Organic cosmetics labels

After the Envoyé Spécial report and the perceptible confusion caused by the various organic cosmetic labels, Noireônaturel felt it was necessary to clarify these different labels and thus enable you to grasp the differences and requirements of each of these organizations.
For you, the consumers, this is the assurance of making your purchases with complete transparency and full knowledge of the facts. Once again, the watchword is vigilance!!!

But as you will read below, things are moving in the right direction... You will also find the right of reply from the various organizations following the Envoyé Spécial broadcast.

Ecocert, Qualité France, Nature & progrès and BDIH: these logos and labels comply with strict specifications that have many points in common.

They guarantee manufacturing according to rules defined in one of these four recognized private specifications.

Origin of the Cosmebio label

The Cosmébio label is an organic label implemented by responsible European manufacturers.

Based on specifications filed with the Ministry of Industry in 2002, the Cosmébio charter offers transparency regarding the nature of the ingredients and manufacturing processes used in your organic cosmetic products.

What guarantees - organic cosmetics?

10% of the total product MUST be ORGANIC (water not being certifiable in the ORGANIC world)
95% of the total product must be natural
95% of these natural plant ingredients MUST be ORGANIC.
5% MAX of synthetic products, which are currently unavailable in natural form (These ingredients must meet the requirements of a very restrictive positive list excluding PEGs, silicones, petrochemical derivatives, Parabens, ..)
Packaging and overpackaging must be biodegradable or recyclable

The percentage of natural ingredients and the percentage of organic ingredients are clearly indicated on all packaging of certified products bearing the ORGANIC logos.

Prohibited - organic cosmetics

no animal testing.
No synthetic fragrances or colorants
Total exclusion of synthetic preservatives such as parabens or phenoxyethanol)
No petrochemicals (paraffin, silicone, PEG)
No GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
No ionizing treatments

Control and certification - organic cosmetics

Control: once a year.
Certificate of conformity: given product by product
Certificate of conformity by brand: no
Withdrawal of certificate if non-certified products are sold under this brand: no.
Validity: 15 months.

ENVOYE SPECIAL - COSMEBIO PRESS RELEASE

Despite the denials of its director (cf. Véronique Blanc's press release on www.fémininbio.com), the Envoyé Spécial program of March 5, 2009, dedicated to organic cosmetics, proved to be extremely biased. Against a backdrop of suspense film music, voice-overs, truncated interviews, and misleading shortcuts, it ultimately sowed confusion. The most important European organic cosmetics association, founded in 2002 and bringing together more than 270 companies operating in the field of ecological and organic cosmetics, the COSMEBIO interprofessional association deplores that, at a time when a review of four years of expansion in organic cosmetics was being conducted, the program's producers did not contact it. In order to dispel the doubts arising from the ambiguous presentation of organic cosmetics, COSMEBIO intends to answer the following questions here:

Are skin reactions more frequent with organic cosmetics than with conventional cosmetics?

NO. Contrary to what the computer image of a reddened face following the application of a cosmetic product, which we were told was organic, might suggest, there are no more skin reactions with these products than with conventional cosmetic products. In accordance with regulations, they undergo the same safety tests as conventional cosmetics before being placed on the market. The laboratory presented in the program precisely carries out this type of preliminary study in order to prevent any problematic market launch. The skin reaction shown on screen therefore took place before the product was put on the market, and it had to be reformulated or abandoned. Why was this not specified?

Are essential oils irritating?

NO, if they are used judiciously. Even if several of them present some of the allergens listed by the European Directive which requires them to be mentioned in the INCI list, they do not pose any problems if they are correctly dosed. Moreover, the use of essential oils is not the prerogative of organic cosmetics, and many organic cosmetic products do not use essential oils.

Are parabens used in organic cosmetics?

NO. They are excluded from the Ecocert and Qualité France standards for ecological and organic cosmetics and from the Cosmébio Charter. They were exceptionally tolerated until 31.12.2008 in certain little-used raw materials (cf. Ecocert press release on www.fémininbio.com). They could therefore appear in very small traces in very in-depth analyses. For years, at Ecocert's initiative, certifying bodies have required raw material suppliers to declare the entire preservation system implemented, which makes it possible to exclude substances not permitted by the standard. It could happen that certain suppliers, not accustomed to this exercise in transparency, omitted to respond in extenso. Over the years, these omissions have become extremely rare.

How are organic beauty products preserved?

Consumer safety implies that beauty products, like food products, have an optimal shelf life, validated by tests. The preservation of organic cosmetic products is most often ensured using a complex of salts and acids (sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate [these two salts are also authorized in organic food], dehydroacetic acid, ...) and/or ethanol and/or essential oils (cf. standard for ecological and organic cosmetics). Depending on their formulation, nature, presentation or packaging, organic cosmetic products can sometimes claim to be free of chemical preservatives.

Are organic cosmetic products less effective than conventional cosmetic products?

NO, they are just as effective, and several comparative studies have proven it. Organic cosmetic laboratories carry out usage tests in the same way as conventional cosmetic companies.

Has organic cosmetics progressed over the last five years?

A LOT. Most of the old players already had excellent expertise. Newcomers have quickly progressed and all organic cosmetics players now offer a wide range of stable, reliable, effective and pleasant formulas. The annual expansion of the organic and ecological cosmetics market is currently around 25 to 30% per year. This undeniable success confirms that, despite the attacks, consumer demand for this new approach to beauty, respectful of the environment, remains very strong.

For more information, please contact: Pôle Ineed – Zone Rovaltain TGV 1, rue Marc Seguin BP 11132 – Alixan 26958 Valence Cedex 9 Tel: 00 33 (0)4 75 60 27 40 Fax: 00 33 (0)4 75 61 12 63 E-mail: info@cosmebio.org Website: www.cosmebio.org

THE BDIH LABEL

A German association of natural cosmetic professionals, BDIH has existed for a long time in Germany. It issues its own "controlled natural cosmetics" label according to the BDIH charter. Controls are carried out by IMO, an independent Swiss certification body. The charter defines a "positive" list of authorized components for the development of a natural cosmetic product. Any ingredient not present on this list is automatically prohibited.

The dates

These developments have been effective since January 1, 2009, but will be fully implemented on the ground by December 31, 2009.

Expected developments

The imposition of a minimum organic percentage in an organic cosmetic...

More generally, non-plant natural ingredients should be excluded from percentage calculations, as Cosmebio does. This would definitively settle the false controversy surrounding hydrosols, and the average consumer, like with Cosmebio products, could then realize the actual organic percentage of plant matter contained.

This is one of the three consumer demands, relayed by our editorial team:

* The strictest possible limitation on the percentage of non-natural products (5% at Cosmebio) * A mandatory high percentage of organic plant products (or equivalents: honey, etc.) (95% organic at Cosmebio) * Regulations for the form of origin of other non-certifiable natural ingredients (water, clay, minerals, etc.)

THE ECOCERT LABEL

Ecocert is a certification body approved by the French state that controls organic cosmetics as well as the method of obtaining raw materials and issues an Ecocert label. All certified cosmetics contain at least 95% naturally derived ingredients and are processed according to environmentally friendly procedures validated by Ecocert. The remaining 5% are part of a very restricted list, with only 5 authorized preservatives. The specifications impose requirements on the manufacture of ingredients, finished products, recyclable packaging, and energy and waste management. FemininBio.com gives a voice to Ecocert. The certification body was surprised by the content of the Envoyé Spécial report on organic cosmetics, which does not offer the announced comparison of organic labels and focuses on only one brand for nearly half of the report.

It would have been interesting to present this comparison of existing labels to viewers, and to take into account the explanations provided by Ecocert to the journalist about preservatives.

Ecocert wishes to reassure consumers about the creation of a European standard, which is currently being finalized, even if obtaining a consensus between different organizations may seem lengthy.

The certification of organic cosmetics

There are several certification labels on the European market: Ecocert, BDIH, Soil Association and ICEA.

Some have requirements concerning the integration of a minimum of organic ingredients in the formulas; these are the Soil, ICEA and Ecocert labels. Then there are associations of manufacturers who have created their own label, different from a certification label (e.g. Cosmébio).

An organic certified cosmetic product must first and foremost comply with general regulations, just like conventional cosmetics.

Efficacy and toxicity tests are carried out before market launch, as is done for conventional cosmetics.

Regarding the derogation on the two preservatives parabens and phenoxyethanol

As soon as its specifications were implemented in 2002, Ecocert took a stand not to accept these preservatives, and was the first organization to do so. At that time, these preservatives were used in most cosmetic formulas on the market.

We therefore asked manufacturers to formulate cosmetic products without using these preservatives, and to prefer substitute preservatives. This was not an easy task for formulators, because the substitute preservatives authorized in organic products were less effective than conventional ones, and we still had to guarantee the same safety and shelf life to the consumer.
In cosmetic formulas, the organic ingredients used in the composition of organic cosmetic products are controlled and certified organic, and therefore guaranteed without the use of chemical products. In addition to these organic ingredients, formulators used non-organic processed ingredients, necessary to obtain a creamy or foaming formula (e.g. surfactants). In 2002, manufacturers used these ingredients without guaranteeing the absence of parabens or phenoxyethanol, as suppliers were not obliged to mention their presence.
Ecocert is the only body to control the transformation processes of all non-organic raw materials used in the composition of organic cosmetic products. Taking into account the reality of cosmetic industry practices, we wanted to be transparent by admitting that it was impossible to guarantee 0 trace of parabens in finished products until now, regardless of the certification label. We were the only ones to communicate this information and to take these traces into account in the percentage of synthetic ingredients displayed on the product.
In 2002, organic cosmetic manufacturers were too few and too small to impose an immediate ban on these preservatives in raw materials on the entire sector. We therefore decided to implement an evolving and restrictive derogation, which progressively reduced the quantity of preservatives supplied by raw materials, until reaching 0% by 31/12/08. The objective was to support the profession in this progression, taking into account technical and regulatory constraints and scientific advances. There was no point in immediately imposing criteria so restrictive on manufacturers that they would have been inaccessible, to the point of hindering the development of organic cosmetics as a satisfactory alternative to conventional cosmetics. Ecocert's objective is to lead manufacturers towards a production method respectful of humans and the environment; this objective can only be achieved through the implementation of a progressive approach that makes the growing commitment of manufacturers possible. An explanation in this regard had been given to the journalist, who did not take it into account in her report.

To ensure complete transparency for consumers, the standard is available on our website: www.ecocert.com

THE NATURE ET PROGRES LABEL

Nature & Progrès is a French association of professionals and consumers committed to ecology. The independent control body Certipaq verifies compliance with the Nature & Progrès specifications. The specifications only authorize the use of organic plants and impose a significant commitment from brands on many environmental (energy savings, ecological waste management) and social (solidarity between members) points. Qualité France. Like Ecocert, Qualité France is a certification body approved by the French state. It follows the same principles as Ecocert, but the minimum imposed percentage of organic plants is calculated only on the total ingredients and not on the total plants. To clarify things for consumers, we hope that in the long term, the labels will manage to agree at European level to offer only one single reference to customers.

the organic cosmetic label Nature & Progrès: the most demanding and uncompromising.

Origin of Nature et Progrès

It is an association of consumers and professionals dating from 1964, based on a very strict charter.

What guarantees?

100% of natural plant and animal ingredients MUST be ORGANIC.
0% synthetic products
Packaging and overpackaging must be biodegradable or recyclable

The prohibitions

no animal testing.
No raw materials of animal origin, except: those produced naturally if they come from organic farming: • Products from the hive (Honey, royal jelly, propolis and wax) • Dairy products (milk, milk proteins, whey, powdered buttermilk) • Egg products (egg, powder and egg yolk extract) Lanolin under condition of absence of nickel3

No synthetic fragrances or colorants
Total exclusion of synthetic preservatives such as parabens or phenoxyethanol)
No petrochemicals (paraffin, silicone, PEG)
No GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
No ionizing treatments

Control and certification

Control: once a year.
Certificate of conformity: given product by product
Certificate of conformity per brand: no
Withdrawal of certificate if non-certified products are sold under this brand: yes if less than 70% of products are not certified.
Validity: 15 months.

Source : Feminibio and Cosmebio & co