Can all natural products be certified organic?

For many years now, we’ve been seeing natural and organic products flourish in the cosmetics’ aisles. However, between labels, designations, and certifications, it’s not easy to find your way around.
All certified organic products are natural products but not all natural products are necessarily certified organic. Let’s see how they differ so as not to confuse products that are “natural” with those that are “certified organic”.

Natural products: watch out for misleading claims

A cosmetic product may be considered natural if it contains one or more ingredients derived from nature: plants, minerals, or animal derivatives (honey, beeswax, etc.).
Since 2019, the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ARPP) has specified that a cosmetic product can only be considered “natural” or “of natural origin” if its natural or natural origin content is greater than or equal to 95%.
Unfortunately, not all brands comply with this requirement…

You should also be aware that natural products may also contain petrochemical ingredients that are harmful to human health or the environment. And thus many brands display claims that mislead consumers about a product’s real quality.
Indeed, products that claim to be “paraben-free”, “green” or “natural” are in no way guaranteeing that they are completely safe.

Only organic certification can provide this guarantee.

Only the organic label can guarantee a product is totally safe

As they’re subject to very strict controls, organic label products can provide consumers with a guarantee of quality and a guarantee that they do not contain any controversial ingredients, and are manufactured in an environmentally respectful way.
Consequently, organically certified products must:

• Contain at least 95% natural ingredients
• Be richer in active ingredients than conventional cosmetic products
• Contain NO controversial ingredients (the regulations list all ingredients that are banned outright in organic label products – for example: parabens, phenoxyethanol, chemical sunscreens etc.)
• Attest to impeccable ethical standards from conception to launch.
• Use a minimum of ingredients all derived from organic farming.
• Use packaging designed to limit waste (e.g. packaging made from recycled or recyclable materials, plant-based plastic, etc.).