The certification on your skincare products explained
You'll see ECOCERT COSMOS Natural on every product in the Skincareman range. It's not a badge we put there to look responsible. It's a certification that requires independent verification, annual auditing, and adherence to one of the most rigorous natural cosmetics standards in the world. Here's what it actually means — and why it's worth understanding before you buy anything that claims to be natural.
Where It Comes From
COSMOS stands for COSMetic Organic and Natural Standard. It was established in 2010 by five of Europe's leading certification bodies: BDIH in Germany, Cosmebio and ECOCERT in France, ICEA in Italy, and the Soil Association in the UK. Rather than five separate national standards operating independently, these organisations came together to create a single internationally recognised framework for natural and organic cosmetics.
ECOCERT itself was founded in France in 1991 and has grown into one of the world's leading certification bodies, operating across more than 150 countries and working with over 75,000 companies globally. ECOCERT Greenlife, a subsidiary, handles cosmetic and personal care certification specifically — including the COSMOS standard.
The result is a certification that is independently governed, internationally recognised, and regularly updated. The current standard, version 4, came into force in June 2023, with ongoing revisions to keep pace with advances in formulation science and sustainability practice.
What COSMOS Natural Actually Requires
There are two tiers of COSMOS certification: COSMOS Natural and COSMOS Organic. Understanding the difference matters.
COSMOS Natural — which applies to the majority of the Skincareman range — requires that all ingredients come from natural origin, with the exception of a tightly restricted list of approved preservatives and processing aids permitted in small quantities. There is no minimum percentage of organic content required, though organic ingredients can and do appear in the formula.
COSMOS Organic — which applies to our CBD Beard Oil — requires the same natural origin standards, plus a minimum percentage of organic-farmed ingredients by weight. It is the higher tier of the two.
In practice, COSMOS Natural certified products contain on average 99% ingredients of natural origin — which aligns precisely with the formulations across the Skincareman range.
What It Prohibits
This is where the standard earns its credibility. COSMOS Natural certification prohibits a specific list of ingredients that appear routinely in conventional skincare — including many products that market themselves as natural without any independent verification.
Products certified to the COSMOS standard must contain no:
- GMOs — genetically modified organisms, in any ingredient
- Parabens — the preservative class linked to endocrine disruption concerns
- Phenoxyethanol — a synthetic preservative common in conventional formulas
- Silicones — synthetic polymers that coat the skin without any benefit to it
- PEGs — polyethylene glycols, petroleum-derived compounds used as emulsifiers
- Synthetic fragrances or synthetic colorants — only natural essential oils and mineral pigments are permitted
- Nanoparticles — particles at a scale that raises absorption and safety concerns
This prohibition list is not based on marketing preference. Each restricted ingredient has been assessed against the standard's principles of human health protection, environmental responsibility, and biodiversity preservation.
What It Requires of Manufacturing
Certification doesn't stop at the ingredient list. The COSMOS standard extends to the entire production process — which is what separates it from brands that source clean ingredients but manufacture irresponsibly.
Certified manufacturers must demonstrate:
- Environmentally responsible production processes that minimise water usage, energy consumption, and waste
- Supply chains that respect biodiversity and source ingredients without contributing to ecosystem degradation
- Packaging that is recyclable or otherwise environmentally considered
- Full traceability of ingredients from origin to finished product
Independent auditors inspect production facilities annually. Certification is not granted once and forgotten — it is maintained through ongoing compliance and renewed verification.
The Difference Between "Natural" and Certified Natural
The word "natural" on a skincare product carries no legal weight in most markets. There is no regulatory requirement that determines how much of a product must come from natural sources for it to carry the word on its label. A product with 10% plant-derived ingredients and 90% synthetic content can legally describe itself as natural.
COSMOS Natural certification changes that. It means the claim has been verified by an independent body against a published, publicly available standard. It means someone other than the brand itself has checked the ingredient list, the supply chain, and the manufacturing process.
That distinction matters more than the word "natural" ever has.
COSMOS Natural vs COSMOS Organic
A question worth answering directly: if COSMOS Organic is the higher standard, why do most products in the Skincareman range carry COSMOS Natural rather than Organic?
The short answer is formulation. COSMOS Organic requires that a defined percentage of total ingredients by weight come from certified organic agriculture. Water — which forms the base of most skincare formulations — cannot be organically certified. Mineral ingredients cannot be certified organic. This means achieving COSMOS Organic certification is formulation-dependent, not simply a matter of intent or quality.
COSMOS Natural products can and do contain organic ingredients — the Skincareman Hyaluronic Acid Face Cream, for example, contains organic aloe leaf juice, organic jojoba oil, organic cloudberry extract, organic blackberry extract, and organic rowan berry extract — but the total organic percentage does not meet the threshold required for the Organic tier. The natural origin percentage — 99% — remains the same.
