Organic Cosmetic and Bodycare Standards

Consumers are increasingly discerning and looking for products which make them comfortable with regard to ethics and environmental credentials, as well as thinking hard about what they put on their bodies.

This has led to a rapid expansion in natural cosmetic and bodycare products, including many using organic ingredients.

While there is no legal requirement for such products to be certified as organic, having them assessed by a recognised, trusted and independent third-party is an important selling point, giving confidence to shoppers.

As a leader in organic certification for well over a decade, Organic Farmers & Growers has turned its expertise in organic inspection and licensing to this sector and has developed its Cosmetic and Bodycare Standard.

This standard is based on the EU Organic Regulation (EC2092/91) and the Nordic Ecolabelling Standards.

Principles:

The products should be minimally processed and contain the maximum proportion of organic functional ingredients and the minimum proportion of additives (certified wild crafted or wild harvested ingredients are regarded as equivalent to organic ingredients);
The products should be of high quality and optimal for their purpose;
The entire production, processing and distribution chain should be socially just and ecologically responsible.

In addition:

Genetic Modification - No genetically modified organisms or products derived from them may be used.
Animal Testing - Many ingredients used in cosmetics have been tested on animals in the past. We cannot go back in time and prevent this, but our Standards require that no further testing be done on the ingredients used or finished products, unless required by law.
Labelling - Product labelling must be clear and accurate, so that the buyer can make an informed decision.
Organic requirements - All organic labelling, compositional and processing requirements, as detailed in the OF&G Control Manual apply in principle. However, since these were designed to regulate food and feed products, OF&G may slightly modify or extend them to take account of the different requirements for cosmetics and body care products.
Legal Requirements - There are legal requirements and industry codes of good practice for cosmetics and body care products. These must be complied with in every case. The organic certification requirements are in addition to these requirements, they do not replace them.

Ingredients and Processes

Organically certified cosmetics and body care products should be made using the maximum proportion of organic ingredients and these should be subject to as little processing as possible. Simple, mainly physical processes such as drying, freezing, pressing and infusion are preferred to those involving chemicals.

Only ingredients essential to the nature of the product are allowed. For example, colours may be used in items such as lipstick or eye shadow but not in those such as cleansers and toners, where there is no functional requirement for colour.

Additives are not generally allowed in organic products but it is recognised that some, such as preservatives, may be necessary for cosmetics because the products have long shelf lives and are subject to varying temperatures. Others may be used as reagents, for example in the saponification of organic raw materials to make soap.

Where the use of additives cannot be avoided, toxicity, biodegradability, origin of source material and allergic potential will be considered before these are approved.

Marketing

Licensees approved under the Standard earn the right to display the OF&G Cosmetic and Bodycare logo on their packaging, premises and marketing material.

Find out more

To learn more about the standards, or to simply have chat about whether OF&G may be able to assist your business, please feel free to contact us on 01743 440512 or email info@organicfarmers.org.uk.

>> Click here to download our Technical Leaflet about the Cosmetic and Bodycare Standard (Adobe PDF, 171Kb), which contains this and more information.

>> Click here read our news release about the launch of our Cosmetic and Bodycare Standard

Page last modified: 12/03/08