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COSMOS-Organic / Natural logo
COSMOS-Organic / Natural
European Union · Tier 2 Trusted
Rainforest Alliance logo
Rainforest Alliance
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
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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).Sustainable-agriculture certification (post-2020 merged standard with UTZ). Covers environmental, social, and economic criteria. NOT an organic mark.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
Established20101987—
InspectionAnnual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifierAnnual third-party audit (RA-accredited)None
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.
  • Reduced (not eliminated) synthetic pesticide use, with bans on the most hazardous classes.
  • Forest conservation requirements (no deforestation after the cut-off date).
  • Worker welfare and community development requirements.
  • Annual third-party audit.
  • Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
Does NOT
  • Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.
  • Allows synthetic pesticides — does NOT meet any organic standard. Often confused with organic but it's a different programme.
  • 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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