Ecocert was established in France in 1991 as an inspection and certification body specializing in organic agricultural products. They have since expanded to cover certification of other eco and fair trade products, including organic and natural cosmetics.
Ecocert certification is recognized world-wide, currently certifying in over 80 countries. Their standards require the use of substantial amounts of natural and organic ingredients, produced with environmentally-friendly processes, and prohibits the use of many synthetic ingredients.
The two Ecocert certifications of cosmetics are ECOCERT Natural and ECOCERT Natural and Organic.
- Natural = A minimum of 50% of all plant-based ingredients and a minimum of 5% of all ingredients by weight must be organically produced.
- Natural and Organic = A minimum of 95% of the total product ingredients must be naturally derived and a minimum of 10% of all ingredients by weight (includes water) must be organically produced.
100% of ingredients used must comply with Ecocert standards, 95% of the total ingredients must be naturally derived and a product can contain no more than 5% synthetic ingredients. No GMO, parabens, phenoxyethanol, nanoparticles, silicon, PEG, synthetic perfumes and dyes, animal-derived ingredients (unless naturally produced by them: milk, honey, etc.) are to be used. All packaging must be biodegradable or recyclable.
COSMOS (COSMetic Organic Standard)
A Europe-wide private standard developed by five charter members: BDIH, Cosmebio, Ecocert Greenlife SAS, ICEA, and Soil Association. This group’s purpose is to set minimum common requirements for organic and natural cosmetic certification supporting the Ecocert principles:
- Promote the use of ingredients from organic farming.
- Use production and manufacturing processes that are environmentally sound and safe for human health.
- Include and expand the concept of "green chemicals".
For more information on the EcoCert, please visit their website.
