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Formulating For The “Natural” and “Natural & Organic” Market
For those of you interested in formulating for the “Natural” and “Natural & Organic” Market, here are some good guidelines and resources:
1) What is “Natural”?Natural is defined by ECOCert (www.ecocert.com), a
certification body based in France, that is accredited by theUSDA National Organics Program as follows:For the natural cosmetic label:A minimum of 50% of all plant-based ingredients in the
formula and a minimum of 5% of all ingredients by weight must come from organic farming.The use of ingredients derived from renewable resources, manufactured by environmentally friendly processes. Ecocert
therefore checks the absence of: GMO, parabens, phenoxyethanol, nanoparticles, silicon, PEG, synthetic perfumes and dyes,
animal-derived ingredients (unless naturally produced by them: milk, honey, etc.). The biodegradable or recyclable nature of packaging.They key that many people miss in the definition of Natural is: Renewable Resources (ie: living organisms)Natural ingredients are derived from Renewable, Plant-based (which includes microorganisms, fungi, algae, etc.) resources. This excludes non-renewable sources such as petroleum, coal and synthetically manufactured chemicals. -
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(2) What is “Natural & Organic”?
“Natural” is a precursor requirement to “Organic”. The definition of “Organic” is well-defined by standards established by the USDA National Organics Program and in order for a product to be labelled “Organic” it must meet the standards established by the NOP. A product must first be “Natural” to qualify for certification as “Organic”A product or ingredient can be “Natural”, but not meet the standards for being “Organic”. If your ingredient is “Organic” it will be labelled as such. In order for your product to be labelled “Organic” you have to have it certified “Organic”. If your ingredient or product isNow onto the definition of “Natural & Organic” from a cosmetics perspective:For the natural and organic cosmetic label:A minimum of 95% of all plant-based ingredients in the formula and a minimum of 10% of all ingredients by weight must come from organic farming -
Here’s a list of ECOcert approved ingredients:
In addition, the organization COSMOS (COSMetics Organic Standards) http://www.cosmos-standard.org/ provides additional information on labelling, etc.Finally, Whole Foods has published its list of acceptable ingredients for skin care products. This list was developed by Whole Foods and is a guideline to formulating should you desire to have Whole Foods consider selling your products in its stores. There is no certification or accreditation regarding the Whole Foods list as it is established for the company’s own purposes.Whole Foods has a list of ingredients that are acceptable/unacceptable for (1) Body Care and (2) Premium Body Care. Some ingredients are acceptable for Body Care, but not for their Premium Body Care categories. As this list is updated periodically, best you contact Whole Foods directly to get the most recent version as it is not necessarily available on the internet. Below is the link to the Premium Body Care unacceptable list. -
You can also get certified by the Natural Products Association:
Here’s their list of approved ingredients:The Essence of the NPA Natural Standard
The NPA Natural Standard is based on natural ingredients, safety, responsibility and sustainability.
- Natural Ingredients: A product labeled “natural” should be made up of only, or at least almost only, natural ingredients and be manufactured with appropriate processes to maintain ingredient purity.
- Safety: A product labeled “natural” should avoid any ingredient with a suspected human health risk.
- Responsibility: A product labeled “natural” should use no animal testing in its development.
- Sustainability: A product labeled “natural” should use biodegradable ingredients and the most environmentally sensitive packaging.
Under the Natural Standard for Personal Care Products, allowed ingredients come from or are made from a renewable resource found in nature (flora, fauna, mineral), with absolutely no petroleum compounds.
For each ingredient, the substance must be listed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA when used in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and contain no residues of heavy metals or other contaminants in excess of tolerances set by the FDA or the EPA or has been reviewed using criteria in this standard. NPA has developed the NPA Illustrative List as a reference document for the NPA Natural Standard and Certification Program.
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