All certifications

Side-by-side

Compare certifications.

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

	? 'Natural' (NOT a certification) Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted	Australian Certified Organic Australia · Tier 1 Gold	Bio Suisse 'Knospe' (Bud) Switzerland · Tier 2 Trusted
What it means	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.	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).	Australia's largest organic certifier, accredited under the Australian National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce. The bud-and-leaf logo is the most-seen organic mark in Australian supermarkets.	The Swiss organic farmers' federation mark. The Knospe (Bud) is the dominant organic mark in Swiss supermarkets and operates to standards stricter than the Swiss federal organic ordinance.
Scope	Several categories	Cosmetics	Food	Food
Established	—	2010	2002	1981
Inspection	None	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier	Annual on-site, ACOS-accredited	Annual on-site, bio.inspecta accredited
Residue testing	None	Risk-based	Risk-based	Required
Guarantees	Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.	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.	≥95% organic ingredients. No synthetic pesticides, no GMOs. Annual on-site inspection. Animal welfare and biodynamic-compatible production options.	Whole-farm conversion. Lower nitrogen inputs than the Swiss federal organic baseline. Strong animal welfare requirements. Annual on-site inspection.
Does NOT	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.	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.	Australia has no single mandatory organic mark — ACO is the dominant one, but NASAA, OFC, and others also certify.	Switzerland is outside the EU — the Knospe is recognised by the EU under the Switzerland-EU equivalence agreement, but not by USDA without further certification.

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