Created in 1991, ECOCERT® is one of the largest organic certification organisations in the world.
ECOCERT® plays an active role in developing organic farming practices by helping to draft French and European regulations on the matter, and assisting the Ministry of Agriculture, the INAO and the European commission with supporting and developing this production method.
ECOCERT® was the very first certification body to develop standards for "Natural and Organic Cosmetics”.
Introduced in 2003, the specification was drawn up in conjunction with all stakeholders in the value chain: experts, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, consumers and development organisations.
The basic principles of the ECOCERT® standard
To ensure an environmentally friendly cosmetic product, the ECOCERT® standard requires:
1. The use of ingredients derived from renewable resources, manufactured by environmentally friendly processes.2. The absence of GMO, parabens, phenoxyethanol, nanoparticles, silicone, PEG, synthetic perfumes and dyes, animal-derived ingredients (unless naturally produced by them: milk, honey, etc.), as well as the biodegradable or recyclable nature of packaging.3. A minimum threshold of natural ingredients from organic farming to be reached to obtain certification. In all cases, the ECOCERT standard imposes that a minimum of 95% of the total ingredients must be of natural origin and a minimum of 10% of the total plant-based ingredients must be from organic farming.
Some ingredients very frequently found in cosmetics (water, salts, minerals) cannot be certified as organic because they are not sourced from farming. For example, shampoos and some creams, mostly composed of water, only contain between 10% and 40% organic ingredients. An essential oil, which does not contain water, can contain up to 100% organic ingredients.
COSMEBIO® is the leading ecological and organic cosmetics professional association in France. It brings together all of the players in the cosmetics industry and currently represents more than 400 members in France and abroad. These members include cosmetic laboratories, distributors, contract manufacturers and raw material suppliers.
COSMEBIO® was born in 2002 from a partnership between ten cosmetic laboratories committed to establishing a Charter for the foundation of an ecological and natural cosmetics industry using ingredients produced by organic farming.
This Charter ensures cosmetic products are safe for consumers and preserve the environment while banning false marketing claims.
The COSMEBIO® Charter has led to two reference guidelines providing the highest standards of quality and registered with the French Ministry of Industry. The first reference standards were developed with ECOCERT® and the second standards were developed by QUALITÉ FRANCE. These reference guidelines determine the exact standards products must comply with, the manufacturing process used to produce them and inspections that must be carried out by accredited certification bodies. They also specify clearly the percentage of natural and organically produced ingredients which must be included in product formulas.
The COSMEBIO® label is granted for each product and aims to guarantee the commitment of the manufacturers that bear it. It also helps to provide consumers with genuine ecological and organic products, which comply with the technical and ethical criteria in the founding Charter.
COSMEBIO® commitments
Initially made up of a small group of pioneering companies, the association has grown to include all companies wishing to work in the field of natural ecological and organic cosmetics. In only a few years, COSMEBIO® has become a key organisation in the organic cosmetics industry and is the leading European association in its field. COSMEBIO®, which is dedicated to extending its commitment outside France, is also a founding member of the European group which developed the European COSMOS-standard.