Organic Cosmetics vs. Conventional Cosmetics
The manufacture of a cosmetic product is relatively complex: many ingredients are subtly dosed to obtain an effective and harmonious mixture such as emulsion, suspension, foams, gels...
A classic cosmetic product contains 4 types of components:
- An excipient: This acts as a carrier for the active principle(s). Its composition will modulate the penetration of the active ingredient into the epidermis.
- Active ingredients: These give the cosmetic product its full effectiveness
- Adjuvants: Often essential, adjuvants are preservatives (antiseptics, antioxidants), stabilizers (gelling agents and thickeners), and humectants which prevent the preparation from drying out.
- Additives: these are sometimes optional, sometimes essential, and are mainly represented by fragrances and colorants.
- Other essential ingredients for formulation: emulsifiers, surfactants
| Component type | Classic cosmetic | Organic cosmetic |
| Excipients | Mineral oils and fats, petroleum by-products (paraffin, petroleum jelly) and synthetic (silicone), and/or vegetable fats, raw materials of animal origin | Vegetable oils and fats (olive, argan, apricot, etc.) |
| Active ingredients | Molecules isolated by extraction or synthesis | Natural active ingredients: oily, hydroalcoholic extracts, plants, hydrosols, essential oils... |
| Emulsifying surfactants | Petroleum derivatives, chemical syntheses | Derivatives of sugar, vegetable raw materials, processed by gentle chemical reactions, with a very significant natural part. |
| Adjuvants | - Synthetic preservatives - Stabilizers (synthetic polymers) - Humectants |
- Natural or "identical natural" preservatives (citric acid, benzoic acid) - Natural stabilizers (sugar and cereal derivatives) - Natural humectants |
| Additives | - Fragrances: synthetic - Synthetic colorants |
- Fragrances: organic essential oils (lemon, rose, geranium...) - Natural colorants |
Each of these components contains several ingredients that are either synthetic or natural, but very often, the proportions of synthetic to natural are not highlighted on the packaging.
Cosmébio Charter
One certainty, however: organic cosmetic products, and more specifically products complying with the Cosmébio charter, contain a minimum of 95% natural or naturally derived ingredients. Cosmébio plays a driving role in this research by encouraging manufacturers and ingredient producers to continuously innovate in order to make natural and certifiable raw materials available.
Source: Cosmébio.org
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