Certifications and Seals

The increasing avoidance of questionable, mostly synthetic ingredients has started a new wave in the cosmetics industry, which has led to the birth of more natural, skin-friendly products. Many manufacturers have promised to phase out preservatives or exclude animal-derived ingredients in an attempt to satisfy consumers who do not welcome such intruders in their products.

Many other manufacturers have determined to go a step further and offer

superior products that not only exclude potentially hazardous ingredients,

synthetic dyes, fragrances, and petrochemicals, but also are made from strictly natural and organic ingredients.

In stores, those products are usually offered for sale in a separate section that

purports to offer natural, green, and organic products, but there is no universal

designation of those qualities and often poor compliance with the true definition

of those terms. Ingredients within this category vary greatly, as well, which

could be a source of confusion for consumers.

Because of the lack of standardization, numerous organizations have created

programs that offer certification for manufacturers. A multitude of U.S.,

European, Canadian, and Australian organizations have been able to offer

reassurance to consumers through such certification processes.

Earned seals and logos remain a credible indication of compliance with

guidelines, even though those guidelines may vary greatly from one organization

to another. Certification is often earned through a third party, which attests that the product has met the requirements for that specific seal. Knowing and

understanding what such certifications mean can help you know and understand

what you are buying and orient your choice toward more credible products.

Australian Certified Organic

The organic bud logo of Australian Certified Organic (ACO) is the most

recognized organic certification in Australia, with increasing presence in the

United States and Europe. ACO is a subsidiary of Australian Organic, and is the

certification body and licenser of organic and biodynamic operators in Australia.

BDIH

BDIH is an international certification organization from Germany that has strict

standards for the manufacture of natural cosmetics. Products that bear the BDIH

certification logo may use only natural raw materials, such as plant oils, plantderived waxes, herbal extracts, and essential oils issued from certified organic

agriculture or controlled wild collection. Strict environmental guidelines are also

enforced and require socially responsible production and fair trade support. All

BDIH products contain natural ingredients. However, it is possible for a BDIH

product to have no organic ingredients.

Biodynamic Agriculture

Biodynamic ingredients come from biodynamic agriculture, which takes things a step beyond organic. In biodynamic agriculture, plants and soil are nourished

with minerals and herbs to boost their vitality; there is also respect for the plants’

rhythm, influenced by astrology and other elements. It is a holistic practice that

sees and respects the live interaction between plants, animals, and the solar

system. Biodynamic agriculture seeks to nourish the soil instead of depleting it.

Plants that are produced this way have better vitality and energy. Incorporating

biodynamic ingredients is believed to nourish the skin with that vitality.

Needless to say, biodynamic agriculture does not use pesticides or GMOs.

Biocosc Switzerland

For a product to obtain the Swiss Biocosc label, it must meet the following

criteria: A minimum of 97 percent of the total ingredients should be natural or of

natural origin; a minimum of 10 percent of the total ingredients should also come from organic agriculture; the raw natural ingredients should be obtained by

simple processes and should be free of contaminants such as pesticides, GMOs,

hydrocarbons, and nitrates; and the external packaging should be nonpolluting

and recyclable.

The following are all strictly prohibited: parabens, phenoxyethanol, PEG,

EDTA, formaldehyde, phthalates, sodium laureth sulfate, and other synthetic

colorants, synthetic preservatives, synthetic fragrances, synthetic antioxidants and emollients, synthetic lipids and oils, as well as silicons and other ingredients originating from petrochemical processes, such as paraffin.

Cosmébio

Cosmébio is a French organization that, unlike Ecocert (below), does not inspect

products and does not offer subsequent certification. It is simply a nonprofit

organization that brings together manufacturers who intend to promote their certified organic personal care products to French and European consumers. For certification, the manufacturers must rely on another organization such as Ecocert. To be able to display the Cosmébio logo, the product must have been certified organic by a certifying agency; but not all organic-certified products will display the Cosmébio logo, unless the manufacturer chooses to become a member of Cosmébio, which remains totally optional.

Ecocert Seal

Ecocert was founded more than twenty years ago in France, where it contributed

significantly to the certification of booming organic farming. Ecocert now also certifies cosmetics and perfumes, as well as paints, detergents, fertilizers,

fabrics, and more. The Ecocert seal is recognized and trusted everywhere. While

Ecocert Greenlife SAS handles cosmetics certification in Europe, Ecocert SA, in

the United States, is accredited by the USDA under the NOP.

In 2003, Ecocert introduced the “Natural and Organic Cosmetics” standard.

A cosmetics product may display the Ecocert certification logo if it meets the

following criteria:

• 95 percent of the ingredients are of natural origin.

• No genetically modified ingredients exist in the finished product.

• No parabens, phenoxyethanol, petrochemicals, or synthetic chemicals are

contained in the product. 

• No animal testing was used in development of the product.

• The product uses recyclable or biodegradable packaging and a controlled

manufacturing process.

Ecocert seems to require a low minimum of 5–10 percent organic ingredients. However, it takes into consideration all the ingredients, including salt and water. In an average product, 60 percent of the weight is water. So 10 percent of the remaining 40 percent of a product’s ingredients is actually a more stringent requirement of 25 percent organic content. When the mandatory 95 percent natural ingredients requirement and the list of unacceptable ingredients are taken into consideration, Ecocert certification actually requires rigorous standards that compensate for the less than perfect organic ingredients

percentage.

Fair Trade

As the name indicates, fair trade is an ethical business practice that aims at

paying expected market prices for goods imported from countries with a history

of exploitation. Fair Trade USA works in harmony with international standards

and implements principles such as paying a guaranteed minimum floor price to

democratically organized farming groups and an additional premium for

certified organic products. Child labor and slavery are strictly prohibited. Safe

working conditions and sustainable wages are imposed. Organizations are also

offered assistance through credits (such as a pre-harvest credit) and fair trade

premiums that are invested in community projects such as schooling, trainings,

and organic certifications.

Fair trade encourages environment preservation through sustainable farming

methods and through the prohibition of harmful agrochemicals and genetically

modified organisms. Even though organic farming methods are encouraged

through higher prices and special funds, not all fair trade products need to be

certified organic, but they do need to be free of genetic engineering and

produced with respect to the environment.

Many organizations are fair trade certifiers, such as Ecocert Fair Trade

(EFT). In 2010, EFT revised its standards to better meet the global philosophy of

consumers who want to purchase both ecofriendly and socially responsible

products. With new standards applied to foods, textiles, and cosmetics, Ecocert

Fair Trade now means both organic and fair trade. 

Green

The term green is often used to mean ecofriendly, environment friendly, or earth

friendly. When the definition of green is implemented through the whole

production process, the resulting product will have a minimum impact on the

environment. The content, the packaging, and even the manufacturing process

will respect environmentally friendly procedures through the use of

postconsumer recycled materials; biodegradable or recyclable packaging;

sustainable, renewable ingredients that do not deplete the natural sources from

which they are obtained; and green energy and energy-efficient production and

manufacturing techniques that have minimal impact on the planet.

Examples of green energy include energy generated and consumed without

challenging the earth’s ability to handle pollution. Examples of such renewable

energy technologies include hydroelectricity, wind energy, solar power, biogas, biomass, and others. The manufacturing process should also aim at minimizing energy consumption. When used efficiently, green energy resources translate into sustainable energy.

Many natural beauty products—but not all of them—are green, although

green beauty products should be natural by definition. Product labeling may be

required to inform the consumer that a product is ecofriendly.

NASAA Australia

NASAA is a food certification body similar to the Soil Association (p 257) that

has also developed a standard for cosmetic products. NASAA limits or forbids the use of numerous synthetic ingredients and processes. Raw materials used in organic skin care products must be certified as organic, and only minimal

processing is allowed in order to preserve the natural properties of the ingredients. Ecofriendly packaging material is also required. A product can be labeled “organic” only if 95 percent of its ingredients are certified organic,

except for salt and water. Products can be labeled “Made with organic ingredients” if 70 percent of the ingredients (excluding salt and water) are certified organic, but such products cannot display the NASAA label.

NaTrue

The international nonprofit organization called NaTrue, from Brussels, aims at

setting high standards for natural products. Members are mostly European,

though the organization has an increasing international presence.

NaTrue has developed a scientific definition for natural ingredients, with

different classification subcategories that make it easy to scientifically evaluate

the naturalness of an ingredient:

• Natural ingredients: This phrase refers to those ingredients found in nature.

Only physical processes may be used to obtain them; no added chemicals are

allowed.

• Derived natural substances: These are ingredients that are found in nature

but are chemically modified through a limited number of authorized

processes, especially when the function of the ingredient cannot be achieved

through natural ingredients. For example, surfactants in shampoos are allowed because they are essential for the cleansing function. Chemically

intensive reactions are excluded, and the surfactants must be completely

biodegradable.

• Nature-identical substances: Nature-identical substances are substances that

exist in nature but are produced synthetically for the product in question.

These ingredients are permitted only in preservatives and minerals and only

when the natural substance cannot be recovered from nature in the desired

quality and quantity.

NaTrue offers three levels of international certification:

The first level is for products made with natural and organic ingredients, with

minimal and gentle processing, as well as environmentally friendly practices.

Such products do not incorporate synthetic fragrances or colors, petroleum

derivatives, silicone derivatives, or genetically engineered ingredients. The

irradiation of botanical ingredients or finished products is not authorized. No

animal testing is allowed.

The NaTrue Natural Cosmetics seal is earned by products that meet those

criteria. This level specifies which ingredients are authorized and how much

processing is acceptable. There is a minimum threshold for natural ingredients

and a maximum threshold for naturally derived substances for each product

category.

Second level certification is met when at least 70 percent of those natural

ingredients come from organic farming or wild agriculture. There is also a

higher content of natural ingredients and less derived natural substances. The

logo will state “Natural Cosmetics with Organic Portion.”

The third level of certification states that the product is an “organic cosmetic” when 95 percent or more of the content is organic or wild with an even higher content of natural ingredients. Achieving this level of certification is

quite a challenge for manufacturers.

No Animal Testing

Cosmetics testing on animals is particularly controversial. Such testing can

involve general toxicity, eye and skin irritancy, phototoxicity, and mutagenicity.

Cosmetics testing is banned in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK; and in

2002, after thirteen years of discussion, the European Union (EU) agreed to

phase in a near-total ban on the sale of animal-tested cosmetics beginning in

2009, and to ban all cosmetics-related animal testing.

The Leaping Bunny logo indicates certification by the Coalition for

Consumer Information on Cosmetics, which ensures that no new animal testing

has occurred in any phase of product development by a company, its

laboratories, and its ingredient suppliers. The program encourages the use of

ingredients that are already known to be safe, or reliance on in vitro testing

methods such as cell and tissue cultures, computer models, or even in vivo

human clinical trials.

Some countries (such as China) require animal testing, and if a company in

one of those countries wishes to ban animal testing for its products, it will most

likely need to abandon the idea of competing in these markets.

NPA Natural Seal

Established in 1936, the Natural Products Association (formerly known as the

National Nutritional Foods Association, NNFA) is the oldest and largest U.S.

nonprofit organization dedicated to the natural products industry, with almost

two thousand members accounting for more than ten thousand manufacturers,

wholesalers, and retailers of natural products, such as health foods, sports

nutrition foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetics and beauty products.

The NPA Natural Seal certification is available for personal care and home

care products, as well as for ingredients. Products carrying the NPA natural seal

must be made with at least 95 percent natural ingredients or naturally derived

ingredients, besides water. Third-party auditors verify the amount of natural

ingredients, based on certain scientific standards. The products must avoid

ingredients that might pose health risks or rely on animal testing, and must also

have environmentally friendly packaging. Only natural fragrances and colorants

are allowed.

The Natural Products Association also offers third-party GMP (good manufacturing practices) certification, as well as yearly GMP training seminars

across the United States.

Since 1997, the NPA has been hosting Natural Products Day in Washington,

D.C., to interact with legislators, educate them, and seek important legislation

that could have a positive impact on the natural products industry as a whole.

NSF Seal

NSF International, which identifies itself as “the public health and safety organization,” is also a U.S.-based nonprofit that, along with the USDA, sets standards for cosmetics manufacturers. It also certifies water, household products, and plumbing equipment, among other things. NSF is officially recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). NSF organic standards were developed by a number of leading organic cosmetics companies.

The NSF 305, the sole standard implemented by NSA International, is used to certify products that contain a minimum of 70 percent organic ingredients and

are subjected to a limited number of chemical processes. Cosmetic products that meet those criteria can display the NSF “Personal Care Products Containing

Organic Ingredients” on the packaging.

OASIS

OASIS stands for Organic and Sustainable Industry Standards, a nonprofit

organization founded by thirty members trying to set some standards. Members

are from both conventional and natural products manufacturers, with companies

such as Estée Lauder and L’Oréal alongside organic lines such as Perfect

Organics, Origins, and Hain Celestial (producers of Jason, Zia natural skin care,

and Avalon organics).

OASIS requires a starting minimum of 85 percent organic content to earn the

OASIS organic seal, and a 5 percent increment in organic content every couple

of years until it reaches a minimum of 95 percent organic content. Otherwise, a

“Made with organic” seal may be stamped on the product as long as its organic

content is no less than 70 percent.

Soil Association

The Soil Association is a British organization that certifies personal care

products according to two standards: For organic content of more than 95

percent (excepting water), and for organic content ranging from 70 to 95 percent.

Both types may carry the Soil Association’s Organic seal, but only a product with 95 percent or more organic content can include the word “organic” in the product name. Otherwise, the product may state that it is made with organic

ingredients and should specify the exact percentage of organic ingredients. The

seal cannot be printed on any product that contains less than 70 percent organic

ingredients. The association verifies the packaging statements for accuracy

before the seal is authorized.

USDA Organic Seal

In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stands behind

the National Organic Program (NOP), which defines and regulates organic

agriculture.

Under NOP, the term organic is used to mean “produce or ingredients that

are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge,

genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation.”

USDA regulations that are implemented through the NOP pertain to

agricultural products and foods. Because many natural products use organically

grown botanical ingredients, regulations were extrapolated to include organic

beauty products. The USDA organic seal can therefore be earned by a number of

products made with organic ingredients.

When a beauty product is made from organic ingredients such as herbs, oils,

butters, hydrosols, or essential oils, it will belong to one of four categories:

1. 100 percent organic: This refers to products made with only organic

ingredients—100% of its weight (or fluid volume), except for water and salt,

is made up of organic ingredients. Such a product may display the USDA

organic seal.

2. Organic: This designation means that 95 percent of the ingredients (except

water and salt) are organic. This product may also display the USDA organic

seal.

3. Made with organic ingredients: This designation means that at least 70

percent of the ingredients (except water and salt) are organic. The main label

may list up to three different ingredients, or a category of ingredients, but the

product cannot display the USDA organic seal.

4. If only one or a few organic ingredients are used in the making of a product,

the term organic can be used in the ingredients list but not on the principal

display panel (PDP)—“the part of the label most likely displayed or examined under customary conditions of display for sale”—and the product cannot display the USDA organic seal.

The USDA organic seal is protected by a violation fine. The USDA website

states that companies who sell or label a product “organic” when they know it

does not meet USDA standards can be fined up to $11,000 for each violation.

The USDA also offers a Certified Biobased Product label, which is earned

by products that have a guaranteed percentage of biologically renewable

ingredients from agricultural, marine, or forestry materials. The guaranteed

percentage is stated on the label.

The USDA is not the only organic certification available. There are many

seals that a product can carry, each representing a different certifying agency.

Vegan

There is sometimes confusion when it comes to differentiating vegan and

vegetarian. While vegetarians may consume dairy products and eggs, vegans do not. Products derived from insects (such as honey, beeswax, carmine) are also often rejected by vegans. Implementing veganism can extend beyond an individual’s diet when silk, leather, and other animal or insect by-products are also eliminated from clothing and furniture.

Vegan skin care products, formulated from vegetable (and synthetic) ingredients and no animal-derived products, usually say “Vegan” or “Vegan friendly” on their packaging. Honey, beeswax, and lanolin are among the ingredients that are not vegan friendly. Vegan-friendly soaps are formulated with vegetable oils and without any tallow-derived ingredients.

Cadaver tissues from both bovine and human origins are used to produce

dermal fillers and other skin care ingredients that are incorporated into various anti-aging products. The main ingredient produced from such sources is collagen and collagen derivatives. Vegetable collagen does not exist, so products containing collagen or collagen derivatives are not vegan friendly.

A multitude of skin care ingredients can be obtained from either animal

sources or non-animal sources; examples include stearic acid and stearates,

glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and others. Referring to the supplier or manufacturer

might be necessary to specify the source of the ingredient.