In addition to the United States pro-organic groups mentioned above, there are a few other groups in Europe and the United States that deserve mention.
Ecocert is an independent, accredited organic certification group based in France. They’ve been on the scene since 1991. Although the group is based in Europe, they work with over 75 countries and inspect the majority of organic food companies in France and a good portion of such facilities elsewhere, too. Ecocert has branches in several major countries, including Spain, Germany, Japan, and Canada. For more information about Ecocert, visit www. ecocert. com.
Cosmebio is a professional association linked to companies selling organic cosmetics. This group is associated with Ecocert and uses their “Bio” label on certified products meeting their standards for organic content and processing. Products that have the “Bio” label contain a minimum of 95% natural ingredients or ingredients of natural origin. They also must have a minimum of 10% organic ingredients. For more information about Cosmebio, visit www. cosmebio. org (Note: this Web site is in French but can be translated).
BDIH is a natural products certification group based in Germany. They are part of the Federation of German Industries and Trading Firms for pharmaceuticals, health-care products, dietary supplements, and cosmetic products. They developed standards in cooperation with cosmetic ingredient manufacturers specializing in natural ingredients, and their guidelines can be found at this Web address: www. kontrollierte-naturkosmetik. de/en/ the_guidelines. htm. A product that conforms to this group’s standards can be legitimately labeled with their “Certified Natural Cosmetics” seal.
The Natural Products Association (NPA) was founded in 1936 and is the United States’ largest non-profit company overseeing the natural products industry. They represent all manner of natural products, from health and beauty aids to foods. In late 2008, NPA announced that they had certified two cosmetics lines with their Natural Standards Program. Those two lines are Aubrey Organics and Burt’s Bees (the Burt’s Bees certification wasn’t too surprising given that Burt’s Bees Chief Marketing and Strategic Officer is also the chairman of the Natural Standard Program committee). In order to gain the NPA’s seal on products, companies must prove at least 95% of their ingredients are derived from natural sources, which is on par with but not as rigid as EcoCert and emerging European standards.
Please keep in mind that certification has nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, to do with skin-care benefit. This is all about the source of ingredients, not the all-important research concerning the benefits and the results consumers are looking for in their skin-care products. A stamp of approval on a piece of steak from the USDA does not tell you how a diet of steak may impact your arteries, heart, or brain. Exactly the same principle holds true for skin care, no matter whose name or certification is on the product.