Natural & organic cosmetic standards continue to proliferate
But there’s increased fragmentation as a result
The popularity of natural and organic standards continues to grow, however, the industry is becoming increasingly divided because of the proliferation in standards and certification, according to Organic Monitor. Research carried out by Organic Monitor found that although the adoption rate of natural and organic cosmetic standards is highest in Europe, the region is also the most fragmented in terms of seals and logos, with few standards transcending national boundaries. The Soil Association standard is almost exclusively adopted by UK companies, the ICEA one by Italian companies and Cosmebio by French companies, while the BDIH standard is predominantly used in Germany.
Meanwhile, the Natrue standard has been successful in providing a uniform labelling scheme and now covers almost 1,400 products, but its popularity is still largely confined to German-speaking countries.
Organic Monitor points out that the French Ecocert standard enjoys the most international coverage having been adopted by companies in countries including Greece, Denmark, Latvia, Brazil, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Australia.
The first products certified under Cosmos – which has finally been introduced in Europe following eight years of discussions – are expected later this year. Over 10,000 products are certified according to the six Cosmos member standards, but no common Cosmos logo is planned and critics claim that the new standard will not replace or unify the plethora of existing standards and logos.
Meanwhile, in North America, competition between standards has increased since Natrue and NSF ANSI announced a new natural cosmetic standard last month. The NPA standard for natural cosmetics is currently the most successful in the region, representing over 300 certified products from around 30 brands.
In Asia and Latin America, markets for natural cosmetics are showing higher growth although no local certification schemes currently exist.
Organic Monitor’s Sustainable Cosmetics Summit takes place in New York between 12-14 May. For more information go to www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com.