Various labels can be found on natural cosmetic products in Germany and on the international market. What unites many: They ban the use of certain substances – for example ingredients based on mineral oil, silicones, synthetic fragrances, colors and preservatives or organic sunscreen filters.
As far as possible, natural substances – of vegetable, mineral, but also animal origin – should be used that are chemically unchanged or only slightly modified. Specifications are also often made for the processing and manufacturing processes. It is often the case, for example, that the raw materials and finished products used must not be sterilized using ionizing radiation, i.e. disinfected. The use of genetically modified ingredients is also prohibited.
The best-known seals, which are subject to strict conditions, include NaTrue, BDIH-Controlled Natural Cosmetics and Ecocert.
- NaTrue. The label has been awarded by an international manufacturer association since 2008. The founding members include Weleda and Lavera Naturkosmetik. Finished products and individual raw materials are certified. Since January 2021 there have been two levels: “natural cosmetics” and “organic cosmetics”, with the Requirements are somewhat stricter on organic cosmetics. At least 95 percent of the ingredients must come from controlled organic production and/or controlled wild collection.
- BDIH-controlled natural cosmetics/Cosmos. The German Federal Association of Industrial and Commercial Companies for Pharmaceuticals, Health Products, Dietary Supplements and Cosmetics, BDIH for short, has been certifying natural cosmetics since 2001. Since 2017 he is the internationally uniform Cosmos-Standard committed to a list of criteria developed by the BDIH and international partners, including Ecocert (see below). Natural cosmetics are awarded the Cosmos Natural seal. The Cosmos Organic seal is given to products that also contain a certain proportion of organic ingredients. An updated version of this standard is scheduled to appear in the second half of 2022.
- Ecocert/Cosmos. There has been since 1991 Ecocert – a control and certification body founded in France, which now has a global network of companies and associations. The Ecocert Group has also been active in the cosmetics sector since 2002 and wants to contribute “to the development of more responsible cosmetics”. Like the BDIH, Ecocert is one of the founding members of the Cosmos-Standard. Only products that meet the internationally applicable criteria, which the BDIH also takes into account, can bear the Ecocert label.