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COSMOS-Organic / Natural logo
COSMOS-Organic / Natural
European Union · Tier 2 Trusted
Bio-Siegel (Germany) logo
Bio-Siegel (Germany)
Germany · Tier 1 Gold
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'Natural' (NOT a certification)
Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing
What it meansThe leading certification for organic cosmetics in Europe. Two grades: COSMOS Organic (≥95% organic agricultural ingredients) and COSMOS Natural (no organic minimum, but the same restricted-ingredient list).Germany's national organic mark, owned by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Sits alongside the EU Leaf on most German organic packaging since 2001. Same standard as the EU Leaf — Bio-Siegel is the brand consumers recognise.The word 'natural' on packaging is a marketing term, not a certification. In most jurisdictions there's no legal definition, no standard, and no inspection. A product labelled 'natural' can contain synthetic ingredients, pesticides, GMOs, and artificial flavours.
ScopeCosmeticsFoodSeveral categories
Established20102001—
InspectionAnnual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifierAnnual on-site by EU-accredited German control bodyNone
Residue testingRisk-basedRisk-basedNone
Guarantees
  • COSMOS Organic: ≥95% organic agricultural ingredients.
  • COSMOS Natural: minimum natural-origin ingredients with banned synthetic restrictions.
  • No GMOs, no parabens, no PEGs, no synthetic fragrances, no SLS/SLES.
  • Biodegradability requirements.
  • Annual on-site audit.
  • EU baseline organic (EU 2018/848).
  • Annual on-site inspection by accredited German certifier.
  • Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
Does NOT
  • Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.
  • Same standard as the EU Leaf — not stricter.
  • Doesn't mean organic. Doesn't mean pesticide-free. Doesn't mean GMO-free. Doesn't mean ethically produced.
  • Some markets (e.g. the US FDA on food, EU on cosmetics) place very limited restrictions on the word, but enforcement is weak.

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