All certifications

Side-by-side

Compare certifications.

Up to four certifications, side by side. Choose which ones

	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted	? 'Natural' (NOT a certification) Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing	Bio-Siegel (Germany) Germany · Tier 1 Gold	EU Organic (Euro-Leaf) European Union · Tier 1 Gold
What it means	The 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).	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.	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 mandatory mark for any pre-packaged organic food sold in the EU. The 'Euro-Leaf' is a stylised leaf made of twelve white stars on a green background.
Scope	Cosmetics	Several categories	Food	Food
Established	2010	—	2001	2010
Inspection	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier	None	Annual on-site by EU-accredited German control body	Annual on-site by accredited control body in producer country
Residue testing	Risk-based	None	Risk-based	Risk-based; mandatory at higher-risk operations
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.	Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.	EU baseline organic (EU 2018/848). Annual on-site inspection by accredited German certifier.	At least 95% of agricultural ingredients are organic (regulation EU 2018/848). No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs. Animal welfare standards (outdoor access, lower stocking density, no routine antibiotics). Annual inspection by an accredited control body in the producing member state. Mandatory display of the certifier's code and origin (e.g. 'EU Agriculture' / 'Non-EU Agriculture').
Does NOT	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.	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.	Same standard as the EU Leaf — not stricter.	Doesn't ban the natural pesticides allowed under the regulation (copper sulphate, spinosad). Doesn't certify processed-food additives beyond the EU's permitted list.

Choose up to 4 (4 chosen)

That's four — remove one to add another.

Stay in the loop

Get notified when we publish new articles, updates, and organic guides. No spam, just honest content, straight to your inbox.

Compare certifications · Organic.is