· What is a “natural” or “organic” cosmetic product?
Natural or “organic” cosmetic products contain varying proportions of natural and/or “organic” ingredients.
If the organic ingredient content in a product advertised as organic is less than 100%, it must be indicated.
Furthermore, a cosmetic product can only be described as "natural" or "of natural origin" if its content of natural or naturally derived ingredients is greater than or equal to 95%. Otherwise, it is recommended to indicate the nature and percentage of natural components. Some carry the logo of a private certification label, but this is not an obligation.
- A natural ingredient is a product of plant, animal or mineral origin, which is not transformed, except by traditional mechanical actions, in particular for the purpose of extracting the ingredient.
- A naturally occurring ingredient has undergone a chemical transformation of low magnitude and in limited number.
- An organic ingredient is made from organic ingredients or raw materials. These elements must be certified by a control body approved by the National Institute of Origin and Quality ( INAO ) or recognized in the European Union.
The water used to formulate a cosmetic product is natural, but it is not "organic" because it is not, by definition, an agricultural product. It is considered a mineral. Since some "fluid" cosmetic products contain a lot of it, their final "organic" content may be significantly reduced on the label, this does not mean that their composition of organic ingredients has not been optimized.
The case of rehydrated plant ingredients:
Aloe vera is widely used in organic and natural cosmetics. For logistical and cost reasons, it is often sourced in powder form (from the gel or dehydrated leaves) before being rehydrated with water.
The list of ingredients shows separately the rehydration water on the one hand, and the powder on the other, in order of weight.
The organic content of the rehydrated ingredient can be counted as equivalent to that of the fresh ingredient. The organic content of the finished product is therefore not impacted by the rehydrated nature.
· The ISO16128 standard:
ISO 16128 is an international standard for natural and organic.
This standard was developed in two parts by experts from 40 countries within the framework of ISO, a non-governmental organization that brings together the standards bodies of 163 countries. It harmonizes the definitions of four categories of ingredients: organic, of organic origin, natural, and of natural origin.
Its purpose is not to permit or prohibit the use of an ingredient. It provides definitions and criteria for determining whether an ingredient is natural or organic, of natural or organic origin, mineral or synthetic, and methods for calculating the percentage of organic or natural in a product. Indeed, the international standard ISO 16128 comprehensively and rigorously defines each category of natural or organic ingredient, based on the origin (natural or organic) of the ingredients and the extraction or processing process of the ingredient. Throughout the world, the definitions and criteria for natural and organic ingredients and the calculation methods at the product level will be the same.
Determination of Natural and Natural Origin Indices of ingredients according to ISO 16128 standard:
- Natural Index:
The Natural Index is a value indicating the extent to which a cosmetic ingredient meets the definition of natural ingredients in ISO 16128-1:2016, Clause 2.
This value is assigned to each ingredient in accordance with the following recommendation :
Natural Index = 1 : The ingredient meets the definition of natural ingredients. The Natural Index of the water of constitution, that of the water of reconstitution, that of the water of extraction and that of the water of formulation are all considered equal to 1 .
Natural Index = 0 : The ingredient does not meet the definition of natural ingredients.
- Natural Origin Index:
The Natural Origin Index is a value indicating the extent to which a cosmetic ingredient meets the definitions of natural ingredients in ISO 16128-1:2016, Clause 2, ingredients derived from a natural material in ISO 16128-1:2016, Clause 3, or ingredients derived from mineral materials in ISO 16128-1:2016, Clause 4.
This value is assigned to each ingredient in accordance with the following recommendation:
Natural Origin Index = 1 : The ingredient meets the definition of natural ingredients, water of constitution, water of reconstitution, water of extraction or water of formulation. Extracts of natural ingredients involving the use of natural ingredient solvents or derived from a natural material of completely natural origin have a Natural Index equal to 1.
0.5 < Natural Origin Index ≤ 1 : The ingredient meets the definition of ingredients derived from a natural material or derived from mineral materials. The value is calculated as the ratio of the naturally occurring fragment, determined by molecular weight, renewable carbon content or any other appropriate method, to the total molecular composition of said ingredient.
Natural Origin Index = 0: The ingredient does not meet the definition of natural ingredients, nor that of ingredients derived from a natural material, nor that of ingredients derived from mineral materials, including those with Natural Origin Indices less than or equal to 0.5.
Determination of the Organic and Organic Origin Indices of the ingredients:
- Biological Index:
The Organic Index is a value indicating the extent to which a cosmetic ingredient meets the definition of organic ingredients in ISO 16128-1:2016, 2.3.
This value is assigned to each ingredient in accordance with the following recommendation:
Organic Index = 1 : The ingredient meets the definition of organic ingredients, water of constitution or water of reconstitution .
Organic Index = 0: The ingredient does not meet the definition of organic ingredients. The Organic Index of the extraction water and that of the formulation water are considered equal to 0.
- Biological Origin Index
The Organic Origin Index is a value indicating the extent to which a cosmetic ingredient meets the definitions of organic ingredients in ISO 16128-1:2016, 2.3 or ingredients derived from biological material in ISO 16128-1:2016, 3.2.
Organic Origin Index = 1 : The ingredient meets the definition of organic ingredients, water of constitution or water of reconstitution.
0 < Bio-Based Index ≤ 1 : The ingredient meets the definition of ingredients derived from biological material. The value is calculated as the ratio of the biologically derived fragment, determined by molecular weight, renewable carbon content, or other appropriate method, to the total molecular composition of the ingredient.
Organic Origin Index = 0 : The ingredient does not meet the definition of organic ingredients, nor that of ingredients derived from organic material. The Organic Origin Index of the extraction water and that of the formulation water are considered equal to 0.
Sources:
Document: INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 16128-1 and ISO 16128-2
Cosmetics — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products
Part 1: Ingredient Definitions
Part 2: Criteria for ingredients and products
https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/les-fiches-pratiques/cosmetiques-bio-et-naturel