COSMOS, NATRUE, USDA Organic: Natural and Organic Certifications Compared

09 November 2026 · MakeYourSkin Team

Illustration of three round certification seals beside a leafy cream jar and a clipboard checklist — MakeYourSkin Journal

Walk through any beauty aisle, from Berlin to Bangalore, and you'll see "natural" and "organic" everywhere. Here's the surprise: in most markets, neither word on its own is legally defined for cosmetics. In the US, for example, the FDA doesn't regulate the term "organic" on cosmetic labels (USDA). That's why independent certifications exist. Here's how the main ones compare.

COSMOS: the big European standard

COSMOS was created by several European certifiers joining forces, and it's now used worldwide (COSMOS-standard). It has two main levels:

  • COSMOS ORGANIC: at least 95% of the physically processed agricultural ingredients must be organic, and at least 20% of the whole product must be organic. Rinse-off products, non-emulsified water-based products and products that are at least 80% mineral need only 10% (COSMOS-standard v4.0).
  • COSMOS NATURAL: no minimum organic content, but the same rules on which ingredients and processes are allowed.

Why only 20%? Water and minerals can't be organic, and a cream is often mostly water. The 95% rule ensures that the farmed ingredients that can be organic almost all are.

NATRUE: natural first, with an organic level

NATRUE is another international label with two levels, natural and organic. For the organic level, at least 95% of the natural and derived-natural ingredients must come from certified organic farming. NATRUE also requires that at least 75% of a brand's products be certified, and it excludes GMOs, silicones, parabens, microplastics, synthetic fragrance and mineral oils (NATRUE).

USDA Organic: food rules applied to cosmetics

In the US, cosmetics made from agricultural ingredients can be certified under the USDA National Organic Program, if every step of the supply chain is certified, and they use the same labelling categories as organic food (USDA). The top "Organic" category requires at least 95% organic ingredients, not counting water and salt (USDA fact sheet). It's demanding for emulsions, because many emulsifiers and preservatives aren't agricultural.

ISO 16128: a calculation, not a label

ISO 16128 gives a standard way to calculate natural, natural-origin, organic and organic-origin percentages. It explicitly doesn't cover claims or labelling (ISO). It's useful for honest reporting, like "98% natural origin per ISO 16128", but it isn't a certification and doesn't restrict which ingredients you can use.

How to choose

  • Selling mainly in Europe? COSMOS or NATRUE are the most recognised.
  • Selling in the US with a food-style organic story? USDA Organic, best for simple formats like oils, balms and butters.
  • Want a transparent number without certification? ISO 16128 percentages, clearly explained.
  • Selling everywhere? Pick the label your main market recognises, then check it's accepted elsewhere.

Formulating for certification

  • Start with the standard's approved list before you design the formula. Swapping an emulsifier late is painful.
  • Ask suppliers for certificates for each ingredient (organic certificates, approval letters) before you commit to a recipe.
  • Preservatives are the usual sticking point. See our natural preservative myths post for options that are often accepted.
  • Organic oils and butters carry most of the organic percentage in an emulsion, so choose them carefully (for example Unrefined Shea Butter or Argan Oil, where certified grades are available).

A note on honesty

Certified or not, every claim on your label should be true and supportable. Certification doesn't make a product safer; good formulation and testing do. And please don't imply that uncertified products are "toxic". Our post on reading ingredient lists shows how to judge any formula on its merits.

Explore Natural Origin and Clean Beauty ingredients.