The Soil Association launched its standards for health and beauty products in 2002 and now certify a wide range of companies and products to the standards. The standards were launched in response to companies that were making organic beauty products that wanted independent verification that was geared towards these types of products, and also in response to consumers who wanted to know which products truly were organic.

I've seen lots of health and beauty products in the shops claiming to be organic - how do I know that they really are organic?

In the EU, all food must be certified as organic, before it can be sold as organic, according to European law. However, this regulation does not extend to non-food products such as textiles and beauty products. Therefore a company can label or describe a product as organic even if they only contain tiny amounts of organic ingredients and other ingredients that are linked to health concerns and prohibited under organic standards.

To ensure a product is organic, look for a certification body logo, such as the Soil Association symbol.

What do the Soil Association standards say?

The Soil Association standards are based on principles that require the maximum amount of organic ingredients, minimum synthetic ingredients, minimum processing of ingredients and clear labelling so that the consumer can make an informed choice about the product they are purchasing. The standards also contain criteria that means ingredients must be assessed to not be harmful to human health and their manufacture and use must cause minimum environmental impact.

The standards also cover the requirements that are set out in the EU Regulation that governs organic food and farming, and use criteria from the Nordic Ecolabelling standards which are a set of criteria used to asses the environmental impact of materials.

Like all Soil Association standards, they are subject to change and development through our consultation process as new technologies and product categories emerge in order to enhance and tighten them. The standards are developed from a precautionary point of view and will tend to ban ingredients or processes until substantial evidence and research supports their permission in the standards. For example, new standards in 2005 included the recommendation that ingredients resulting from nanotechnology were prohibited until further research is available, and also that any wild harvested ingredient, e.g. sandal wood, must not come from an endangered species.

What is allowed in a beauty product that carries the Soil Association symbol?

A product that carries the Soil Association symbol and is labelled organic, must contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients. A product that carries the Soil Association symbol and is labelled as 'made with xx% organic ingredients' must contain a minimum of 70% organic ingredients.

The remaining ingredients that are permitted in the products must be proven to be non-GM and can only be used:

• if the organic version of that ingredient is not yet available, or
• they are from a restricted list of synthetic chemicals that have been assessed against criteria to demonstrate they have no detrimental impact on human health and minimum environmental impact.

Of course, not all products use these - some are 100% organic and will say so on the label.

Why do you allow chemical preservatives in organic products?

Organic beauty products that contain oils and oil-based ingredients such as balms and body butters can be made using 100% organic ingredients and do not require the addition of preservatives. Sometimes they may use a mild antioxidant such as tocopherol or ascorbic acid, which are permitted under organic food standards (both the EU regulation and Soil Association standards) and naturally derived.

However, products that contain water, and water and oil based ingredients such as creams, lotions and shampoos need to have some kind of preservative system so that they are safe to use. In addition they may need an emulsifier which mixes together the oil and water ingredients and stops them separating.

Sometimes organic preservatives can be used such as organic grapefruit seed extract, or naturally derived anti-oxidants as above, but if these are not effective then a preservative that meets strict toxicological and biodegradability requirements can be used. The toxicity and biodegradability criteria ensure that the ingredient is not harmful to health and has minimum environmental impact. In addition emulsifiers must meet the same requirements, and are often naturally derived. For example, decyl glucoside which can be made from corn starch, but is not yet available in an organic format.

Why should I use organic beauty products?

Many of today's beauty products are made up of varying mixtures of synthetically produced chemicals. The skin is the largest organ in your body. Individual ingredients vary in their ability to penetrate the skin, some are absorbed in tiny amounts while some can reach the blood vessels below the skin and be transported around the body. While one product may contain very small amounts of some of these ingredients, it is the cumulative effect of applying various products regularly that causes concern.

Over the past few years there have been certain cosmetic ingredients that have been highlighted in the media due to their links with health scares which has led some people to choosing organic as a safer alternative. In addition people that suffer from sensitive skin or conditions such as eczema or psoriasis report that organic skin care products work better for them as they contain either tiny amounts of synthetic chemicals, or no synthetic chemicals at all.

Parents are increasingly choosing organic products for their babies and children as their bodies are still developing and are more susceptible to chemicals in non-organic products and more likely to develop allergic reactions to ingredients such as fragrances. Others choose organic products because they eat organic food, and want to continue to support the positive benefits environment that their organic choices make.

Many choose organic beauty products simply because they find they work better!

Which other certification bodies certify beauty products?

There are a few other certification bodies within the EU that certify to their own organic cosmetic and beauty standards. The Soil Association is working with a group of EU certification bodies, for example Ecocert, the main certifying body in France, to develop a common European organic beauty and cosmetic standard. We hope that working with this group that we will be able to create more awareness and understanding for non-food products to be included in the regulation governing organic food and farming.

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This document is not to be used by Soil Association licensees as a substitute for the Soil Association organic standards. The standards are available to buy for £30. To order a copy please call 0117 914 2406, or email goorganic@soilassociation.org.