Organic beauty: what makes it different?

What does organic mean?

Organic refers to how the product and its ingredients are farmed.

Organic farming works with nature to support healthy soils, ecosystems, animals and people. It avoids artificial fertilisers and strictly limits pesticide use, allowing only certain naturally derived substances under tightly controlled conditions.

There are 2 types of organic certification that Soil Association Certification offer for beauty and wellbeing products:

• COSMOS organic - organic certification for beauty and wellbeing products that meet strict standards for organic content and environmental impact
• Soil Association organic beauty and wellbeing - certification for non-cosmetic products, such as some household, intimate or medical-related products, which fall outside COSMOS, but meet Soil Association organic standards

What is the difference between organic and natural?

Natural refers to what is contained in the product. Natural products should come from natural sources, like plants, minerals and flowers. Natural products do not have to contain organic ingredients, but in practice, many do.

Soil Association Certification offers the following certification for natural products:

• COSMOS natural - for products made with natural ingredients, but do not meet the required organic percentage for COSMOS organic certification

Ingredients such as water, salt and minerals can not be organic and make up a large percentage of ingredients in products like toners and face masks. Natural certification is a good option for these businesses.

How do you know if a product is organic or natural?

The use of the term organic is unregulated for beauty and wellbeing products. Organic food and drink products must, by law, contain at least 95% certified organic ingredients. This isn't the case with cosmetics and wellbeing products.

The lack of regulation means that terms like green, natural and organic can be used on almost any product. For example, you can label a product as natural even if only 1% of its ingredients come from natural sources.

Unless a product is certified, there’s no guarantee that it will be organic. So, look for a symbol from an independent certifier, like Soil Association Certification (pictured below). You'll then know that every step of the production process is checked.

What’s involved in organic certification?

To become certified organic, businesses must meet strict [standards]. These guarantee that organic ingredients are used whenever possible. [Soil Association Certification] review the entire manufacturing process each year. This includes sourcing of ingredients, formulation, packaging and premises.

What does COSMOS organic certification mean?

COSMOS is the global standard for organic cosmetics. It was set up by Soil Association Certification and 4 other organisations.

All products with the Soil Association COSMOS symbol guarantee:

• no animal testing 
• no GM (genetically modified) ingredients 
• no controversial chemicals
• no parabens or phthalates 
• no synthetic colours, dyes or fragrances 
• packaging must be recycled and recyclable where possible 
• all palm oil comes from sustainable sources

Why choose organic beauty and wellbeing products?

Choosing certified organic beauty means choosing products that are better for your skin, better for wildlife and better for the planet. Organic ingredients are grown on farms that work with nature, without artificial fertilisers and with highly restricted pesticide use. This protects soil health, reduces pollution and supports biodiversity. From cleaner waterways to healthier soils that store more carbon, organic farming plays a vital role in tackling the climate and nature crises.

Certified organic beauty standards, such as COSMOS, also go beyond farming. They limit controversial synthetic chemicals, like parabens, phthalates and artificial fragrances, follow green chemistry principles, and ban animal testing. Packaging must be minimised and recyclable, and manufacturers are required to reduce waste and environmental impact.

Choosing organic beauty isn’t just about what’s left out, it’s about supporting a system that puts health, transparency and responsibility first.