COSMOS ORGANIC STANDARD
The COSMOS-standard is a new cosmetic certification developed to harmonise various certifications and labels in order to create one standard that is internationally recognised for natural and organic cosmetics. The “COSMetic Organic Standard” was officially launched in February 2011, and as a result of Europe’s leading natural cosmetic certifiers coming together and forming a non-profit association, COSMOS-standard AISBL. The COSMOS-standard association consists of five founding members who now authorise and oversee the certification, including the Soil Association (UK), Ecocert (France), Cosmebio (France), BDIH (Germany) and AIAB/ICEA (Italy). The main goal is to uphold the inspection and certification of organic and ecological products, eco-friendly systems and respect for the environment throughout the production chain. Today, over 1,600 companies, and more than 25,000 products sold into more than 45 countries are certified under COSMOS Within this standard are the core principles of prevention and safety, reflective from the production of raw materials to the distribution of finished products which includes:- promoting the use of products from organic agriculture, and respecting biodiversity
- using natural resources responsibly and respecting the environment
- using processing and manufacturing that are clean and respectful of human health and environment
- integrating and developing the concept of "Green Chemistry" instead of using petrochemicals
- providing transparency for consumers
- Physically processed agro-ingredients – organic agriculture that reflects pure or allows simple processing;
- Chemically processed agro-ingredients – certifiable by using agricultural organic raw materials and manufacturing processes that are clean and authorised, all under the umbrella of “Green Chemistry”;
- Water – non-certifiable and must comply with hygienic standards;
- Minerals and ingredients of mineral origin – non-certifiable, requires clear environmental rules in their use, and in further processing;
- Other ingredients – a very limited list of preservatives and some ingredients allowed as long as there are no effective natural alternatives available to ensure the safety of consumers or efficacy of the product.