HERBAL COSMETICS www.DuloMix.com 1

REVIEW OF GUIDELINES FOR HERBAL COSMETICS
TO PRIVATE BODIES LIKE COSMOS WITH RESPECT
TO PRESERVATIVES, EMOLLIENTS

Dept of Pharmaceutics

1st yr M.ph

COSMOS – introduction
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 COSMetics Organic and natural Standard

 Sets certification requirements for organic and
natural cosmetics products in Europe.

 The standard is recognized globally by the
cosmetics industry.

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In 2002 five European organisations responsible for
setting organic and natural cosmetics standards met at
a trade show to share ideas for broader standards to
be used globally.

These five COSMOS members are:

 BDIH (Germany)

 Cosmebio (France)

 Ecocert Greenlife SAS (France)

 ICEA (Italy)

 Soil Association (Great Britain)

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 To stimulate processes for sustainable production and consumption,
the organic and natural cosmetics sector is using some simple rules
governed by the principles of prevention and safety at all levels
of the chain from production of raw materials to the distribution of
finished products.

 These rules are:
• promoting the use of products from organic agriculture, and

respecting biodiversity
• using natural resources responsibly, and respecting the environment
• using processing and manufacturing that are clean and respectful

of human health and the environment
• integrating and developing the concept of “Green Chemistry”

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The documents published with the standard include:

❑ The Control Manual: describes how the control
systems works

❑ The Labeling Rules: explains how to use COSMOS
labels

❑ The Technical Guide: additional information

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This Standard applies to cosmetic products marketed as
organic or natural and cosmetic ingredients with
organic content. To be certified these products must
comply with the defined criteria on:

› Origin and processing of ingredients

› Composition of total product
› Storage, manufacturing and packaging
› Environmental management

› Labelling and communication
› Inspection, certification and control.

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Origin and processing of ingredients

➢ Ingredients

Water

Minerals and ingredients of mineral origin

Physically processed agro-ingredients

Chemically processed agro-ingredients

Other ingredients.

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Composition of total product

▪ Rules for cosmetic products under organic certification
➢ Ingredients- At least 95% of the physically processed agro-
ingredients must be organic
➢ Total product- At least 20% of the total product must be organic

▪ Rules for cosmetic products under natural certification
There is no requirement to use a minimum level of organic
ingredients

▪ Calculation rules for natural origin percentage
% natural origin of total = [weight of total product – weight of non-
natural origin ingredients – weight of petrochemical moieties / weight
of all ingredients] x 100.

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Storage, manufacturing and packaging

Storage
Manufacturing
Packaging
Fabrics

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Environmental management

➢Environmental management plan

➢Cleaning and hygiene
following disinfection materials can be used:

1. iso-propyl alcohol
2. amphoteric surfactants
3. hydrogen peroxide
4. mineral acids and alkalis
5. peracetic acid (and stabilising agents)
6. formic acid
7. ozone

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Labelling & communication

➢ General rules
should be clear and non misleading to the consumer.

➢ For products under organic certification
must be labelled with the signature ‘COSMOS ORGANIC’ in
conjunction with the seal of the COSMOS-standard.

The product must not be called “organic”, for example, “organic
shampoo”, unless it is at least 95% organic, measured as a
percentage of the total product.

➢ For products under natural certification
must be labelled with the signature ‘COSMOS NATURAL’ in
conjunction with the seal of the COSMOS-standard.

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➢For ingredients with organic content
may be labelled with the signature ‘COSMOS
CERTIFIED’

➢ Supporting literature

➢Organic in the name of a company or product range

➢Use of the signature, name or term related to this
Standard

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Inspection, certification and control

▪Inspection and certification
To be certified for cosmetic ingredients or cosmetic products under natural or
organic certification according to this Standard, it is required to:

1. have subjected the manufacturing operation and the ingredients or products to
inspection and certification by an authorized certification body; this includes any
subcontracted manufacturing plants that are used to process the ingredients or
products

2. hold a valid operational certificate from that body

3. undergo an on-site annual inspection cycle which may include possible
unannounced inspections and other additional inspections, and

4. allow the certification body to take samples and carry out analysis using
laboratories conforming to ISO/IEC 17025 for ingredients or contaminants either on
a random basis or in case of suspicion.
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▪Approval of ingredients

To be certified for cosmetic ingredients or cosmetic products under natural
or organic certification according to this Standard, it is required to:

have subjected the manufacturing operation and the ingredients or
products to inspection and certification by an authorised certification
body; this includes any sub-contracted manufacturing plants that are used
to process the ingredients or products hold a valid operational certificate
from that body
undergo an on-site annual inspection cycle which may include possible
unannounced inspections and other additional inspections, and

x allow the certification body to take samples and carry out analysis using
laboratories conforming to ISO/IEC 17025 for ingredients or contaminants
either on a random basis or in case of suspicion.

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▪ Certification bodies- Bodies certifying to this
Standard must:

• be (associate) members of the COSMOS-standard AISBL

•be accredited to ISO/IEC Guide 65 (for any scope)

•be authorised according to the requirements set out in the COSMOS standard Control
Manual

• submit to annual authorisation according to the COSMOS-standard
Control Manual including any investigations that may be undertaken in
case of complaint or suspicion, and

• cooperate with other authorised certification bodies to ensure common
interpretation and implementation of this Standard. Certification bodies
must use the COSMOS-standard, and the COSMOS signatures, names and
terms only in accordance with the requirements set out in this Standard,
the Control Manual and the Labelling Guide, or otherwise only with the
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prior written consent of the COSMOS-standard AISBL. 12. Implementation

Guidelines with respect to preservatives:

› Cosmetic preservatives allowed by Ecocert and COSMOS
are considered more skin friendly than some traditional
preservatives.

› Most are naturally occurring in botanicals and so are
considered by the certifying bodies to be suitable for
products marketed as natural.

According to the latest Ecocert and COSMOS standards the
following preservatives are allowed in cosmetic products
certified as Natural and Organic:

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Ecocert / COSMOS Compliant Cosmetic
Preservatives

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REGULATIONS FOR EMOLLIENT

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Thank you

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