can be regarded as a natural cosmetic product if it is prepared from the ingredients of natural origin (plants, animals, minerals) obtained by means of microbiological, enzymatic or physical methods, such as pressing, distillation, extraction or filtration or drying.

The most recognized certification organizations include:

Ecocert – French certifier, one of the most famous in the world. According to its criteria, natural and organic cosmetic contains at least 95% natural raw materials, of which at least 95% is certified as organic.

BDIH (Federal Association of German Industry and Trading Firms) - German certifier. Its basic criterion is the use of the natural ingredients such as vegetable oils, fats, wax, herbal extracts, floral waters, essential oils and fragrances certified organic or certified from wild harvest for the production of natural cosmetics.

Cosmebio - French certifier. According to its standards, Bio cosmetics must contain at least 95% of ingredients of natural origin, and minimum of 95% must come from organic farming. For the Eco cosmetics, the second criterion must be met at least at 50%.

Soil Association - UK certifier granting certificates of organic origin also in the field of food or tissues. Its standards require that organic cosmetics contain min. 95% of the organic components.

Cosmos - International certifier, associating, among others, Ecocert, BDIH, Cosmebio, Soil Association and ICEA. Its standards require that ecological cosmetics have a minimum of 20% of ingredients from organic farming and natural cosmetics have a maximum of 5% of synthetic ingredients.

NaTrue - International certifier, has three levels of certification: for natural cosmetics, for natural cosmetics with Bio ingredients (at least 70% of the ingredients must come from certified organic farming or from wild harvest) and the organic cosmetics (min. 95% of organic ingredients).

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