You must have already heard that natural cosmetics are often accompanied by certificates that confirm their quality, as well as their status in the cosmetics industry. Obtaining the NATRUE and ECOCERT certificates is a long-term process regulated by the standards of these organizations, and we write more about them in order to bring closer their importance when choosing natural cosmetics.
The female silhouette is a well-known (and reliable) sign of naturalness
The NATRUE certificate is issued by the non-profit international organization The International Natural and Organic Cosmetic Association based in Brussels. It was founded in 2007 and since then has given its stamp exclusively to those cosmetic brands that are committed to high-quality workmanship and the highest standards in the production of cosmetic products. The desire to set up came about in order to set basic guidelines for small and medium-sized companies that produced natural and organic cosmetics, and the goal was to provide the customer with a product that is proven to contain quality natural ingredients. In meeting the criteria of the NATRUE certificate, water does not enter as an ingredient that can be used to justify the naturalness of a certain product, but it must exclusively be 75% natural ingredients, ingredients derived from nature or ingredients identical to natural ones, but produced in a laboratory. [1]
NATRUE defines the permitted ingredients as follows:
Natural substances: unmodified substances from nature obtained physically (eg from plants) or from microorganisms (eg by fermentation).
Naturally derived substances: substances modified from those found in nature using permitted chemical reaction processes. The natural substances produced must come only from 100% natural ingredients (no synthetics).
Bioidentical substances: substances that are reproduced in the laboratory but can be found in nature. NATRUE only allows a selective listing of pigments, minerals and preservatives when absolutely necessary to ensure consumer safety and ingredient purity.
A year after its establishment, NATRUE presented its distinctive label of women's silhouette, and already in 2009 they certified their first product. Today, their certificate carries 7 thousand products of 320 different brands from all over the world. Olival achieved its first certified product in 2014, when it was also the first recognition of this level in Croatia and the region. Since then, our range of natural cosmetics has grown and now 16 products from the Smilje collection and 3 natural liquid hand soaps carry the NATRUE certificate.
ECOCERT promotes ecological production
Founded in France in 1991, the ECOCERT organization certifies organic products and the practice of sustainable production in the cosmetic, food and textile industries. They conduct inspections in more than 80 countries, and the founder and CEO of the organization, William Videl, points out that their services are aimed at promoting and spreading more environmentally and socially responsible practices throughout the world. Accordingly, in addition to certification, this organization offers consulting and training for all companies that want to contribute to the preservation of the planet and sustainably use available natural resources.
In order to earn the ECOCERT COSMOS certificate for organic and natural cosmetics, the following conditions must be met :
- at least 95% of all ingredients must be of natural origin and 10% of all ingredients from controlled organic farming
- products and ingredients must not be tested on animals
- raw materials must be from renewable sources
- raw materials must be produced according to ecological rules
- products must not contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
- packaging must be biodegradable or recyclable
In addition, ECOCERT defines the difference between organic and natural cosmetics in that natural cosmetics must contain at least 50% of all herbal ingredients and a minimum of 5% of ingredients that come from controlled biological cultivation. [2] Just like the NATRUE organization, they do not consider water as an "organic" ingredient because it is not produced by agricultural production. In short, ECOCERT ensures that the quality standards of the ingredients used in cosmetic products are maintained, but it also regularly monitors the production process itself. Olival secured the certificate for its production process in 2019 , which is actually the result of a long-term commitment to the use of rich natural raw materials and a quality production process.
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[1] https://www.natrue.org/why-us/what-makes-the-natrue-label-unique/ (visited 10/21/2021)
[2] https://ecocert.app.box.com/v/Ecocert-Standard (visited 10/22/2021)
