Applying for organic and natural beauty and wellbeing certification
Beauty and wellbeing is a global industry. The Soil Association recognises this, along with demand for consistency between certification bodies. As a result, we teamed up with four international partners to create COSMOS, a global standard of organic certification.
The Soil Association health and beauty standard still exists for products that aren’t classed as a cosmetic, for example, cleaning products and candles.
Types of certification we offer
Types of certification we offer
COSMOS organic
Organic is at the heart of everything we do.
We make it simpler for you to choose organic formulations that are just as effective without any ugly compromises. Our symbol on your cosmetics means so much more than just using organic ingredients.
To be labelled organic:
95% of all physically processed agro-ingredients must be organic, and at least 20% of the total ingredients must be organic for leave-on products
95% of all physically processed agro-ingredients must be organic and at least 10% of the total ingredients must be organic for rinse-off products
Permitted processes in COSMOS Organic products
Organic cosmetic products contain ingredients which come from plants and other natural products, such as minerals. To make sure that a product works and doesn’t go 'off', some natural ingredients need to be changed. Some of these changes are simple physical processes, such as chopping, blending or combining – ingredients which have undergone these types of processes are known as Physically Processed Agro-Ingredients (PPAI).
Other ingredients undergo chemical changes, for example, heating or boiling, oxidation (adding oxygen) or other chemical reactions. These are known as Chemically Processed Agro-Ingredients. The physical and chemical processes that are permitted in COSMOS are carefully scrutinised to make sure that only the most sustainable types are allowed, in line with the principle of Green Chemistry.
COSMOS natural
Working with nature, not against it.
We recognise that to encourage more people to try and buy organic, we need to reach out to new audiences. The natural cosmetics industry is booming, but in this unregulated sector, consumers have no way to know whether a natural product actually contains ingredients which fit with the natural ethos.
To address this, we offer COSMOS natural certification.
COSMOS natural products do not have to contain any organic ingredients, although in practice many do. COSMOS natural is most suitable for products containing a lot of ingredients that cannot be organic, such as water, salt or clay (for example, toners, bath salts and face masks).
COSMOS Certified Ingredients
Aimed at companies that supply materials to be used in COSMOS certified organic and/or natural cosmetic products
COSMOS Certified Ingredients is for organic or made with organic materials that meet the COSMOS standards which can be used as ingredients in COSMOS certified cosmetics, for example extracts, mixtures, alcohol, essential oils, vegetable oils and flower waters. All certified ingredients do appear on the COSMOS approved certified raw materials database.
COSMOS Approved Raw Materials (non-organic ingredients)
Aimed at companies that supply materials to be used in COSMOS certified organic and/or natural cosmetic products
The Raw material standard is for non-organic materials that meet the COSMOS standards and can be used as ingredients in COSMOS certified cosmetics. Once a material is approved under this scheme it will appear (with the relevant supplier details) on the COSMOS approved raw material database which is accessible to all COSMOS clients.
COSMOS Approved Base Products
Aimed at companies that supply materials to be used in COSMOS certified organic and/or natural cosmetic products
For non organic products such as a soap or shampoo base as they don’t contain any organic ingredients, but due to the complexity of producing them the production of these products needs to be certified. Once a material is certified under this scheme it will appear (with the relevant supplier details) on the COSMOS approved raw material database which is accessible to all COSMOS clients.
Soil Association Health and Beauty standard
Soil Association Health and Beauty standard still exists for products that aren’t classed as a ‘cosmetics’. This includes any household cleaning products, intimate health products, candles and products that fall under the medical category.
The below schemes are aimed at companies that supply materials to be used in COSMOS certified organic and/or natural cosmetic products.
Get certified
Want to certify your products with us? Here's how to get started.
Once you’ve had a read of the COSMOS Standard (or the Soil Association Health and Wellbeing Standard for non-cosmetics), get in touch with us via the query form below.
The application process
Step 1: Fill out our application form
Simply fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you with an application pack. This pack provides you with a step-by-step guide to certification – everything from what ingredients we allow, to our packaging requirements, as well as important details of our fees and contract. Once you have read through these documents, we will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Step 2: Meet a member of our certification team
We have a lovely team who will be able to support you throughout the application process.
Please note, we are currently experiencing high levels of workload in the beauty and wellbeing team due to the increased demand for new applications. This is increasing our application process time with delays of up to 1 to 2 months.
Step 3: It's time for us to come and visit you
Once your application for certification has been received and processed, our inspector team will arrange a visit. Don’t worry, we will do everything to make this as smooth as possible, and will let you know in advance what you need to do to prepare for the inspection.
Step 4: Congratulations, you're certified
Your application’s complete, your inspection went smoothly and your labels have been approved. You'll then receive your first certificate. This means you’re officially certified to Soil Association and COSMOS standards, and we’re all one step closer to transparency in our beauty and wellbeing industry.
Step 5: Meet the team and get support
You are important to us. So, it’s now time for you to meet our friendly Business Development team who will work with you on an ongoing basis, growing awareness of certified organic beauty. Our work together will help to shape the certified organic beauty and wellbeing market.
Learn more about organic and natural certification
Find out all you need to know about certification for beauty and wellbeing.